April 10, 2025
The four counties that make up the Traverse City metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau counties) had a total population of 157,000 in 2024. This region has been growing over the past 10 years, adding 8,000 people (5.6 percent) since 2014. This population growth rate far outpaced the Michigan growth rate of 1.7 percent, but more closely aligns with the U.S. growth rate of 6.5 percent.
This region’s age distribution leaned older than the state overall. Youth under 25 years and those over 65 years each accounted for about 25 percent of residents in the Traverse City MSA. Those ages 25 to 64 represented the other half of the population.
The gender breakdown of this population is nearly even, with 50.3 percent being female and 49.7 percent being male. This is very similar to Michigan’s breakdown, where 50.5 percent are female and 49.5 percent are male.
The racial diversity in the MSA reveals that the population is predominantly white (92.3 percent). The next most common racial group were those that make up two or more races (4.4 percent). This region also had a population of about 1,800 American Indian and Alaska Natives (1.2 percent).
There were 115,000 people in the Traverse City region who were 25 or older. Of these residents, 38.5 percent had a bachelor’s degree or higher while 32.4 percent listed some college or an associate degree as their highest form of education. Those with a high school diploma represented 23.7 percent of this population while only 5.4 percent had less than a high school diploma or equivalent.
Traverse City MSA Counties and Population
Source: Vintage 2024, Population Estimates Program, U.S. Census Bureau
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