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St. Clair County, MI: population growth, jobs and income

St. Clair County gained 182 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.1%).

St. Clair County had an estimated 160,486 residents in 2025, up 0.1% (100 more people) since 2020. That is slower than Michigan as a whole (+0.6%), and the 56th fastest growth of 83 counties in Michigan.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the St. Clair County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for St. Clair County, ranked against Michigan and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$1,029/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes6.8%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months2212025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration added 584 people in 2025: more people moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out.

Private employers had 41,206 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.2% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.0% in 2025, 0.3 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 219 new homes in 2025, or 1.4 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $71,270 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +21.4% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,845th.

Part of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area.

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St. Clair County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
2025160,486+182
2024160,304+25
2023160,279+393
2022159,886−382
2021160,268−118
2020160,386–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in St. Clair County

St. Clair County grew by 100 people since 2020; the largest part came from domestic migration (+2,614).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths−461−2,930
International migrationfrom and to other countries+54+433
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties+584+2,614
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+5−17
Total change+182+100

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn MichiganAmong U.S. counties
Population growth56th of 831,845th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents37th of 831,271st of 3,108
Private-sector job growth60th of 831,892nd of 3,092
Median household income22nd of 831,101st of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate19th of 832,517th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents67th of 831,867th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

Get the county report — $99

The County Growth and Demographics Report for St. Clair County, MI as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

Add 2 neighbouring counties for $50: the Macomb County and Lapeer County reports too, $149 for all 3.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, St. Clair County's population change (+0.1%) was ahead of 1 of its 3 neighbouring counties and behind 2 (Macomb County and Lapeer County).

2 of its 3 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than St. Clair County's $71,270 (2020–24).

St. Clair County, MI and its 3 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
St. Clair County, MI This county160,486+0.1%3.61.4$71,270
Macomb County, MI886,221+0.7%1.92.2$77,837
Sanilac County, MI40,083−1.0%0.21.8$58,863
Lapeer County, MI89,516+1.0%4.32.0$77,306

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 83 Michigan counties · Every state

Questions

Is St. Clair County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 0.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 100 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Michigan as a whole changed +0.6% over the same years. That ranks 56th of 83 counties in Michigan for population growth.

How many people moved to St. Clair County?

On net, about 584 people in 2025: that many more moved in from other U.S. counties than moved out (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in St. Clair County?

It averaged 5.0% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of St. Clair County?

About 160,486 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in St. Clair County?

Private employers there had 41,206 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.2% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in Michigan

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other Michigan county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

St. Clair County data alerts

Email me when St. Clair County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for St. Clair County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.