• county
  • FIPS 26023
  • Largest town: Coldwater

Branch County, Michigan

Branch County had 46,187 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 506.4 square miles of land. It ranks 37th of 83 in Michigan by population and 69th by land area.

Population
46,187
#37 of 83 in Michigan · #1,065 in US
Area
506.4 sq mi
#69 of 83 in Michigan · #2,050 in US
Density
91 / sq mi
#34 of 83 in Michigan · #981 in US
Median household income
$57,641
#56 of 83 in Michigan · #2,071 in US

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

Branch County within Michigan. Pin: Lansing.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Branch County

Branch County population, land area and income

Branch County had 46,187 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 506.4 square miles of land. It ranks 37th of 83 in Michigan by population and 69th by land area. That works out to 91.2 people per square mile, near the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Michigan has 38,041 residents; Branch County is somewhat larger.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $57,641 is below the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

46,187

3144th1st

1065th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

506 sq mi

3144th1st

2050th of 3,144 (US)

Density

91.2 / sq mi

3144th1st

981st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$57,641

3143rd1st

2071st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Michigan (83)

Population

46,187

83rd1st

37th of 83 (MI)

Land area

506 sq mi

83rd1st

69th of 83 (MI)

Density

91.2 / sq mi

83rd1st

34th of 83 (MI)

Median household income

$57,641

83rd1st

56th of 83 (MI)

How Branch County's population changed since 2020

Branch County gained 1,309 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 2.9%. That ranks 15th 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, Branch County recorded 2,507 births and 2,191 deaths, a natural change of +316. Net international migration added +913 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to -9. The largest single component was international migration, which added 913 people.

44.9k202045.2k202144.6k202245.6k202346.2k2024
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
2,507
Deaths
2,191
Net international migration
+913
Net domestic migration
-9
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+574

Where Branch County is

The Census internal point of Branch County is at 41.918500, -85.066900. 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 Branch 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: Branch County internal point. Dark pin: Lansing.

Internal point

Decimal
41.918500, -85.066900
DMS
41°55'6.60"N 85°04'0.84"W
UTM
16N 660302.2E 4642534.4N
Geohash
dp7w2r00v
Plus code
86HPWW9M+C6

Towns in Branch County

4 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Branch County, 19,885 people together, or 43% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Branch County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Coldwater with 14,314.

  1. 01Coldwater14,314
  2. 02Bronson2,322
  3. 03Union City (part)1,683
  4. 04Quincy1,566
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Branch County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Branch County, including 2 across a state line. The most populous is Kalamazoo County, MI, with 264,780 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Lansing and the nearest big city

Lansing is 62.1 miles NNE of Branch County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Fort Wayne, IN (population 273,203), 57.5 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Coldwater, MI (population 14,314), 4.0 miles away.

Branch County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Branch County is 26023: state code 26 for Michigan plus county code 023. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $57,641.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Branch County, Michigan?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 46,187. That is up 1,309 people (2.9%) from the July 2020 estimate of 44,878.

What is the FIPS code of Branch County?

26023. The first two digits (26) are Michigan; the last three (023) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Branch County?

Coldwater, with 14,314 residents inside Branch County in 2024.

Which counties border Branch County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Kalamazoo County, MI; Calhoun County, MI; St. Joseph County, MI; Hillsdale County, MI; LaGrange County, IN; Steuben County, IN.

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.