MICHIGAN 276 / #61UPDATED August 26, 2026
Traverse City, Michigan
Population is above the 2020 estimate base by 1.1%. Median household income ranks 64th among Michigan’s 276 cities. Homeownership is 63.7%. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.3%.
Grand Traverse / Leelanau CountyNorthwest Michigan#61 by 2025 population
CITY SNAPSHOT
The numbers that define Traverse City now.
Population uses Census Vintage 2025. Household and housing measures use the 2020–2024 ACS. Residential authorizations use the 2025 Building Permits Survey.
MICHIGAN 276 POSITION
See all rankings →Where Traverse City sits among its peers.
42nd/ 276
Population growth1.1%
64th/ 276
Household income$74,087
19th/ 276
Home value$415,400
144th/ 276
Homeownership63.7%
106th/ 276
Lowest poverty12.3%
276-city medians: household income $63,285 · home value $179,000 · homeownership 67.4% · poverty 13.0% · housing activity 0.9 units/1K.
HOUSING + BUILDING
Value, ownership and new supply.
Housing authorizations are permit activity—not completions. The value-to-income ratio is a simple context measure, not a home-affordability guarantee.
Median home value$415,400
Value ÷ household income5.61×
Homeownership63.7%
housing units authorized
Michigan Progress did not locate a clean 2025 Census Building Permits Survey municipal place row for this city in the annual Midwest file. The site shows N/A rather than treating unavailable data as zero.
N/Aresidential buildings
20202025
Population direction
+1.1% since 2020 estimate base. Latest completed Census estimate vintage.
LIVE CITY WIRE
What is changing in Traverse City right now?
Headlines link to the original publisher. The feed is refreshed automatically and is separate from Michigan Progress’s audited data layer.
Live feed unavailable.
Use the topic shortcuts above to search the current news index for this city.
Live wire source: Google News RSS search across publishers. Michigan Progress does not reproduce article text and does not treat a headline as verified statistical data.
DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
Search current development coverage ↗Projects on the local file.
Approved
690 Station Street Workforce Housing
A 75-unit Traverse City housing plan with 57 workforce units and 18 market-rate units near the city core.
75 housing unitsApproved / development phase
Completed
Annika Place II
A 52-unit affordable and supportive housing development completed in Traverse City in May 2026.
52 affordable unitsCompleted May 2026
Approved
GTB LIHTC #3 Housing
A Grand Traverse Band housing phase will add 36 affordable rental units and single-family homes in the Traverse City area.
36 affordable homesLIHTC award announced June 2026
LOCAL WATCH
Schools, safety and employers.
These topics are not forced into the 276-city statistical comparison when their reporting geography differs from Census city boundaries.
District coverage, live.
City limits and school districts are not assumed to match. Use current reporting while a verified district series is added.
Current school coverage ↗Agency data needs geography checks.
FBI UCR data is agency-based. Michigan Progress does not present an agency rate as a city rate until the match is verified.
Current safety coverage ↗Employer activity, live.
Expansion, hiring and investment news is linked from the current business feed instead of a stale “top employers” list.
Current business coverage ↗PROPERTY TAX WATCH
Own property in Traverse City?
Market value and taxable value are different in Michigan. Your actual bill depends on taxable value, local millages, exemptions and assessment history.
$415,400median owner-occupied value63.7%homeownership
Check Michigan property-tax options →
COMPARE LIKE WITH LIKE
Compare all 276 →Cities closest in population.
FAQ / AEO
Traverse City frequently asked questions
Direct answers based on the evidence and methodology used on this page.
Is Traverse City, Michigan growing?
The Census Bureau July 1, 2025 estimate is 15,832, a +1.1% change from the 2020 estimate base.
What is the median household income in Traverse City?
Median household income is $74,087 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage used by Michigan Progress.
What is the median home value in Traverse City?
Median owner-occupied home value is $415,400 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage.
How does Michigan Progress decide whether Traverse City is progressing?
The site compares standardized population, household and housing indicators, then keeps local development, schools, safety and news in separately labeled evidence layers so unlike geographies are not silently mixed.
SOURCES + METHOD
Read full methodology →Audit the page.
01
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts u2014 Traverse City
2025 population estimate plus 2020u20132024 ACS household income, housing value, homeownership and poverty measures.
02
Census Population Estimates u2014 Cities & Towns, Vintage 2025
Latest completed Census vintage used for the 2020 estimate base, 2025 estimate and five-year population direction.
03
U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey
2025 annual place-level residential buildings and housing units authorized. Authorizations are not housing completions.