• county
  • FIPS 26071
  • Largest town: Iron River

Iron County, Michigan

Iron County had 11,709 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,166.1 square miles of land. It ranks 73rd of 83 in Michigan by population and 6th by land area.

Population
11,709
#73 of 83 in Michigan · #2,302 in US
Area
1,166.1 sq mi
#6 of 83 in Michigan · #528 in US
Density
10 / sq mi
#77 of 83 in Michigan · #2,565 in US
Median household income
$49,137
#80 of 83 in Michigan · #2,763 in US

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

Iron County within Michigan. Pin: Lansing.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Iron County

Iron County population, land area and income

Iron County had 11,709 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 1,166.1 square miles of land. It ranks 73rd of 83 in Michigan by population and 6th by land area. That works out to 10.0 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 Iron County has 31% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $49,137 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

11,709

3144th1st

2302nd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

1,166 sq mi

3144th1st

528th of 3,144 (US)

Density

10.0 / sq mi

3144th1st

2565th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$49,137

3143rd1st

2763rd of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Michigan (83)

Population

11,709

83rd1st

73rd of 83 (MI)

Land area

1,166 sq mi

83rd1st

6th of 83 (MI)

Density

10.0 / sq mi

83rd1st

77th of 83 (MI)

Median household income

$49,137

83rd1st

80th of 83 (MI)

How Iron County's population changed since 2020

Iron County gained 90 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.8%. That ranks 43rd 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, Iron County recorded 327 births and 921 deaths, a natural change of -594. Net international migration added +42 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +641. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 641 people.

11.6k202011.6k202111.7k202211.7k202311.7k2024
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
327
Deaths
921
Net international migration
+42
Net domestic migration
+641
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
-13

Where Iron County is

The Census internal point of Iron County is at 46.170300, -88.540500. 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 Iron 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: Iron County internal point. Dark pin: Lansing.

Internal point

Decimal
46.170300, -88.540500
DMS
46°10'13.08"N 88°32'25.80"W
UTM
16N 381082.6E 5114122.7N
Geohash
f01n9jnc2
Plus code
86RH5FC5+4Q

Towns in Iron County

2 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Iron County, 4,618 people together, or 39% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Iron County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Iron River with 3,017.

  1. 01Iron River3,017
  2. 02Crystal Falls1,601
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Iron County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 9 neighbors for Iron County, including 3 across a state line. 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 308.2 miles SE of Iron County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Green Bay, WI (population 106,311), 117.1 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Marquette, MI (population 21,845), 60.6 miles away.

Iron County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Iron County is 26071: state code 26 for Michigan plus county code 071. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $49,137.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Iron County, Michigan?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 11,709. That is up 90 people (0.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 11,619.

What is the FIPS code of Iron County?

26071. The first two digits (26) are Michigan; the last three (071) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Iron County?

Iron River, with 3,017 residents inside Iron County in 2024.

Which counties border Iron County?

9 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Marquette County, MI; Houghton County, MI; Dickinson County, MI; Vilas County, WI; Gogebic County, MI; Forest County, WI; Baraga County, MI; Ontonagon County, MI; Florence County, WI.

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.