St. Clair County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
St. Clair County, Michigan has a population of 160,221 across 721 square miles, down 0.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $7.42 bn in 2024, 3,080 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 181 7(a) approvals worth $46.0 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
St. Clair County
How many people live in St. Clair County
- Population160,221
- Households67,816
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$71,270
- Median age44.5
- Median gross rent$1,029 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$224,600
- Home value to household income3.2 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher20.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over115,640
- Population under 1832,478
- Share under 1820.3 percent
- Population 65 and over32,649
- Share 65 and over20.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6495,094
- Civilian labor force80,287
- Unemployment rate5.7 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.9 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties13th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents434th
St. Clair County is the 13th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.2 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 20.4 percent against 20.3 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.
St. Clair County
Is St. Clair County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.05 percent
- Census 2020 base population160,390
- Births, 20241,422
- Deaths, 20241,881
- Natural change, 2024-459
- Net domestic migration, 2024366
- Net international migration, 2024128
- Total net migration, 2024494
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,058
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1850th
The county has lost 0.05 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.
St. Clair County
Where people moving to St. Clair County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,236
- People arriving, from those returns5,604
- Adjusted gross income arriving$196.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$60,731
- Largest single originSt. Clair County Non-migrants (65,876 households)
- Largest single destination (65,876 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Clair County Non-migrants | 65,876 | 127,757 | $4.81 bn |
| Macomb County | 1,355 | 2,428 | $97.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 700 | 1,248 | $30.4 m |
| Other flows - South | 351 | 627 | $21.8 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 268 | 444 | $13.5 m |
| Oakland County | 242 | 382 | $16.1 m |
| Sanilac County | 235 | 372 | $9.7 m |
| Wayne County | 179 | 322 | $16.1 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is St. Clair 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.
St. Clair County
What the St. Clair County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$7.42 bn
- County GDP, 2023$7.26 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.2 percent
- GDP change over five years30.0 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties20th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents561st
- GDP per resident$46,295
Output grew 2.2 percent in the latest year and 30.0 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.
St. Clair County
Who employs people in St. Clair County
- Covered employment, annual average42,283
- Establishments reporting3,248
- Average annual pay$55,695
- Average weekly wage$1,071
- Sector 62, employment7,082
- Sector 62, average annual pay$53,339
- Sector 31-33, employment6,768
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$65,118
- Sector 44-45, employment5,342
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$40,631
- Sector 72, employment5,028
- Sector 72, average annual pay$19,463
- Sector 23, employment2,641
- Sector 54, employment1,487
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 7,082 | 482 | $53,339 |
| Sector 31-33 | 6,768 | 217 | $65,118 |
| Sector 44-45 | 5,342 | 403 | $40,631 |
| Sector 72 | 5,028 | 271 | $19,463 |
| Sector 23 | 2,641 | 442 | $76,649 |
| Sector 54 | 1,487 | 222 | $68,097 |
| Sector 81 | 1,301 | 291 | $38,237 |
| Sector 48-49 | 916 | 104 | $67,369 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 7,082 jobs, 16.7 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.
St. Clair County
What businesses operate in St. Clair County
- Establishments, all industries3,080
- Employment at those establishments41,206
- Annual payroll$2.08 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents19.2
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.
St. Clair County
What is being built in St. Clair County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024235
- Declared construction value permitted$70.8 m
- Single family units authorised235
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$301,128
- Units authorised per 1,000 households3.5
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
St. Clair County
How much SBA lending happens in St. Clair County
- 7(a) approvals recorded181
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$46.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$254,039
- Median 7(a) approval$80,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$750,000
- Largest single approval$4,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,350
- Jobs per approval7.5
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active27
- Distinct industries receiving approvals82
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer9.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms18
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter154
- Franchise loans10
- Franchise share of approvals5.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (10)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (126)
- 504 approvals recorded49
- 504 gross approval dollars$23.1 m
- Average 504 approval$472,204
- Median 504 approval$281,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.4
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (45)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals78.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$69.1 m
The average approval of $254,039 sits well above the median of $80,000, 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 9.9 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.
St. Clair County
Do SBA loans in St. Clair County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded43
- Paid in full43
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure115
- Status: Paid in full43
- Status: Cancelled16
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed7
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 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.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
St. Clair County
Which parts of St. Clair County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending38
- PORT HURON, approvals34
- Saint Clair, approvals25
- Marine City, approvals15
- Fort Gratiot, approvals12
- CASCO, approvals12
- Algonac, approvals9
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| PORT HURON | 34 | $13,344,000 |
| Saint Clair | 25 | $9,968,800 |
| Marine City | 15 | $3,747,400 |
| Fort Gratiot | 12 | $1,631,900 |
| CASCO | 12 | $4,617,600 |
| Algonac | 9 | $1,512,100 |
| KIMBALL | 9 | $818,000 |
| China | 5 | $240,300 |
PORT HURON accounts for 34 approvals against 25 in Saint Clair. 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.
St. Clair County
How big is St. Clair County
- Land area721 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties24th of 83
- Width, east to west29.4 mi
- Height, north to south44.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land222
- Establishments per square mile4.27
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.
St. Clair County
What hazards affect St. Clair County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book29
- Of those, participating in the NFIP26
- NFIP participation rate89.7 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population160,221
- Households67,816
- Average household size2.36
- Median household income$71,270
- Median age44.5
Common questions
St. Clair County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in St. Clair County, Michigan?
160,221, in 67,816 households, ranking 13th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is St. Clair County growing?
The population has fallen 0.05 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,422 births against 1,881 deaths, with net migration of 494. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in St. Clair County?
$71,270. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,600, which is 3.2 times income, and median gross rent is $1,029 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in St. Clair County?
3,080 establishments, employing 41,206 people with an annual payroll of $2.08 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in St. Clair County?
Average annual pay is $55,695, or $1,071 a week, across 42,283 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in St. Clair County?
181 7(a) approvals totalling $46.0 m since FY2020, across 27 lenders, with a median approval of $80,000, plus 49 504 approvals worth $23.1 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in St. Clair County get paid back?
Of the 43 loans that have reached a final outcome, 43 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in St. Clair County?
235 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $70.8 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for St. Clair 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 St. Clair County come from?
The largest single origin is St. Clair County Non-migrants, with 65,876 households. Arriving households report an average income of $60,731 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 St. Clair 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 St. Clair 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.