Leelanau County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Leelanau County, Michigan has a population of 22,734 across 347 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.13 bn in 2024, 796 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 53 7(a) approvals worth $32.9 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections · underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency
Leelanau County
How many people live in Leelanau County
- Population22,734
- Households9,645
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$99,422
- Median age55.9
- Median gross rent$1,228 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$458,400
- Home value to household income4.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher51.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree21.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over18,008
- Population under 183,500
- Share under 1815.4 percent
- Population 65 and over7,673
- Share 65 and over33.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6411,561
- Civilian labor force9,969
- Unemployment rate3.4 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over51.8 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties63rd of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1740th
Leelanau County is the 63rd largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 4.6 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 33.8 percent against 15.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Leelanau County
Is Leelanau County's population growing?
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population22,298
- Births, 2024124
- Deaths, 2024286
- Natural change, 2024-162
- Net domestic migration, 202443
- Net international migration, 202424
- Total net migration, 202467
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,121
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents987th
The county has grown 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Leelanau County
Where are people moving to Leelanau County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving823
- People arriving, from those returns1,476
- Adjusted gross income arriving$126.1 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$153,259
- Largest single originLeelanau County Non-migrants (9,826 households)
- Largest single destination (9,826 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leelanau County Non-migrants | 9,826 | 18,939 | $1.26 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 314 | 557 | $68.3 m |
| Grand Traverse County | 238 | 436 | $23.7 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 214 | 384 | $27.6 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 101 | 182 | $25.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 100 | 177 | $15.9 m |
| Other flows - West | 86 | 159 | $23.0 m |
| Oakland County | 35 | 59 | $4.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Leelanau County Non-migrants, 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.
Leelanau County
What is the Leelanau County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.13 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.05 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.2 percent
- GDP change over five years43.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties56th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1745th
- GDP per resident$49,772
Output grew 8.2 percent in the latest year and 43.5 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.
Leelanau County
Largest employers in Leelanau County
- Covered employment, annual average6,662
- Establishments reporting840
- Average annual pay$48,322
- Average weekly wage$929
- Sector 72, employment987
- Sector 72, average annual pay$36,062
- Sector 44-45, employment609
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$30,908
- Sector 31-33, employment556
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$38,383
- Sector 23, employment545
- Sector 23, average annual pay$60,061
- Sector 62, employment529
- Sector 42, employment291
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 987 | 77 | $36,062 |
| Sector 44-45 | 609 | 98 | $30,908 |
| Sector 31-33 | 556 | 46 | $38,383 |
| Sector 23 | 545 | 114 | $60,061 |
| Sector 62 | 529 | 59 | $75,754 |
| Sector 42 | 291 | 11 | $40,081 |
| Sector 56 | 251 | 50 | $49,231 |
| Sector 81 | 227 | 72 | $44,289 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 987 jobs, 14.8 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Leelanau County
How many businesses are in Leelanau County?
- Establishments, all industries796
- Employment at those establishments5,239
- Annual payroll$275.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents35.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Leelanau County
Building permits in Leelanau County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024201
- Declared construction value permitted$52.4 m
- Single family units authorised201
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$260,596
- Units authorised per 1,000 households20.8
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Leelanau County
SBA loans in Leelanau County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded53
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$32.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$621,045
- Median 7(a) approval$199,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,400,000
- Largest single approval$4,417,500
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)495
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals37
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer22.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms12
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter37
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countWood Window and Door Manufacturing (6)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (21)
- 504 approvals recorded38
- 504 gross approval dollars$18.4 m
- Average 504 approval$483,447
- Median 504 approval$285,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.4
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.1
- Most active CDCGreat Lakes Commercial Finance (26)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals58.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$51.3 m
The average approval of $621,045 sits well above the median of $199,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 22.6 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.
Leelanau County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Leelanau County
Do SBA loans in Leelanau County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded13
- Paid in full13
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full13
- Status: Exempt from disclosure32
- Status: Cancelled7
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
Leelanau County
SBA lending by place in Leelanau County
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- Northport, approvals12
- Suttons Bay, approvals11
- Glen Arbor, approvals8
- Empire, approvals5
- Traverse City, approvals4
- Leland, approvals4
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Northport | 12 | $16,543,900 |
| Suttons Bay | 11 | $1,464,700 |
| Glen Arbor | 8 | $6,269,400 |
| Empire | 5 | $835,000 |
| Traverse City | 4 | $1,481,700 |
| Leland | 4 | $799,000 |
| Maple City | 3 | $785,500 |
| LAKE LEELANAU | 3 | $4,323,000 |
Northport accounts for 12 approvals against 11 in Suttons Bay. 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.
Leelanau County
How large is Leelanau County?
- Land area347 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties82nd of 83
- Width, east to west30.8 mi
- Height, north to south30.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land66
- Establishments per square mile2.29
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.
Leelanau County
Flood risk in Leelanau County
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book14
- Of those, participating in the NFIP14
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Leelanau County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Leelanau 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. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Leelanau 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 Leelanau County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population22,734
- Households9,645
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$99,422
- Median age55.9
Common questions
Leelanau County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Leelanau County, Michigan?
22,734, in 9,645 households, ranking 63rd of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Leelanau County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.57 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 124 births against 286 deaths, with net migration of 67. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Leelanau County?
$99,422. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $458,400, which is 4.6 times income, and median gross rent is $1,228 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Leelanau County?
796 establishments, employing 5,239 people with an annual payroll of $275.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Leelanau County?
Average annual pay is $48,322, or $929 a week, across 6,662 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Leelanau County?
53 7(a) approvals totalling $32.9 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $199,000, plus 38 504 approvals worth $18.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Leelanau County get paid back?
Of the 13 loans that have reached a final outcome, 13 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Leelanau County?
201 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $52.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Leelanau 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 Leelanau County come from?
The largest single origin is Leelanau County Non-migrants, with 9,826 households. Arriving households report an average income of $153,259 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Leelanau 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 Leelanau County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.
Leelanau County
Cities and places in Leelanau.
11 Census places lie wholly or partly in Leelanau County. 11 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked. The rest are named here and not linked, because the American Community Survey and the SBA record between them do not carry enough about them to write an honest page. A place existing is itself worth knowing, so nothing in the county is left out.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA approvals | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City | city | 15,593 | 210 | 4.1 percent here, 95.9 percent Grand Traverse County |
| Greilickville | CDP | 1,519 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Suttons Bay | village | 555 | 11 | Wholly in this county |
| Northport | village | 465 | 13 | Wholly in this county |
| Leland | CDP | 400 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Empire | village | 341 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Glen Arbor | CDP | 336 | 8 | Wholly in this county |
| Omena | CDP | 305 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Maple City | CDP | 183 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Lake Leelanau | CDP | 124 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar | CDP | 23 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 426 SBA approvals in Leelanau County are recorded against borrower cities that match no Census place, the largest being Traverse City, Williamsburg, Maple City. Those are postal cities and unincorporated areas rather than incorporated places, so no page claims them, and their lending is counted in this county's totals above rather than under any city.