Washtenaw County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Washtenaw County, Michigan had an estimated 373,875 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.4 percent since the 2020 census base of 372,258, across 706 square miles. County output reached $34.59 bn in 2024, 8,322 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 460 7(a) approvals worth $215.7 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Washtenaw County
How many people live in Washtenaw County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024369,822
- Households150,550
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$89,180
- Median age35.0
- Median gross rent$1,463 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$374,100
- Home value to household income4.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income19.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher58.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree31.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over237,324
- Population under 1867,474
- Share under 1818.2 percent
- Population 65 and over58,242
- Share 65 and over15.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64244,106
- Civilian labor force195,907
- Unemployment rate4.6 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.8 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties6th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included204th of 3,222
Washtenaw County is the 6th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 4.2 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 18.2 percent against 15.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Washtenaw County
Is Washtenaw County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024373,875
- Census 2020 base population372,258
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.43 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20243,477
- Births, 20243,150
- Deaths, 20242,448
- Natural change, 2024702
- Net domestic migration, 2024-3,718
- Net international migration, 20246,476
- Total net migration, 20242,758
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-15,530
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1674th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.43 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.
Washtenaw County
Where are people moving to Washtenaw County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,115
- People arriving, from those returns17,028
- Tax returns filed by households leaving13,207
- Net household movement-2,092
- Adjusted gross income arriving$925.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-263.2 m
- Average income of an arriving household$83,284
- Average income of a leaving household$90,019
- Largest single originWayne County (2,240 households)
- Largest single destinationWayne County (2,462 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 2,240 | 3,746 | $156.3 m |
| Oakland County | 1,007 | 1,488 | $93.5 m |
| Livingston County | 456 | 742 | $32.8 m |
| Cook County | 311 | 483 | $33.9 m |
| Lenawee County | 244 | 422 | $15.1 m |
| Ingham County | 228 | 323 | $15.9 m |
| Jackson County | 208 | 325 | $14.3 m |
| Monroe County | 198 | 336 | $11.5 m |
Households arriving report $6,735 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Wayne 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.
Washtenaw County
What is the Washtenaw County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$34.59 bn
- County GDP, 2023$32.85 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.3 percent
- GDP change over five years30.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes5th of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes172nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$93,536
Output grew 5.3 percent in the latest year and 30.1 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.
Washtenaw County
Employment by industry in Washtenaw County
- Covered employment, annual average217,948
- Establishments reporting9,619
- Average annual pay$74,298
- Average weekly wage$1,429
- Health care and social assistance, employment28,273
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$68,948
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment17,908
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$117,607
- Retail trade, employment15,024
- Retail trade, average annual pay$40,670
- Accommodation and food services, employment13,791
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$27,829
- Manufacturing, employment11,602
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment7,195
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 28,273 | 1,386 | $68,948 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 17,908 | 1,510 | $117,607 |
| Retail trade | 15,024 | 942 | $40,670 |
| Accommodation and food services | 13,791 | 733 | $27,829 |
| Manufacturing | 11,602 | 462 | $83,431 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 7,195 | 476 | $50,748 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,324 | 335 | $94,442 |
| Construction | 4,907 | 596 | $77,877 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 28,273 jobs, 13.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Washtenaw County
How many businesses are in Washtenaw County?
- Establishments, all industries8,322
- Employment at those establishments158,858
- Annual payroll$11.24 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.5
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.
Washtenaw County
Building permits in Washtenaw County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20241,193
- Declared construction value permitted$588.8 m
- Single family units authorized557
- Multifamily units authorized636
- Multifamily share of units53.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$493,574
- Units authorized per 1,000 households7.9
Multifamily is 53.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Washtenaw County
SBA loans in Washtenaw County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded460
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$215.7 m
- Average 7(a) approval$468,987
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,135,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)5,203
- Jobs per approval11.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active64
- Distinct industries receiving approvals165
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.2 percent
- Loans on real estate terms33
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter387
- Franchise loans78
- Franchise share of approvals17.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (25)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (181)
- 504 approvals recorded113
- 504 gross approval dollars$71.3 m
- Average 504 approval$631,124
- Median 504 approval$463,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval12.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.3
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (92)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$287.1 m
The average approval of $468,987 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 7.2 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.
Washtenaw County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Washtenaw County
Do SBA loans in Washtenaw County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded75
- Paid in full72
- Charged off3
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans4.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure295
- Status: Paid in full72
- Status: Cancelled52
- Status: Charged off3
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed38
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 4.0 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.
Washtenaw County
SBA lending by place in Washtenaw County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending19
- Ann Arbor, approvals239
- Ypsilanti, approvals86
- Saline, approvals44
- Dexter, approvals36
- Chelsea, approvals19
- Whitmore Lake, approvals8
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | 239 | $119,012,500 |
| Ypsilanti | 86 | $31,962,200 |
| Saline | 44 | $27,033,200 |
| Dexter | 36 | $13,266,800 |
| Chelsea | 19 | $4,974,200 |
| Whitmore Lake | 8 | $8,280,300 |
| Milan | 8 | $3,314,000 |
| Clinton | 3 | $4,309,600 |
| 11 other borrower cities | 17 | $3,581,400 |
Ann Arbor accounts for 239 approvals against 86 in Ypsilanti. 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.
Washtenaw County
How large is Washtenaw County?
- Land area706 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties26th of 83
- Width, east to west30.3 mi
- Height, north to south25.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land524
- Establishments per square mile11.79
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.
Washtenaw County
Flood risk in Washtenaw County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book25
- Of those, participating in the NFIP21
- NFIP participation rate84.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Washtenaw County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Washtenaw 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 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 84.0 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 Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024369,822
- Households150,550
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$89,180
- Median age35.0
Common questions
Washtenaw County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Washtenaw County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 373,875 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 369,822, in 150,550 households, ranking 6th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Washtenaw County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.43 percent since the 2020 census base of 372,258, to 373,875 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,150 births against 2,448 deaths, with net migration of 2,758. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Washtenaw County?
$89,180. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $374,100, which is 4.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,463 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Washtenaw County?
8,322 establishments, employing 158,858 people with an annual payroll of $11.24 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 Washtenaw County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 28,273 jobs, 13.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 217,948 jobs at an average annual pay of $74,298, or $1,429 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Washtenaw County?
460 7(a) approvals totaling $215.7 m since FY2020, across 64 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 113 504 approvals worth $71.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Washtenaw County get paid back?
Of the 75 loans that have reached a final outcome, 72 were paid in full and 3 charged off, a charge-off rate of 4.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Washtenaw County?
1,193 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $588.8 m. Multifamily was 53.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw County come from?
The largest single origin is Wayne County, with 2,240 households. Arriving households report an average income of $83,284 against $90,019 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Washtenaw 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 Washtenaw 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.
Washtenaw County
Cities and places in Washtenaw.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Washtenaw County. All 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | city | 122,036 | 239 | Wholly in this county |
| Ypsilanti | city | 19,857 | 86 | Wholly in this county |
| Saline | city | 9,006 | 44 | Wholly in this county |
| Whitmore Lake | CDP | 7,878 | 8 | 57.5 percent here, 42.5 percent Livingston County |
| Milan | city | 5,987 | 8 | 32.6 percent here, 67.4 percent Monroe County |
| Chelsea | city | 5,426 | 19 | Wholly in this county |
| Dexter | city | 4,521 | 36 | Wholly in this county |
| Manchester | village | 2,522 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Barton Hills | village | 430 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 17 of the county's 460 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Washtenaw County, the largest being Clinton (3), Northville (3), Pinckney (2). 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.
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