Ionia County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Ionia County, Michigan had an estimated 66,250 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base of 66,804, across 571 square miles. County output reached $2.33 bn in 2024, 904 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 57 7(a) approvals worth $15.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Ionia County
How many people live in Ionia County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202466,574
- Households23,355
- Average household size2.85
- Median household income$75,611
- Median age39.1
- Median gross rent$884 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$198,500
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over46,711
- Population under 1813,909
- Share under 1820.9 percent
- Population 65 and over10,522
- Share 65 and over15.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6442,143
- Civilian labor force32,178
- Unemployment rate3.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over61.1 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties30th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included822nd of 3,222
Ionia County is the 30th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.9 percent against 15.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Ionia County
Is Ionia County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202466,250
- Census 2020 base population66,804
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.83 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024146
- Births, 2024594
- Deaths, 2024584
- Natural change, 202410
- Net domestic migration, 2024106
- Net international migration, 202430
- Total net migration, 2024136
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-717
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2133rd of 3,144
The county has lost 0.83 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Ionia County
Where are people moving to Ionia County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,753
- People arriving, from those returns3,053
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,743
- Net household movement10
- Adjusted gross income arriving$83.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$4.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$47,844
- Average income of a leaving household$45,834
- Largest single originKent County (526 households)
- Largest single destinationKent County (356 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 526 | 911 | $27.6 m |
| Montcalm County | 203 | 359 | $7.7 m |
| Eaton County | 129 | 254 | $7.8 m |
| Ingham County | 93 | 135 | $4.7 m |
| Barry County | 77 | 162 | $3.7 m |
| Clinton County | 69 | 133 | $3.8 m |
| Ottawa County | 49 | 88 | $2.4 m |
| Wayne County | 30 | 47 | $1.2 m |
Households arriving report $2,010 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 Kent 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.
Ionia County
What is the Ionia County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.33 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.25 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.6 percent
- GDP change over five years51.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes33rd of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1160th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$34,986
Output grew 3.6 percent in the latest year and 51.1 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.
Ionia County
Employment by industry in Ionia County
- Covered employment, annual average18,530
- Establishments reporting1,090
- Average annual pay$48,605
- Average weekly wage$935
- Manufacturing, employment3,673
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$63,740
- Retail trade, employment1,747
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,455
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,242
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$51,841
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,207
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,240
- Finance and insurance, employment646
- Other services, except public administration, employment526
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 3,673 | 78 | $63,740 |
| Retail trade | 1,747 | 131 | $31,455 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,242 | 118 | $51,841 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,207 | 87 | $20,240 |
| Finance and insurance | 646 | 54 | $64,933 |
| Other services, except public administration | 526 | 171 | $29,996 |
| Wholesale trade | 375 | 24 | $75,935 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 210 | 20 | $22,890 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,673 jobs, 19.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Ionia County
How many businesses are in Ionia County?
- Establishments, all industries904
- Employment at those establishments12,367
- Annual payroll$551.4 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.6
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.
Ionia County
Building permits in Ionia County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202494
- Declared construction value permitted$33.2 m
- Single family units authorized94
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$352,935
- Units authorized per 1,000 households4.0
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.
Ionia County
SBA loans in Ionia County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded57
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$15.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$276,567
- Median 7(a) approval$81,600
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$595,920
- Largest single approval$3,525,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)245
- Jobs per approval4.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals35
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer12.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms7
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter47
- Franchise loans5
- Franchise share of approvals8.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFinish Carpentry Contractors (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (34)
- 504 approvals recorded11
- 504 gross approval dollars$5.5 m
- Average 504 approval$504,000
- Median 504 approval$284,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval2.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved5.8
- Most active CDCGreat Lakes Commercial Finance (9)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$21.3 m
The average approval of $276,567 sits well above the median of $81,600, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 12.3 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.
Ionia County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Ionia County
Do SBA loans in Ionia County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded11
- Paid in full11
- Charged off0
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full11
- Status: Exempt from disclosure37
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
Only 11 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.
Ionia County
SBA lending by place in Ionia County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending8
- Portland, approvals17
- Belding, approvals14
- Ionia, approvals13
- Lake Odessa, approvals6
- Saranac, approvals3
- Clarksville, approvals2
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | 17 | $6,299,800 |
| Belding | 14 | $4,241,100 |
| Ionia | 13 | $3,113,900 |
| Lake Odessa | 6 | $1,331,700 |
| Saranac | 3 | $117,800 |
| Clarksville | 2 | $175,000 |
| Freeport | 1 | $400,000 |
| Grand Ledge | 1 | $85,000 |
Portland accounts for 17 approvals against 14 in Belding. 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.
Ionia County
How large is Ionia County?
- Land area571 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties40th of 83
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land117
- Establishments per square mile1.58
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.
Ionia County
Flood risk in Ionia County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book20
- Of those, participating in the NFIP16
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Ionia County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Ionia 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. 80.0 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 Ionia 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 Ionia County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202466,574
- Households23,355
- Average household size2.85
- Median household income$75,611
- Median age39.1
Common questions
Ionia County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Ionia County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 66,250 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 66,574, in 23,355 households, ranking 30th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Ionia County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.83 percent since the 2020 census base of 66,804, to 66,250 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 594 births against 584 deaths, with net migration of 136. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Ionia County?
$75,611. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $198,500, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $884 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Ionia County?
904 establishments, employing 12,367 people with an annual payroll of $551.4 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 Ionia County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 3,673 jobs, 19.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 18,530 jobs at an average annual pay of $48,605, or $935 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Ionia County?
57 7(a) approvals totaling $15.8 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $81,600, plus 11 504 approvals worth $5.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Ionia County?
94 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $33.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Ionia 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 Ionia County come from?
The largest single origin is Kent County, with 526 households. Arriving households report an average income of $47,844 against $45,834 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Ionia 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 Ionia 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.
Ionia County
Cities and places in Ionia.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Ionia County. All 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia | city | 12,753 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Belding | city | 5,960 | 14 | Wholly in this county |
| Portland | city | 3,790 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Odessa | village | 2,155 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Saranac | village | 2,013 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Lyons | village | 896 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Muir | village | 490 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hubbardston | village | 464 | None recorded | 75.0 percent here, 25.0 percent Clinton County |
| Pewamo | village | 439 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Clarksville | village | 417 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Palo | CDP | 375 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 57 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Ionia County, the largest being Freeport (1), Grand Ledge (1). 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.
Nearby