Alger County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Alger County, Michigan has a population of 8,762 across 915 square miles, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $331.7 m in 2024, 220 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m.
116 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Alger County
How many people live in Alger County
- Population8,762
- Households3,531
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$61,286
- Median age49.1
- Median gross rent$714 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$176,200
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,825
- Population under 181,284
- Share under 1814.7 percent
- Population 65 and over2,380
- Share 65 and over27.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,098
- Civilian labor force3,175
- Unemployment rate6.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.5 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties77th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2582nd
Alger County is the 77th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.2 percent against 14.7 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.
Alger County
Is Alger County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.56 percent
- Census 2020 base population8,833
- Births, 202449
- Deaths, 2024103
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 20248
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 202410
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202450
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2379th
The county has lost 1.56 percent of its population 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.
Alger County
Where people moving to Alger County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving232
- People arriving, from those returns377
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$68,927
- Largest single originAlger County Non-migrants (3,394 households)
- Largest single destination (3,394 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alger County Non-migrants | 3,394 | 6,432 | $217.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 121 | 200 | $8.1 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 61 | 104 | $5.0 m |
| Marquette County | 50 | 73 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 41 | 60 | $2.8 m |
| Other flows - South | 20 | 44 | $2.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Alger 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.
Alger County
What the Alger County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$331.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$319.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years33.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties76th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2652nd
- GDP per resident$37,860
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 33.3 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.
Alger County
Who employs people in Alger County
- Covered employment, annual average2,650
- Establishments reporting258
- Average annual pay$49,474
- Average weekly wage$951
- Sector 31-33, employment397
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,183
- Sector 44-45, employment201
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$25,688
- Sector 23, employment108
- Sector 23, average annual pay$58,846
- Sector 48-49, employment74
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$36,806
- Sector 52, employment59
- Sector 54, employment45
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 397 | 9 | $71,183 |
| Sector 44-45 | 201 | 34 | $25,688 |
| Sector 23 | 108 | 24 | $58,846 |
| Sector 48-49 | 74 | 8 | $36,806 |
| Sector 52 | 59 | 6 | $82,364 |
| Sector 54 | 45 | 11 | $65,969 |
| Sector 81 | 34 | 14 | $40,228 |
| Sector 53 | 26 | 9 | $42,559 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 397 jobs, 15.0 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.
Alger County
What businesses operate in Alger County
- Establishments, all industries220
- Employment at those establishments1,733
- Annual payroll$85.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Alger County
What is being built in Alger County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202433
- Declared construction value permitted$9.7 m
- Single family units authorised33
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$295,375
- Units authorised per 1,000 households9.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Alger County
How much SBA lending happens in Alger County
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$411,633
- Median 7(a) approval$25,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,189,900
- Largest single approval$1,189,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countToy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (2)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (2)
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 504 approval$221,100
- Median 504 approval$135,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.8
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (10)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals23.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$3.4 m
The average approval of $411,633 sits well above the median of $25,000, 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. 33.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
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.
Alger County
Do SBA loans in Alger County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 0 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alger County
How big is Alger County
- Land area915 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties12th of 83
- Width, east to west59.6 mi
- Height, north to south36.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.24
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.
Alger County
What hazards affect Alger County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
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 Alger 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 Alger County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population8,762
- Households3,531
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$61,286
- Median age49.1
Common questions
Alger County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Alger County, Michigan?
8,762, in 3,531 households, ranking 77th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Alger County growing?
The population has fallen 1.56 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 49 births against 103 deaths, with net migration of 10. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Alger County?
$61,286. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,200, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $714 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Alger County?
220 establishments, employing 1,733 people with an annual payroll of $85.7 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 Alger County?
Average annual pay is $49,474, or $951 a week, across 2,650 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Alger County?
3 7(a) approvals totalling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $25,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $2.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Alger County?
33 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Alger 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 Alger County come from?
The largest single origin is Alger County Non-migrants, with 3,394 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,927 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 Alger 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 Alger 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.