Baraga County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Baraga County, Michigan had an estimated 8,169 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,150, across 898 square miles. County output reached $374.5 m in 2024, 173 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 11 7(a) approvals worth $8.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Baraga County
How many people live in Baraga County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,191
- Households3,433
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$55,327
- Median age46.0
- Median gross rent$616 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$138,100
- Home value to household income2.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,269
- Population under 181,394
- Share under 1817.0 percent
- Population 65 and over1,901
- Share 65 and over23.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 644,896
- Civilian labor force3,052
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over44.9 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties79th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2635th of 3,222
Baraga County is the 79th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.5 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 23.2 percent against 17.0 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Baraga County
Is Baraga County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,169
- Census 2020 base population8,150
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.23 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-53
- Births, 202477
- Deaths, 2024146
- Natural change, 2024-69
- Net domestic migration, 202414
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 202416
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024225
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1740th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.23 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Baraga County
Where are people moving to Baraga County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving175
- People arriving, from those returns290
- Tax returns filed by households leaving173
- Net household movement2
- Adjusted gross income arriving$7.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-1.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$44,863
- Average income of a leaving household$54,642
- Largest single originHoughton County (39 households)
- Largest single destinationHoughton County (38 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton County | 39 | 71 | $1.9 m |
| Marquette County | 27 | 48 | $1.5 m |
Households arriving report $9,779 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Houghton County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Baraga County
What is the Baraga County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$374.5 m
- County GDP, 2023$364.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.6 percent
- GDP change over five years29.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes74th of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2587th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$45,719
Output grew 2.6 percent in the latest year and 29.0 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Baraga County
Employment by industry in Baraga County
- Covered employment, annual average2,973
- Establishments reporting211
- Average annual pay$51,002
- Average weekly wage$981
- Manufacturing, employment520
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$62,086
- Retail trade, employment153
- Retail trade, average annual pay$32,026
- Construction, employment79
- Construction, average annual pay$65,629
- Wholesale trade, employment52
- Wholesale trade, average annual pay$76,109
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 520 | 22 | $62,086 |
| Retail trade | 153 | 24 | $32,026 |
| Construction | 79 | 16 | $65,629 |
| Wholesale trade | 52 | 5 | $76,109 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 520 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Baraga County
How many businesses are in Baraga County?
- Establishments, all industries173
- Employment at those establishments1,778
- Annual payroll$81.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Baraga County
Building permits in Baraga County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202413
- Declared construction value permitted$3.6 m
- Single family units authorized11
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units15.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$275,127
- Units authorized per 1,000 households3.8
Single-family homes are 84.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Baraga County
SBA loans in Baraga County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded11
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$728,800
- Median 7(a) approval$324,000
- Largest single approval$2,840,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)198
- Jobs per approval18.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active5
- Distinct industries receiving approvals6
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer18.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms2
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter7
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals27.3 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAutomotive Parts and Accessories Stores (3)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baraga County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Baraga County
Do SBA loans in Baraga County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full1
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Paid in full1
- Status: Charged off1
Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baraga County
SBA lending by place in Baraga County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending2
- L'Anse, approvals6
- Baraga, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| L'Anse | 6 | $3,791,800 |
| Baraga | 5 | $4,225,000 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Baraga County
How large is Baraga County?
- Land area898 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties14th of 83
- Width, east to west32.5 mi
- Height, north to south37.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land9
- Establishments per square mile0.19
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Baraga County
Flood risk in Baraga County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book6
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate66.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Baraga County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Baraga County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 66.7 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Baraga County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Baraga County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,191
- Households3,433
- Average household size2.39
- Median household income$55,327
- Median age46.0
Common questions
Baraga County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Baraga County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,169 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,191, in 3,433 households, ranking 79th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Baraga County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.23 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,150, to 8,169 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 77 births against 146 deaths, with net migration of 16. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Baraga County?
$55,327. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $138,100, which is 2.5 times income, and median gross rent is $616 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Baraga County?
173 establishments, employing 1,778 people with an annual payroll of $81.4 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Baraga County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 520 jobs, 17.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,973 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,002, or $981 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Baraga County?
11 7(a) approvals totaling $8.0 m since FY2020, across 5 lenders, with a median approval of $324,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Baraga County?
13 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $3.6 m. Multifamily was 15.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Baraga County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Baraga County come from?
The largest single origin is Houghton County, with 39 households. Arriving households report an average income of $44,863 against $54,642 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Baraga County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Baraga County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Baraga County
Cities and places in Baraga.
7 Census places lie wholly or partly in Baraga County. All 7 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga | village | 1,939 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| L'Anse | village | 1,790 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Zeba | CDP | 342 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Three Lakes | CDP | 172 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Skanee | CDP | 116 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Covington | CDP | 112 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pelkie | CDP | 13 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby