Houghton County Ranks as One of the Best at Retaining Population During the Pandemic

This week Rural Insights released a study analyzing in and out migration to the Upper Peninsula during the pandemic. The western UP has trended up in population during that time. The Upper Peninsula is not too different from many other rural areas in the country, as low birth rates, a lack of in migration, and the loss of local economic industries have led to an overall decline in population. Only Houghton County has seen more births than deaths over the last decade. And Houghton County has had some of the most migration into any UP county, primarily with residents from Marquette County moving west. Most of the people leaving Houghton County are moving to Oakland County, down state. Another factor to Houghton out migration is the area’s role as a service center for industries who rely on a consistent flow of professionals and students. Overall the Upper Peninsula fared well enough during the pandemic as trends of migrants leaving crowded cities and moving to smaller towns helped offset the decade’s previous population loss. Time will tell if that trend continues in the future.

Original Rural Insights Report