Indian Population in Michigan by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Indian population in Michigan totals 129,920. Oakland County contains the largest Indian community with 53,024 residents, followed by Wayne County (28,957), Macomb County (15,441), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Michigan by their Indian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Indian population in Michigan

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  • 1
    Oakland County
    Indian population in Oakland County is 53,024
    4.17% of Oakland County population is Indian
  • 2
    Wayne County
    Indian population in Wayne County is 28,957
    1.63% of Wayne County population is Indian
  • 3
    Macomb County
    Indian population in Macomb County is 15,441
    1.76% of Macomb County population is Indian
  • 4
    Washtenaw County
    Indian population in Washtenaw County is 9,968
    2.71% of Washtenaw County population is Indian
  • 5
    Ingham County
    Indian population in Ingham County is 4,581
    1.62% of Ingham County population is Indian

Overview of Indian population in Michigan

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey documents Michigan with 129,920 Indian residents (1.3% of 10.1 million total state population), ranking the state at the 75th percentile nationally among U.S. jurisdictions for Indian demographic representation.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Michigan's Indian demographic representation of 1.3% remains below the national average of 1.5%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey records show Michigan hosts 129,920 Indian residents, representing 2.7% of the nation's total Indian population of 4.9 million, establishing the state as a significant demographic concentration center within national boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data show Michigan maintains 2.3 Indian Americans per square mile compared to the national average of 1.4, indicating higher demographic concentration relative to national averages.
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83 Counties in Michigan Ranked by Indian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Indian population in Michigan distributed across multiple counties, led by Oakland County, Wayne County, Macomb County, and Washtenaw County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Indian birth or descent. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Michigan ranked by Indian population count
Rank by Indian Population
County
Indian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Michigan Indian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Oakland County 53,024 4.17% 40.81%
2 Wayne County 28,957 1.63% 22.29%
3 Macomb County 15,441 1.76% 11.89%
4 Washtenaw County 9,968 2.71% 7.67%
5 Ingham County 4,581 1.62% 3.53%
6 Kent County 4,271 0.65% 3.29%
7 Kalamazoo County 2,807 1.07% 2.16%
8 1,342 0.33% 1.03%
9 1,097 0.37% 0.84%
10 869 0.80% 0.67%
11 840 0.55% 0.65%
12 820 0.43% 0.63%
13 598 0.72% 0.46%
14 539 0.28% 0.41%
15 527 0.33% 0.41%
16 395 0.30% 0.30%
17 367 0.57% 0.28%
18 347 0.44% 0.27%
19 327 0.87% 0.25%
20 284 0.16% 0.22%
21 244 0.16% 0.19%
22 173 0.23% 0.13%
23 169 0.14% 0.13%
24 160 0.17% 0.12%
25 125 0.08% 0.10%
26 124 0.31% 0.10%
27 112 0.25% 0.09%
28 100 0.19% 0.08%
28 100 0.16% 0.08%
29 87 0.13% 0.07%
30 85 0.13% 0.07%
31 83 0.32% 0.06%
32 78 0.12% 0.06%
33 77 0.58% 0.06%
34 74 0.33% 0.06%
35 61 0.24% 0.05%
36 58 0.24% 0.04%
37 51 0.36% 0.04%
37 51 0.17% 0.04%
38 50 0.14% 0.04%
39 43 0.13% 0.03%
40 35 0.08% 0.03%
41 29 0.12% 0.02%
42 28 0.03% 0.02%
43 27 0.09% 0.02%
44 26 0.03% 0.02%
45 24 0.05% 0.02%
46 18 0.05% 0.01%
46 18 0.03% 0.01%
46 18 0.22% 0.01%
47 17 0.04% 0.01%
47 17 0.08% 0.01%
48 16 0.19% 0.01%
48 16 0.02% 0.01%
48 16 0.04% 0.01%
49 14 0.02% 0.01%
49 14 0.06% 0.01%
50 13 0.07% 0.01%
50 13 0.06% 0.01%
51 10 0.07% 0.01%
52 8 0.13% 0.01%
52 8 0.03% 0.01%
53 7 0.03% 0.01%
54 5 0.05% 0.00%
55 4 0.02% 0.00%
55 4 0.01% 0.00%
55 4 0.01% 0.00%
56 2 0.02% 0.00%
56 2 0.01% 0.00%
57 1 0.00% 0.00%
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
58 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks county in Michigan by their Indian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Indian population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Indian ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Indian alone, while others identify as Indian along with another race (such as Indian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Indian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Indian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Indian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Indian .
  2. % of Total Michigan Indian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Indian population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Indian populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • County that don’t have any reported Indian population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Indian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.