Alpena County vs Clare County
A side-by-side comparison of Alpena County and Clare County: population, income, housing, and more.
Alpena County and Clare County are counties in Michigan. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Clare County has the higher population (31,109 vs 28,908 in Alpena County). Alpena County has the higher median household income ($51,909 vs $49,805 in Clare County). Alpena County has the higher median home value ($137,800 vs $117,400 in Clare County).
Population, income & housing
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,908 | 31,109 |
| Median age | 47.6 yrs | 48.3 yrs |
| Median household income | $51,909 | $49,805 |
| Median home value | $137,800 | $117,400 |
| Median gross rent | $660 | $743 |
| Housing units | 15,674 | 21,953 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.4% | 86.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.7% | 13.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.1% | 8.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 28,520 → 28,908 (+1.4%) | 30,651 → 31,109 (+1.5%) |
| Median household income | $43,363 → $51,909 (+19.7%) | $39,565 → $49,805 (+25.9%) |
| Median home value | $96,500 → $137,800 (+42.8%) | $91,100 → $117,400 (+28.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $596 → $660 (+10.7%) | $647 → $743 (+14.8%) |
Alpena County
28,52028,908
$43,363$51,909
$96,500$137,800
$596$660
Clare County
30,65131,109
$39,565$49,805
$91,100$117,400
$647$743
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.6% | 5.0% |
| 5 to 17 | 14.2% | 14.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 6.4% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 10.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.0% | 10.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12.0% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.4% | 16.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.3% | 15.4% |
| 75 and over | 10.2% | 9.3% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.0% | 93.7% |
| Black or African American | 0.9% | 0.4% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.0% | 0.4% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 3.7% | 2.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.6% | 2.2% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.9% | 11.8% |
| High school graduate | 36.1% | 40.8% |
| Some college or associate's | 39.3% | 34.3% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11.3% | 7.7% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.5% | 5.3% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 77.5% | 74.4% |
| Carpooled | 7.8% | 10.6% |
| Public transit | 0.8% | 0.2% |
| Walked | 2.0% | 2.8% |
| Bicycle | 0.9% | 0.4% |
| Worked from home | 8.1% | 10.1% |
| Other means | 2.9% | 1.5% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 80.0% | 77.9% |
| 1-unit, attached | 1.1% | 0.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 6.9% | 1.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.2% | 2.4% |
| 20 or more units | 3.3% | 1.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.5% | 16.6% |
Poverty & households
| Alpena County | Clare County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 17.0% | 21.1% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 2.53 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 18 | 29 |
| Median year structure built | 1968 | 1976 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Michigan
- Most densely populated — counties in Michigan
- Highest median household income — counties in Michigan
- Highest median home value — counties in Michigan
- Most affordable home values — counties in Michigan
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Michigan
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Michigan
- Oldest by median age — counties in Michigan
- Youngest by median age — counties in Michigan
- Most college-educated — counties in Michigan
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Michigan
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Michigan
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Michigan
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Michigan
- Longest commutes — counties in Michigan
- Shortest commutes — counties in Michigan
- Largest households — counties in Michigan
- Newest housing — counties in Michigan
- Oldest housing — counties in Michigan
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Michigan
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Michigan