Kalamazoo County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Kalamazoo County, Michigan had an estimated 264,780 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base of 261,685, across 562 square miles. County output reached $20.71 bn in 2024, 5,704 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 302 7(a) approvals worth $130.0 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kalamazoo County
How many people live in Kalamazoo County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024262,375
- Households107,110
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$72,532
- Median age35.0
- Median gross rent$1,093 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$241,800
- Home value to household income3.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher41.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over167,183
- Population under 1855,906
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over42,340
- Share 65 and over16.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64164,129
- Civilian labor force139,265
- Unemployment rate5.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.5 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties9th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included276th of 3,222
Kalamazoo County is the 9th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.3 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 16.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kalamazoo County
Is Kalamazoo County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024264,780
- Census 2020 base population261,685
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.18 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20241,483
- Births, 20242,634
- Deaths, 20242,439
- Natural change, 2024195
- Net domestic migration, 2024-676
- Net international migration, 20241,953
- Total net migration, 20241,277
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-2,436
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1424th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.18 percent 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.
Kalamazoo County
Where are people moving to Kalamazoo County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving6,233
- People arriving, from those returns10,055
- Tax returns filed by households leaving6,883
- Net household movement-650
- Adjusted gross income arriving$380.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-119.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$61,079
- Average income of a leaving household$72,629
- Largest single originVan Buren County (602 households)
- Largest single destinationCalhoun County (563 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 602 | 1,036 | $37.7 m |
| Calhoun County | 530 | 923 | $27.4 m |
| Allegan County | 393 | 647 | $17.7 m |
| Kent County | 349 | 508 | $18.3 m |
| St. Joseph County | 252 | 400 | $12.3 m |
| Berrien County | 164 | 268 | $6.4 m |
| Barry County | 159 | 248 | $7.7 m |
| Cook County | 143 | 231 | $15.8 m |
Households arriving report $11,550 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Van Buren 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.
Kalamazoo County
What is the Kalamazoo County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$20.71 bn
- County GDP, 2023$19.75 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.8 percent
- GDP change over five years29.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes8th of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes250th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$78,919
Output grew 4.8 percent in the latest year and 29.9 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.
Kalamazoo County
Employment by industry in Kalamazoo County
- Covered employment, annual average120,708
- Establishments reporting5,972
- Average annual pay$65,730
- Average weekly wage$1,264
- Manufacturing, employment21,198
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$95,480
- Health care and social assistance, employment20,432
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$70,049
- Retail trade, employment12,358
- Retail trade, average annual pay$38,041
- Accommodation and food services, employment11,060
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$23,302
- Construction, employment6,522
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment5,959
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 21,198 | 340 | $95,480 |
| Health care and social assistance | 20,432 | 961 | $70,049 |
| Retail trade | 12,358 | 722 | $38,041 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,060 | 521 | $23,302 |
| Construction | 6,522 | 458 | $79,824 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 5,959 | 586 | $86,578 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 5,719 | 323 | $46,514 |
| Wholesale trade | 5,036 | 244 | $74,530 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 21,198 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kalamazoo County
How many businesses are in Kalamazoo County?
- Establishments, all industries5,704
- Employment at those establishments114,065
- Annual payroll$6.87 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents21.7
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.
Kalamazoo County
Building permits in Kalamazoo County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024301
- Declared construction value permitted$99.7 m
- Single family units authorized284
- Multifamily units authorized17
- Multifamily share of units5.6 percent
- Average declared value per unit$331,261
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.8
Single-family homes are 94.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kalamazoo County
SBA loans in Kalamazoo County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded302
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$130.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$430,611
- Median 7(a) approval$153,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,052,580
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,809
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active59
- Distinct industries receiving approvals132
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms43
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter230
- Franchise loans33
- Franchise share of approvals10.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (95)
- 504 approvals recorded119
- 504 gross approval dollars$74.2 m
- Average 504 approval$623,193
- Median 504 approval$403,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval7.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.6
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (65)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$204.2 m
The average approval of $430,611 sits well above the median of $153,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 14.2 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.
Kalamazoo County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Kalamazoo County
Do SBA loans in Kalamazoo County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded46
- Paid in full43
- Charged off3
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans6.5 percent
- Status: Paid in full43
- Status: Exempt from disclosure204
- Status: Cancelled34
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed18
- Status: Charged off3
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.5 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
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.
Kalamazoo County
SBA lending by place in Kalamazoo County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending16
- Kalamazoo, approvals169
- Portage, approvals78
- Vicksburg, approvals12
- Schoolcraft, approvals9
- Galesburg, approvals8
- Richland, approvals6
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | 169 | $79,113,800 |
| Portage | 78 | $30,168,600 |
| Vicksburg | 12 | $7,360,200 |
| Schoolcraft | 9 | $3,682,700 |
| Galesburg | 8 | $3,651,700 |
| Richland | 6 | $2,998,500 |
| Parchment | 4 | $499,500 |
| Augusta | 3 | $588,600 |
| 8 other borrower cities | 13 | $1,980,900 |
Kalamazoo accounts for 169 approvals against 78 in Portage. 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.
Kalamazoo County
How large is Kalamazoo County?
- Land area562 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties53rd of 83
- Width, east to west24.1 mi
- Height, north to south24.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land467
- Establishments per square mile10.15
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.
Kalamazoo County
Flood risk in Kalamazoo County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book24
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate54.2 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 7
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Kalamazoo County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Kalamazoo 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. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 7, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 54.2 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 Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024262,375
- Households107,110
- Average household size2.45
- Median household income$72,532
- Median age35.0
Common questions
Kalamazoo County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kalamazoo County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 264,780 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 262,375, in 107,110 households, ranking 9th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kalamazoo County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.18 percent since the 2020 census base of 261,685, to 264,780 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 2,634 births against 2,439 deaths, with net migration of 1,277. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kalamazoo County?
$72,532. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $241,800, which is 3.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,093 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Kalamazoo County?
5,704 establishments, employing 114,065 people with an annual payroll of $6.87 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Kalamazoo County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 21,198 jobs, 17.6 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 120,708 jobs at an average annual pay of $65,730, or $1,264 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kalamazoo County?
302 7(a) approvals totaling $130.0 m since FY2020, across 59 lenders, with a median approval of $153,000, plus 119 504 approvals worth $74.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kalamazoo County get paid back?
Of the 46 loans that have reached a final outcome, 43 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge-off rate of 6.5 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Kalamazoo County?
301 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $99.7 m. Multifamily was 5.6 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County come from?
The largest single origin is Van Buren County, with 602 households. Arriving households report an average income of $61,079 against $72,629 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo 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.
Kalamazoo County
Cities and places in Kalamazoo.
14 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kalamazoo County. All 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo | city | 73,076 | 169 | Wholly in this county |
| Portage | city | 49,259 | 78 | Wholly in this county |
| Westwood | CDP | 8,867 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eastwood | CDP | 6,669 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Comstock Northwest | CDP | 5,391 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vicksburg | village | 3,934 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Galesburg | city | 2,023 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Parchment | city | 2,008 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| South Gull Lake | CDP | 1,801 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Schoolcraft | village | 1,275 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Richland | village | 1,098 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Augusta | village | 776 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Climax | village | 723 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Scotts | CDP | 237 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 8 of the county's 302 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Kalamazoo County, the largest being Fulton (2), Mattawan (2), Pullman (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