• county
  • FIPS 26003
  • Largest town: Munising

Alger County, Michigan

Alger County had 8,695 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 915.0 square miles of land. It ranks 77th of 83 in Michigan by population and 12th by land area.

Population
8,695
#77 of 83 in Michigan · #2,515 in US
Area
915.0 sq mi
#12 of 83 in Michigan · #805 in US
Density
9.5 / sq mi
#78 of 83 in Michigan · #2,584 in US
Median household income
$62,543
#35 of 83 in Michigan · #1,600 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Alger County within Michigan. Pin: Lansing.

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Alger County population, land area and income

Alger County had 8,695 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 915.0 square miles of land. It ranks 77th of 83 in Michigan by population and 12th by land area. That works out to 9.5 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and in the bottom quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Michigan has 38,041 residents, so Alger County has 23% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $62,543 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

8,695

3144th1st

2515th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

915 sq mi

3144th1st

805th of 3,144 (US)

Density

9.5 / sq mi

3144th1st

2584th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$62,543

3143rd1st

1600th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Michigan (83)

Population

8,695

83rd1st

77th of 83 (MI)

Land area

915 sq mi

83rd1st

12th of 83 (MI)

Density

9.5 / sq mi

83rd1st

78th of 83 (MI)

Median household income

$62,543

83rd1st

35th of 83 (MI)

How Alger County's population changed since 2020

Alger County lost 144 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a drop of 1.6%. That ranks 81st of 83 in Michigan for growth. The median Michigan county changed by +0.9%, and the state as a whole by +0.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Alger County recorded 245 births and 455 deaths, a natural change of -210. Net international migration added +7 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +57. The largest single component was natural change, which removed 210 people.

8,83920208,77020218,76720228,74020238,6952024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
245
Deaths
455
Net international migration
+7
Net domestic migration
+57
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-45

Where Alger County is

The Census internal point of Alger County is at 46.521700, -86.657100. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Michigan's 83 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Alger County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Calhoun County: -0.3%Benzie County: +2.9%Newaygo County: +2.8%Antrim County: +4.6%Montcalm County: +4.0%Kalamazoo County: +1.1%Isabella County: +0.9%Ingham County: +1.9%Jackson County: +0.0%Kent County: +2.2%Oceana County: +1.1%Roscommon County: +2.0%Clare County: +1.8%Gladwin County: +2.5%Branch County: +2.9%Iosco County: +0.7%Bay County: -1.1%Shiawassee County: -0.0%Ionia County: -1.0%Otsego County: +3.8%Alcona County: +4.3%Missaukee County: +1.1%Crawford County: +4.7%Lapeer County: +0.7%Arenac County: +0.5%Gogebic County: -0.9%Marquette County: +2.2%Alpena County: +0.1%Lenawee County: -1.6%Berrien County: -1.1%Leelanau County: +2.5%Clinton County: +1.1%Alger County: -1.6%Gratiot County: -0.8%St. Joseph County: +0.4%Van Buren County: +0.7%Dickinson County: +0.3%Charlevoix County: +0.3%Sanilac County: -0.5%Wexford County: +2.3%Houghton County: +2.1%Saginaw County: -1.1%Kalkaska County: +3.8%Ottawa County: +3.1%Presque Isle County: +1.8%Eaton County: +0.3%Barry County: +2.3%Lake County: +7.5%Cheboygan County: +1.5%Wayne County: -1.0%Macomb County: +0.7%Oscoda County: +4.4%Emmet County: -0.5%Ontonagon County: +0.4%Schoolcraft County: +1.5%Monroe County: +0.7%Tuscola County: -1.0%Luce County: -1.3%Menominee County: -1.7%Mason County: +0.2%Muskegon County: +1.5%Baraga County: +0.3%Genesee County: -0.9%Grand Traverse County: +1.3%Washtenaw County: +0.5%Huron County: -1.9%Cass County: -0.0%Delta County: -0.5%Montmorency County: +7.2%Oakland County: +1.9%Chippewa County: -1.5%Keweenaw County: +5.0%Hillsdale County: -0.3%Manistee County: +1.8%Allegan County: +1.5%Mecosta County: +3.8%Iron County: +0.8%Osceola County: +2.5%St. Clair County: -0.1%Livingston County: +1.5%Ogemaw County: +1.0%Midland County: +0.6%Mackinac County: +3.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -0.5%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +1.5%
  4. < +2.5%
  5. ≥ +2.5%
no data

Orange pin: Alger County internal point. Dark pin: Lansing.

Internal point

Decimal
46.521700, -86.657100
DMS
46°31'18.12"N 86°39'25.56"W
UTM
16N 526300.9E 5152071.7N
Geohash
f062sj40x
Plus code
86RMG8CV+M5

Towns in Alger County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in Alger County, 1,948 people together, or 22% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Alger County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Munising with 1,948.

  1. 01Munising1,948
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Alger County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for Alger County. The most populous is Marquette County, MI, with 67,979 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Lansing and the nearest big city

Lansing is 281.4 miles SSE of Alger County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Green Bay, WI (population 106,311), 152.4 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Marquette, MI (population 21,845), 35.2 miles away.

Alger County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Alger County is 26003: state code 26 for Michigan plus county code 003. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $62,543.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Alger County, Michigan?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 8,695. That is down 144 people (1.6%) from the July 2020 estimate of 8,839.

What is the FIPS code of Alger County?

26003. The first two digits (26) are Michigan; the last three (003) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Alger County?

Munising, with 1,948 residents inside Alger County in 2024.

Which counties border Alger County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Marquette County, MI; Delta County, MI; Schoolcraft County, MI; Luce County, MI; Keweenaw County, MI.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.