Clare County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Clare County, Michigan has a population of 31,218 across 564 square miles, up 1.8 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $1.55 bn in 2024, 607 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 46 7(a) approvals worth $10.3 m.
125 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Clare County
How many people live in Clare County
- Population31,218
- Households12,521
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$49,384
- Median age49.0
- Median gross rent$765 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$133,800
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher12.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over23,203
- Population under 186,014
- Share under 1819.3 percent
- Population 65 and over7,988
- Share 65 and over25.6 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6417,216
- Civilian labor force11,918
- Unemployment rate9.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over47.3 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties47th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1441st
Clare County is the 47th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 25.6 percent against 19.3 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.
Clare County
Is Clare County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.76 percent
- Census 2020 base population30,861
- Births, 2024316
- Deaths, 2024474
- Natural change, 2024-158
- Net domestic migration, 2024185
- Net international migration, 20243
- Total net migration, 2024188
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,347
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1258th
The county has grown 1.76 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.
Clare County
Where people moving to Clare County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,006
- People arriving, from those returns1,823
- Adjusted gross income arriving$49.4 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$49,099
- Largest single originClare County Non-migrants (11,163 households)
- Largest single destination (11,163 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clare County Non-migrants | 11,163 | 22,188 | $593.9 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 323 | 566 | $14.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 206 | 390 | $10.1 m |
| Isabella County | 140 | 266 | $6.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 102 | 195 | $4.6 m |
| Gladwin County | 64 | 124 | $3.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 57 | 104 | $2.9 m |
| Midland County | 49 | 89 | $3.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Clare 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.
Clare County
What the Clare County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$1.55 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.46 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.3 percent
- GDP change over five years29.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties50th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents1491st
- GDP per resident$49,562
Output grew 6.3 percent in the latest year and 29.5 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.
Clare County
Who employs people in Clare County
- Covered employment, annual average7,261
- Establishments reporting623
- Average annual pay$47,949
- Average weekly wage$922
- Sector 62, employment1,074
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,502
- Sector 44-45, employment938
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,964
- Sector 31-33, employment924
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$67,943
- Sector 72, employment812
- Sector 72, average annual pay$17,931
- Sector 81, employment408
- Sector 23, employment391
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 1,074 | 77 | $49,502 |
| Sector 44-45 | 938 | 102 | $34,964 |
| Sector 31-33 | 924 | 32 | $67,943 |
| Sector 72 | 812 | 60 | $17,931 |
| Sector 81 | 408 | 52 | $38,296 |
| Sector 23 | 391 | 76 | $56,354 |
| Sector 54 | 252 | 33 | $81,559 |
| Sector 42 | 240 | 19 | $65,599 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,074 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.
Clare County
What businesses operate in Clare County
- Establishments, all industries607
- Employment at those establishments6,793
- Annual payroll$316.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.4
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.
Clare County
What is being built in Clare County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 202430
- Declared construction value permitted$9.5 m
- Single family units authorised30
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$315,112
- Units authorised per 1,000 households2.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Clare County
How much SBA lending happens in Clare County
- 7(a) approvals recorded46
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$10.3 m
- Average 7(a) approval$224,426
- Median 7(a) approval$85,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$720,000
- Largest single approval$1,830,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)231
- Jobs per approval5.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals35
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer10.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms5
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter38
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals2.2 percent
- Leading industry by approval countInsurance Agencies and Brokerages (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (36)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.9 m
- Average 504 approval$387,600
- Median 504 approval$278,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval8.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved20.6
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (5)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals90.2 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$12.3 m
The average approval of $224,426 sits well above the median of $85,000, 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 10.9 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.
Clare County
Do SBA loans in Clare County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure35
- Status: Cancelled3
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed4
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.
Clare County
Which parts of Clare County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- CLARE, approvals21
- Harrison, approvals15
- Farwell, approvals8
- Gladwin, approvals1
- LAKE GEORGE, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| CLARE | 21 | $5,974,200 |
| Harrison | 15 | $1,451,200 |
| Farwell | 8 | $2,733,700 |
| Gladwin | 1 | $114,500 |
| LAKE GEORGE | 1 | $50,000 |
CLARE accounts for 21 approvals against 15 in Harrison. 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.
Clare County
How big is Clare County
- Land area564 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties50th of 83
- Width, east to west24 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land55
- Establishments per square mile1.08
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.
Clare County
What hazards affect Clare County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book14
- Of those, participating in the NFIP11
- NFIP participation rate78.6 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 Clare 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 Clare County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population31,218
- Households12,521
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$49,384
- Median age49.0
Common questions
Clare County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Clare County, Michigan?
31,218, in 12,521 households, ranking 47th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Clare County growing?
The population has grown 1.76 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 316 births against 474 deaths, with net migration of 188. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Clare County?
$49,384. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $133,800, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $765 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Clare County?
607 establishments, employing 6,793 people with an annual payroll of $316.7 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 Clare County?
Average annual pay is $47,949, or $922 a week, across 7,261 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Clare County?
46 7(a) approvals totalling $10.3 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $85,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $1.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Clare County?
30 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.5 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Clare 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 Clare County come from?
The largest single origin is Clare County Non-migrants, with 11,163 households. Arriving households report an average income of $49,099 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 Clare 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 Clare 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.