South African Population in Mecosta County, MI by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The South African population in Mecosta County, MI is reported at 3, though Aetna township (3) and Morley (3) alone exceed that total - a likely result of census lag, rounding, or classification issues involving residents who span city-county boundaries. This analysis takes a closer look at how South African communities are represented across Mecosta County and similar counties throughout Michigan.

Top 5 cities with the largest South African population in Mecosta County

View All
  • 1
    Aetna township
    South African population in Aetna township is 3
    0.13% of Aetna township population is South African
  • 2
    Morley
    South African population in Morley is 3
    0.50% of Morley population is South African
  • 3
    Austin township
    South African population in Austin township is 0
    - of Austin township population is South African
  • 4
    Big Rapids
    South African population in Big Rapids is 0
    - of Big Rapids population is South African
  • 5
    Big Rapids charter township
    South African population in Big Rapids charter township is 0
    - of Big Rapids charter township population is South African

Overview of South African population in Mecosta County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Mecosta County with 3 South African residents (less than 0.01% of 40,321 total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 72nd percentile nationally among counties and 74th percentile within Michigan for South African population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS data indicate Mecosta County's South African population of less than 0.01% remains below Michigan's state average of 0.014% and the national average of 0.025%, placing the county below demographic benchmarks across multiple geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data indicates Mecosta County contains 3 South African residents, representing less than 1% of Michigan's total South African population of 1,397.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey documents Mecosta County with less than 0.01 South African Americans per square mile, below Michigan's average of 0.025 per square mile, placing the county among the least concentrated jurisdictions within the state.
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18 Cities in Mecosta County Ranked by South African Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show South African populations in two incorporated cities: Aetna township ( rank_1_geo_dempop residents) and rank_2_geo_name ( rank_2_geo_dempop residents). The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on the current ACS data for incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Mecosta County, MI ranked by South African population count
Rank by South African Population
City
South African Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Mecosta County South African Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Aetna township 3 0.13% 100.00%
1 Morley 3 0.50% 100.00%
2 Austin township 0 - -
2 Big Rapids 0 - -
2 Big Rapids charter township 0 - -
2 Chippewa township 0 - -
2 Colfax township 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 0 - -
2 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 city in Mecosta County, MI by their South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.

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

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as South African alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as South African .
  2. % of Total Mecosta County South African Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. South African 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 South African 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.
  • City that don’t have any reported South African 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 South African populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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