Arenac County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Arenac County, Michigan has a population of 15,077 across 363 square miles, up 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $602.7 m in 2024, 355 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 22 7(a) approvals worth $4.5 m.
124 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Arenac County
How many people live in Arenac County
- Population15,077
- Households6,552
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$58,811
- Median age50.2
- Median gross rent$761 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$150,600
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher15.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over11,376
- Population under 182,782
- Share under 1818.5 percent
- Population 65 and over4,104
- Share 65 and over27.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 648,191
- Civilian labor force6,628
- Unemployment rate6.0 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over53.9 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties68th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents2158th
Arenac County is the 68th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.6 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 18.5 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.
Arenac County
Is Arenac County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.52 percent
- Census 2020 base population15,009
- Births, 2024124
- Deaths, 2024223
- Natural change, 2024-99
- Net domestic migration, 202434
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 202434
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024492
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1647th
The county has grown 0.52 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.
Arenac County
Where people moving to Arenac County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving479
- People arriving, from those returns866
- Adjusted gross income arriving$24.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$50,862
- Largest single originArenac County Non-migrants (5,995 households)
- Largest single destination (5,995 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arenac County Non-migrants | 5,995 | 11,550 | $359.5 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 177 | 309 | $9.6 m |
| Bay County | 90 | 173 | $3.5 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 76 | 147 | $4.1 m |
| Other flows - South | 55 | 103 | $2.4 m |
| Iosco County | 38 | 62 | $1.9 m |
| Saginaw County | 37 | 61 | $2.6 m |
| Ogemaw County | 34 | 68 | $1.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Arenac 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.
Arenac County
What the Arenac County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$602.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$584.4 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.1 percent
- GDP change over five years34.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties70th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2273rd
- GDP per resident$39,972
Output grew 3.1 percent in the latest year and 34.6 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.
Arenac County
Who employs people in Arenac County
- Covered employment, annual average4,077
- Establishments reporting349
- Average annual pay$46,876
- Average weekly wage$901
- Sector 31-33, employment879
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$55,862
- Sector 44-45, employment682
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,326
- Sector 72, employment346
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,613
- Sector 56, employment242
- Sector 56, average annual pay$49,739
- Sector 54, employment161
- Sector 23, employment108
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 879 | 26 | $55,862 |
| Sector 44-45 | 682 | 49 | $32,326 |
| Sector 72 | 346 | 36 | $19,613 |
| Sector 56 | 242 | 10 | $49,739 |
| Sector 54 | 161 | 20 | $95,902 |
| Sector 23 | 108 | 39 | $52,658 |
| Sector 42 | 104 | 15 | $67,437 |
| Sector 81 | 79 | 33 | $26,120 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 879 jobs, 21.6 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.
Arenac County
What businesses operate in Arenac County
- Establishments, all industries355
- Employment at those establishments3,619
- Annual payroll$169.3 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Arenac County
What is being built in Arenac County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202428
- Declared construction value permitted$7.9 m
- Single family units authorised24
- Multifamily units authorised4
- Multifamily share of units14.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$283,193
- Units authorised per 1,000 households4.3
Multifamily is 14.3 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Arenac County
How much SBA lending happens in Arenac County
- 7(a) approvals recorded22
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$4.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$203,618
- Median 7(a) approval$90,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$425,000
- Largest single approval$990,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)196
- Jobs per approval8.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals13
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms6
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter15
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals9.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (8)
- 504 approvals recorded2
- 504 gross approval dollars$596,000
- Average 504 approval$298,000
- Median 504 approval$421,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved26.8
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (2)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals91.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$5.1 m
The average approval of $203,618 sits well above the median of $90,000, 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 27.3 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.
Arenac County
Do SBA loans in Arenac County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Exempt from disclosure17
- Status: Cancelled3
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 2 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.
Arenac County
Which parts of Arenac County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- STANDISH, approvals14
- Sterling, approvals5
- Alger, approvals1
- TWINING, approvals1
- AU GRES, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| STANDISH | 14 | $2,767,500 |
| Sterling | 5 | $653,100 |
| Alger | 1 | $9,000 |
| TWINING | 1 | $60,000 |
| AU GRES | 1 | $990,000 |
STANDISH accounts for 14 approvals against 5 in Sterling. 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.
Arenac County
How big is Arenac County
- Land area363 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties81st of 83
- Width, east to west29.9 mi
- Height, north to south17.5 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land42
- Establishments per square mile0.98
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.
Arenac County
What hazards affect Arenac County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP13
- NFIP participation rate86.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 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 Arenac 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 Arenac County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population15,077
- Households6,552
- Average household size2.30
- Median household income$58,811
- Median age50.2
Common questions
Arenac County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Arenac County, Michigan?
15,077, in 6,552 households, ranking 68th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Arenac County growing?
The population has grown 0.52 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 124 births against 223 deaths, with net migration of 34. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Arenac County?
$58,811. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $150,600, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $761 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Arenac County?
355 establishments, employing 3,619 people with an annual payroll of $169.3 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 Arenac County?
Average annual pay is $46,876, or $901 a week, across 4,077 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Arenac County?
22 7(a) approvals totalling $4.5 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $90,000, plus 2 504 approvals worth $596,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Arenac County?
28 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $7.9 m. Multifamily was 14.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Arenac County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Arenac County come from?
The largest single origin is Arenac County Non-migrants, with 5,995 households. Arriving households report an average income of $50,862 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 Arenac 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 Arenac 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.