Iranian Population in Michigan by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Iranian population in Michigan totals 5,270. Oakland County contains the largest Iranian community with 1,621 residents, followed by Washtenaw County (942), Wayne County (839), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Michigan by their Iranian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Iranian population in Michigan

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  • 1
    Oakland County
    Iranian population in Oakland County is 1,621
    0.13% of Oakland County population is Iranian
  • 2
    Washtenaw County
    Iranian population in Washtenaw County is 942
    0.26% of Washtenaw County population is Iranian
  • 3
    Wayne County
    Iranian population in Wayne County is 839
    0.05% of Wayne County population is Iranian
  • 4
    Ingham County
    Iranian population in Ingham County is 546
    0.19% of Ingham County population is Iranian
  • 5
    Macomb County
    Iranian population in Macomb County is 239
    0.03% of Macomb County population is Iranian

Overview of Iranian population in Michigan

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Michigan contains 5,270 Iranian residents (0.052% of 10.1 million total state population), positioning the state at the 62nd percentile nationally among U.S. states for Iranian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Michigan's Iranian demographic representation of 0.052% remains below the national average of 0.15%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Michigan's 5,270 Iranian residents constitute 1% of the nation's total Iranian population of 503,057, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey document Michigan contains 0.093 Iranian per square mile, below the national average of 0.14 per square mile, while maintaining moderate community presence relative to national concentration standards.
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83 Counties in Michigan Ranked by Iranian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Iranian population in Michigan distributed across multiple counties, led by Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Wayne County, and Ingham County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans of Iranian ancestry. 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 Iranian population count
Rank by Iranian Population
County
Iranian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Michigan Iranian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Oakland County 1,621 0.13% 30.76%
2 Washtenaw County 942 0.26% 17.87%
3 Wayne County 839 0.05% 15.92%
4 Ingham County 546 0.19% 10.36%
5 Macomb County 239 0.03% 4.54%
6 Saginaw County 186 0.10% 3.53%
7 Kalamazoo County 185 0.07% 3.51%
8 76 0.01% 1.44%
9 53 0.04% 1.01%
10 50 0.03% 0.95%
11 45 0.03% 0.85%
12 44 0.01% 0.83%
12 44 0.17% 0.83%
13 42 0.11% 0.80%
14 38 0.03% 0.72%
15 37 0.02% 0.70%
16 36 0.08% 0.68%
17 35 0.05% 0.66%
18 28 0.04% 0.53%
19 24 0.02% 0.46%
20 19 0.02% 0.36%
21 16 0.03% 0.30%
22 13 0.05% 0.25%
22 13 0.00% 0.25%
23 12 0.03% 0.23%
24 11 0.17% 0.21%
25 10 0.01% 0.19%
25 10 0.11% 0.19%
26 9 0.01% 0.17%
26 9 0.02% 0.17%
27 8 0.01% 0.15%
28 6 0.03% 0.11%
28 6 0.01% 0.11%
29 5 0.03% 0.09%
30 3 0.04% 0.06%
31 2 0.02% 0.04%
31 2 0.00% 0.04%
31 2 0.01% 0.04%
31 2 0.01% 0.04%
31 2 0.01% 0.04%
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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 Iranian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian alone, while others identify as Iranian along with another race (such as Iranian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Iranian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Iranian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Iranian 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 Iranian .
  2. % of Total Michigan Iranian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian 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 Iranian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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