Cass County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Cass County, Michigan had an estimated 51,550 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,592, across 490 square miles. County output reached $1.90 bn in 2024, 777 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 45 7(a) approvals worth $11.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cass County
How many people live in Cass County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,520
- Households21,207
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$70,443
- Median age45.5
- Median gross rent$916 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$218,000
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree8.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over37,178
- Population under 1810,397
- Share under 1820.2 percent
- Population 65 and over11,620
- Share 65 and over22.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6429,503
- Civilian labor force24,938
- Unemployment rate5.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.6 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties35th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included994th of 3,222
Cass County is the 35th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.6 percent against 20.2 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.
Cass County
Is Cass County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202451,550
- Census 2020 base population51,592
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.08 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-16
- Births, 2024479
- Deaths, 2024581
- Natural change, 2024-102
- Net domestic migration, 202451
- Net international migration, 202437
- Total net migration, 202488
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024629
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1867th of 3,144
The county has lost 0.08 percent of its population 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.
Cass County
Where are people moving to Cass County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,463
- People arriving, from those returns2,775
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,473
- Net household movement-10
- Adjusted gross income arriving$180.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$67.6 m
- Average income of an arriving household$123,216
- Average income of a leaving household$76,515
- Largest single originBerrien County (315 households)
- Largest single destinationBerrien County (309 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County | 315 | 622 | $17.5 m |
| Elkhart County | 234 | 451 | $23.6 m |
| St. Joseph County | 234 | 448 | $27.5 m |
| Van Buren County | 92 | 189 | $3.5 m |
| St. Joseph County | 85 | 160 | $3.0 m |
| Kalamazoo County | 58 | 88 | $2.6 m |
| Cook County | 37 | 65 | $7.8 m |
Households arriving report $46,701 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Berrien 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.
Cass County
What is the Cass County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.90 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.97 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 2024-3.6 percent
- GDP change over five years65.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes40th of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1327th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$36,825
Output grew -3.6 percent in the latest year and 65.8 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.
Cass County
Employment by industry in Cass County
- Covered employment, annual average9,373
- Establishments reporting932
- Average annual pay$51,894
- Average weekly wage$998
- Manufacturing, employment2,023
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$56,947
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,156
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$18,546
- Retail trade, employment793
- Retail trade, average annual pay$33,036
- Other services, except public administration, employment598
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$56,878
- Construction, employment361
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment350
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 2,023 | 76 | $56,947 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,156 | 68 | $18,546 |
| Retail trade | 793 | 98 | $33,036 |
| Other services, except public administration | 598 | 83 | $56,878 |
| Construction | 361 | 99 | $58,582 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 350 | 59 | $51,983 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 343 | 66 | $71,235 |
| Wholesale trade | 324 | 41 | $83,395 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,023 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cass County
How many businesses are in Cass County?
- Establishments, all industries777
- Employment at those establishments7,632
- Annual payroll$343.2 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents15.1
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.
Cass County
Building permits in Cass County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024140
- Declared construction value permitted$73.8 m
- Single family units authorized140
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$527,229
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.6
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cass County
SBA loans in Cass County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded45
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$11.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$245,796
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$624,200
- Largest single approval$1,477,700
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)168
- Jobs per approval3.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals33
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer26.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter32
- Franchise loans4
- Franchise share of approvals8.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (22)
- 504 approvals recorded7
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 504 approval$311,714
- Median 504 approval$304,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval11.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved35.3
- Most active CDCBusiness Development Corporation (BDC) (6)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$13.2 m
The average approval of $245,796 sits well above the median of $150,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 26.7 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cass County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cass County
Do SBA loans in Cass County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded10
- Paid in full9
- Charged off1
- Status: Paid in full9
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure25
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
- Status: Cancelled3
Only 10 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.
Cass County
SBA lending by place in Cass County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending7
- Dowagiac, approvals15
- Edwardsburg, approvals11
- Cassopolis, approvals7
- Union, approvals4
- Marcellus, approvals4
- Vandalia, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Dowagiac | 15 | $2,487,400 |
| Edwardsburg | 11 | $2,535,900 |
| Cassopolis | 7 | $1,446,700 |
| Union | 4 | $3,112,700 |
| Marcellus | 4 | $639,500 |
| Vandalia | 3 | $568,600 |
| Niles | 1 | $270,000 |
Dowagiac accounts for 15 approvals against 11 in Edwardsburg. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Cass County
How large is Cass County?
- Land area490 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties74th of 83
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south21.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land105
- Establishments per square mile1.59
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.
Cass County
Flood risk in Cass County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book16
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate81.3 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Cass County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Cass County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 81.3 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 Cass 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 Cass County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,520
- Households21,207
- Average household size2.43
- Median household income$70,443
- Median age45.5
Common questions
Cass County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cass County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 51,550 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 51,520, in 21,207 households, ranking 35th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cass County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.08 percent since the 2020 census base of 51,592, to 51,550 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 479 births against 581 deaths, with net migration of 88. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cass County?
$70,443. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $218,000, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $916 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cass County?
777 establishments, employing 7,632 people with an annual payroll of $343.2 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 Cass County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 2,023 jobs, 21.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 9,373 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,894, or $998 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cass County?
45 7(a) approvals totaling $11.1 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 7 504 approvals worth $2.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Cass County?
140 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $73.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cass County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Cass County come from?
The largest single origin is Berrien County, with 315 households. Arriving households report an average income of $123,216 against $76,515 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cass 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 Cass 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.
Cass County
Cities and places in Cass.
6 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cass County. All 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles | city | 11,803 | 1 | 10.7 percent here, 89.3 percent Berrien County |
| Dowagiac | city | 5,732 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Cassopolis | village | 1,834 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Edwardsburg | village | 1,472 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Marcellus | village | 1,112 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Vandalia | village | 366 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
A further 4 of the county's 45 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cass County, the largest being Union (4). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.