Michigan remains near the bottom of the nation for population growth and continues to lose residents to other states, according to data from the U.S. Census and moving companies.
The state ranks 35th in terms of in- versus out-movement, according to United Van Lines. And according to Census data, Michigan shrunk by 37,000 residents from 2020 to 2023.
But separating the data by region tells another story — Northern Michigan grew in population by about 16,000 in that period, while southern Michigan’s population decreased by over 56,000.
The two regions also show significant differences in where their populations are coming from and going. Northern Michigan saw an influx of 31,000 residents from other parts of the U.S., while southern Michigan experienced a loss of over 90,000 residents.
Warren Call, president of Traverse Connect, says that the area has been growing its younger age groups in recent years.
“Post-pandemic, people have been looking for regions and places to live that offer kind of the full set of amenities, especially with quality of life and outdoor recreation,” he said. “We punch above our weight, as everyone knows, with some of those.”
Despite overall population numbers increasing in Northern Michigan, birth and death rates in the region — known as ‘natural change’ — could lead to an overall population decline in the coming decades.
The area experienced about 53,000 deaths from 2020 to 2023, and about 35,000 births in that same time. Those figures represent a ‘natural decrease.’
Dr. Jaclyn Butler, state demographer for the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics, says that some Northern regions outside of the Traverse City-area may struggle with maintaining their population size without increased migration.
“When you have sustained and steepening natural decrease, you need continuous and higher levels of migration to offset that, if you’re going to achieve population growth,” she said. “Emmet, Cheboygan and Charlevoix has an even older age distribution than the state, and it’s actually aging more rapidly, so this means there’s fewer working age adults to support that older population.”
According to a 2024 state report, Michigan is projected to increase by about 231,000 residents from 2022 through 2034, but decrease by about 360,000 residents from 2035 to 2050.
Call says that employment opportunities, natural beauty and family connections can serve as strong motivators for movement to the region, especially among younger populations.
“Employment growth in healthcare, employment growth in technology and professional services, as well as in advanced manufacturing and other advanced fields,” he said. “So we’re seeing more good jobs. And I think that has an impact on the population figures as well.”