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

St. Joseph County lost 55 residents between 2024 and 2025 (−0.1%).

St. Joseph County had an estimated 60,968 residents in 2025, up 0.1% (45 more people) since 2020. That is slower than Michigan as a whole (+0.6%), and the 55th fastest growth of 83 counties in Michigan.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the St. Joseph County report

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

  • Median gross rent$849/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes13.5%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months2222025-10/2026-09
  • 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 was negative in 2025: 74 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 19,429 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.4% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 5.2% in 2025, 1.1 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 240 new homes in 2025, or 3.9 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $66,425 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +24.7% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 1,839th.

Part of the Sturgis, MI micro area.

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St. Joseph County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
202560,968−55
202461,023+70
202360,953+176
202260,777−72
202160,849−74
202060,923–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County grew by 45 people since 2020 even though 50 more residents moved to other U.S. counties than came from them: deaths outnumbered births by 249, and net international migration added 345.

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+0−249
International migrationfrom and to other countries+16+345
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−74−50
Census adjustmentbalancing residual+3−1
Total change−55+45

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 growth55th of 831,839th of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents73rd of 832,111th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth62nd of 831,939th of 3,092
Median household income30th of 831,458th of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate26th of 832,624th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents15th of 83843rd 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. Joseph 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.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, St. Joseph County's population change (+0.1%) was ahead of 1 of its 7 neighbouring counties and behind 6.

5 of its 7 neighbouring counties had a higher median household income than St. Joseph County's $66,425 (2020–24).

St. Joseph County, MI and its 7 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
St. Joseph County, MI This county60,968+0.1%−1.23.9$66,425
LaGrange County, IN41,305+1.9%−6.23.7$84,487
Kalamazoo County, MI263,795+0.8%−1.31.8$72,532
Elkhart County, IN208,774+0.9%−4.53.7$68,561
Cass County, MI51,677+0.2%4.42.7$70,443
Branch County, MI45,993+2.5%−5.71.0$63,724
Calhoun County, MI133,408−0.6%−0.30.9$63,177
Van Buren County, MI76,071+0.7%−0.52.8$68,114

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. Joseph County growing?

Yes. Its population grew 0.1% between 2020 and 2025, about 45 more people (Census Bureau population estimates). Michigan as a whole changed +0.6% over the same years. That ranks 55th of 83 counties in Michigan for population growth.

How many people moved to St. Joseph County?

On net, none in 2025: about 74 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in St. Joseph County?

It averaged 5.2% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of St. Joseph County?

About 60,968 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in St. Joseph County?

Private employers there had 19,429 paid employees in mid-March 2023, −0.4% 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. Joseph County data alerts

Email me when St. Joseph 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. Joseph 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.