Traverse City, Michigan Population 2024

15,730

Traverse City is a city located in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau County Michigan. Traverse City has a 2024 population of 15,730. It is also the county seat of Grand Traverse County. Traverse City is currently growing at a rate of 0.09% annually and its population has increased by 0.36% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 15,674 in 2020.

The average household income in Traverse City is $103,429 with a poverty rate of 11.19%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Traverse City is 41.9 years, 39.8 years for males, and 44.4 years for females.

Traverse City is a city located in the state of Michigan. It is located in Grand Traverse County, where it serves as the county seat, but is also part of Leelanau County. The city is also a popular tourist destination and has been named one of the best places in the U.S. to retire. By population, Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan.

Traverse City Population Growth

Traverse City has grown slowly but steadily, although there have been declining population figures in recent years. The city first surpassed 10,000 residents at the time of the 1920 census. By the 1960s, the city was well on its way to 20,000 residents when the population dropped by over 2% according to the 1970 poll. The population only continued to fall, showing the most significant decline at the 1980 census when the total number dropped to 15,516. The population fell again at the 1990 census, then again at the next 10-year census. Recent estimates, however, show that the population is slowly growing again, reflecting a 5.5% increase over the figures recorded in 2010.

The Ojibwe and Ottawa tribes were the original inhabitants of what is now Traverse City. Europeans arrived in the area during the 18th century. The first permanent settlement along the Grand Traverse Bay was originally called Grand Traverse and was established in 1839.

A man from Illinois purchased land along the Boardman River in 1847. That same year, a sawmill was constructed, which was later sold in 1851. Hannah, Lay & Co made the purchase and invested in the sawmill, drawing in new settlers. The following year, a new post office was established, and a new settlement was created, named Grand Traverse City. The post office suggested changing the name to Traverse City, which was implemented immediately.

Traverse City saw growth in the years ahead with the introduction of rail service in the 1870s. As the area became more populated, Traverse City was incorporated as a village in 1891, then incorporated as a city a few years later. Throughout the 1900s, the city continued to grow. Many national magazines and multiple newspapers are printed in Traverse City. The city is also the largest producer of tart cherries and hosts the National Cherry Festival, which brings in about half a million tourists each year. Other attractions also bring in more visitors, including vineyards, beaches, and skiing areas. The city also features multiple shopping malls, retailers, wineries and professional sports teams, and even a local film festival available.

In recent years, Traverse City has been named as one of the top small travel destinations in the U.S., as well as one of the best places in the country for retirement.

Traverse City Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Traverse City was:

  • White: 92%
  • Two or more races: 4.2%
  • Black or African American: 1.44%
  • Asian: 1.36%
  • Native American: 0.62%
  • Other race: 0.37%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0%
Land Area (mi²)
8.3 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,889.20/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
0.36% (56)
The current population of Traverse City, Michigan is 15,730 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 15,674.

Traverse City, Michigan Population 2024

Population by Race

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Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White14,23092%
Two or more races6504.2%
Black or African American2231.44%
Asian2111.36%
Native American960.62%
Other race580.37%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander00%

White

Two or more races

Black or African American

Asian

Native American

Other race

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Traverse City Population by Race

Traverse City Population Pyramid 2024

Traverse City Median Age

41.9

Total

39.8

Male

44.4

Female

Traverse City Adults

There are 12,841 adults, (3,618 of whom are seniors) in Traverse City.

Traverse City Age Dependency

67.7

Age Dependency Ratio

39.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

28.5

Child Dependency Ratio

Traverse City Sex Ratio

Female7,96351.48%
Male7,50548.52%

Traverse City Population by Age

Traverse City Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All7,1042.0861.638.4
Non Family3,6771.2450.249.8
Married2,5552.988317
Female4972.983961
Male3753.157.942.1

2.85

Average Family Size

2.08

Average Household Size

61.6%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Traverse City Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Traverse City Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Traverse City Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among other race people with a rate of 100%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among 2+ races people with a rate of 57.1%.

Traverse City Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$45,664

Average Earnings

$50,291

Average Male

$39,828

Average Female

Traverse City Earnings by Educational Attainment

Traverse City Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Traverse City Language

96.19% of Traverse City residents speak only English, while 3.81% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 1.89% of the population.

Traverse City Language

Traverse City Poverty by Race

rate

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Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
White13,4211,42710.63%
Hispanic50311623.06%
Multiple63510917.17%
Black1695331.36%
Native7534%

11.19%

Overall Poverty Rate

12.86%

Male Poverty Rate

9.65%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Traverse City

The race most likely to be in poverty in Traverse City is Black, with 31.36% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Traverse City is Native, with 4% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.71%. Among those working part-time, it was 11.85%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 21.61%.

Traverse City Poverty

rate

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Rate
Poverty
High School20.4%
Less Than 9th Grade14.25%
Some College13.76%
Bachelors or Greater4.48%

Traverse City Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed39.72%
Male Unemployed35.81%
Male Employed7.29%
Female Employed4.96%

Traverse City Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Traverse City Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Traverse City Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

41.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.2%

Male Marriage Rate

38.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Traverse City Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Traverse City Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 55-64, while the female age group most likely to be married is 55-64.

Traverse City Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Traverse City Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

806

Number of Veterans

746

Male Veterans

60

Female Veterans

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Traverse City Veterans by War

count

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Traverse City Veterans by Age

count

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Traverse City Veterans by Race

Traverse City Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

13.26%

Veteran Poverty Rate

19.9%

Veteran Disability Rate

Traverse City Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.4%

Labor Force Participation

59.9%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

Traverse City Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Traverse City Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Traverse City Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

74.34%

Born in Traverse City

96.66%

Native Born

3.34%

Foreign Born

1.25%

Non Citizen

2.09%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

96.66% of Traverse City residents were born in the United States, with 74.34% having been born in Michigan. 1.25% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Traverse City Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

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Year
Population
Growth
Growth Rate
202915,800140.09%
202815,786140.09%
202715,772140.09%
202615,758140.09%
202515,744140.09%
202415,730140.09%
202315,716140.09%
202215,702720.46%
202115,630-44-0.28%
202015,674-41-0.26%
201915,715630.4%
201815,6521380.89%
201715,514740.48%
201615,4401120.73%
201515,3281330.88%
201415,1951460.97%
201315,049870.58%
201214,962970.65%
201114,8651561.06%
201014,70900%
200014,532-623-4.11%
199015,155-361-2.33%
198015,516-2,532-14.03%
197018,048-384-2.08%
196018,4321,4588.59%
195016,9742,51917.43%
194014,4551,91615.28%
193012,5391,61414.77%
192010,925-1,190-9.82%
191012,1152,70828.79%
19009,4075,054116.1%
18904,353-11,447-72.45%
showing: 32 rows

Traverse City Population by Year