Branch County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Branch County, Michigan has a population of 45,300 across 506 square miles, up 3.0 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.94 bn in 2024, 833 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 36 7(a) approvals worth $21.9 m.
126 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Branch County
How many people live in Branch County
- Population45,300
- Households16,906
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$63,724
- Median age40.6
- Median gross rent$959 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$162,500
- Home value to household income2.6 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree4.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over31,177
- Population under 1810,645
- Share under 1823.5 percent
- Population 65 and over8,787
- Share 65 and over19.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6425,868
- Civilian labor force20,826
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over60.1 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties38th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1094th
Branch County is the 38th 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 under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.5 percent against 19.4 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Branch County
Is Branch County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.95 percent
- Census 2020 base population44,864
- Births, 2024594
- Deaths, 2024462
- Natural change, 2024132
- Net domestic migration, 202463
- Net international migration, 2024377
- Total net migration, 2024440
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents885th
The county has grown 2.95 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Branch County
Where people moving to Branch County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving984
- People arriving, from those returns1,714
- Adjusted gross income arriving$55.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$56,315
- Largest single originBranch County Non-migrants (15,578 households)
- Largest single destination (15,578 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branch County Non-migrants | 15,578 | 32,423 | $1.01 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 302 | 505 | $20.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 198 | 342 | $9.6 m |
| Calhoun County | 138 | 257 | $5.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 133 | 227 | $7.4 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 132 | 219 | $11.5 m |
| Hillsdale County | 117 | 205 | $6.2 m |
| St. Joseph County | 81 | 174 | $4.2 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Branch 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.
Branch County
What the Branch County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.94 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.87 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.9 percent
- GDP change over five years34.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties39th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1306th
- GDP per resident$42,791
Output grew 3.9 percent in the latest year and 34.1 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.
Branch County
Who employs people in Branch County
- Covered employment, annual average15,240
- Establishments reporting869
- Average annual pay$53,639
- Average weekly wage$1,032
- Sector 31-33, employment3,704
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$61,240
- Sector 44-45, employment1,739
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$37,084
- Sector 72, employment1,606
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,230
- Sector 48-49, employment1,432
- Sector 48-49, average annual pay$71,949
- Sector 62, employment846
- Sector 42, employment727
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 3,704 | 67 | $61,240 |
| Sector 44-45 | 1,739 | 118 | $37,084 |
| Sector 72 | 1,606 | 75 | $20,230 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,432 | 34 | $71,949 |
| Sector 62 | 846 | 78 | $43,896 |
| Sector 42 | 727 | 38 | $58,430 |
| Sector 52 | 509 | 46 | $72,097 |
| Sector 23 | 487 | 87 | $54,586 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 3,704 jobs, 24.3 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.
Branch County
What businesses operate in Branch County
- Establishments, all industries833
- Employment at those establishments13,376
- Annual payroll$712.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.4
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.
Branch County
What is being built in Branch County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202443
- Declared construction value permitted$14.0 m
- Single family units authorised43
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$324,673
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Branch County
How much SBA lending happens in Branch County
- 7(a) approvals recorded36
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$21.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$608,453
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$26,800
- 90th percentile approval$1,567,000
- Largest single approval$3,830,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)258
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active16
- Distinct industries receiving approvals22
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms11
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter22
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals16.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countAll Other Specialty Trade Contractors (5)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (12)
- 504 approvals recorded8
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.3 m
- Average 504 approval$535,750
- Median 504 approval$311,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval9.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved18.2
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (4)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals81.8 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$26.2 m
The average approval of $608,453 sits well above the median of $250,000, 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. 30.6 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.
Branch County
Do SBA loans in Branch County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full3
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure25
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 4 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.
Branch County
Which parts of Branch County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- COLDWATER, approvals23
- Union City, approvals5
- Bronson, approvals4
- Quincy, approvals3
- Montgomery, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| COLDWATER | 23 | $11,400,600 |
| Union City | 5 | $645,800 |
| Bronson | 4 | $6,986,900 |
| Quincy | 3 | $2,571,000 |
| Montgomery | 1 | $300,000 |
COLDWATER accounts for 23 approvals against 5 in Union City. 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.
Branch County
How big is Branch County
- Land area506 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties69th of 83
- Width, east to west24.2 mi
- Height, north to south21.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land90
- Establishments per square mile1.65
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.
Branch County
What hazards affect Branch County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book15
- Of those, participating in the NFIP12
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 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 Branch 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 Branch County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population45,300
- Households16,906
- Average household size2.68
- Median household income$63,724
- Median age40.6
Common questions
Branch County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Branch County, Michigan?
45,300, in 16,906 households, ranking 38th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Branch County growing?
The population has grown 2.95 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 594 births against 462 deaths, with net migration of 440. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Branch County?
$63,724. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $162,500, which is 2.6 times income, and median gross rent is $959 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Branch County?
833 establishments, employing 13,376 people with an annual payroll of $712.6 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 Branch County?
Average annual pay is $53,639, or $1,032 a week, across 15,240 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Branch County?
36 7(a) approvals totalling $21.9 m since FY2020, across 16 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 8 504 approvals worth $4.3 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Branch County?
43 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $14.0 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Branch 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 Branch County come from?
The largest single origin is Branch County Non-migrants, with 15,578 households. Arriving households report an average income of $56,315 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 Branch 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 Branch 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.