Sandusky, MI

City in Sanilac County, MI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

2,694

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

39.1

years ∙ half population younger than 39.1, half older

Diversity Index

20.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

0.8%

foreign-born population

99.2%Native

0.8% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Sandusky is a city within Sanilac County, Michigan, United States.

Location

City in Sanilac County, MI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC43.420184° N, 82.833043° W

DMS43° 25′ 12.66″ N, 82° 49′ 58.95″ W

Population Density & area

1,253/sq mi (484.5/km²)

Total Area

2.15 sq mi (5.57 km²)

Land Area

2.15 sq mi (5.56 km²) · 99.88%

Water Area

0 sq mi (0.01 km²) · 0.12%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

52.5% male

Male 52.5%

Female 47.5%

males per 100 females

Sandusky 110.5

Sanilac County 101.7

Michigan 98.2

Nativity

0.8%

foreign-born population

99.2%Native

0.8% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Sandusky 0.8%

Sanilac County 1.4%

Michigan 7.2%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

39.1

years ∙ half population younger than 39.1, half older

Sandusky

39.1

Sanilac County

45.5

Michigan

40.2

Dependency ratio

62.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Sandusky 62.4

Sanilac County 79.2

Michigan 66.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.7%	20.9%	21.2%
Working age (18-64)	61.6%	55.9%	60.2%
Senior (65+)	19.7%	23.2%	18.6%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	62.4	79.2	66.3
Child dependency ratio	30.4	37.5	35.3
Old-age dependency ratio	31.9	41.6	31

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

89.1%

Black

2.2%

Asian

0.4%

Hispanic

3.8%

Other

4.5%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

20.2%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Sandusky 20.2%

Sanilac County 15.3%

Michigan 45.2%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Sandusky population

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Hispanic or Latino	3.8%	4.3%	5.9%
Mexican	0.3%	3.5%	4%
Puerto Rican	0.4%	0.2%	0.5%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	3%	0.5%	1.2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	96.2%	95.7%	94.1%
One race	91.9%	92.9%	89.6%
White	89.1%	91.9%	72.4%
Black or African American	2.2%	0.4%	13.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.1%	0.3%
Asian	0.4%	0.3%	3.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.1%	0.3%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	4.3%	2.8%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

54.5% family

Family 54.5%

Non family 45.5%

% family households

Sandusky 54.5%

Sanilac County 64%

Michigan 62.4%

Average household size

2.12

persons per household

Sandusky

2.12

Sanilac County

2.28

Michigan

2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Sandusky population

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Total households	1,150	17,516	4,076,369
Average houshold size	2.12	2.28	2.42
Family households	627	11,207	2,545,621
Average family size	2.75	2.82	3.05
Married couple family	417	8,696	1,878,767
Other families	210	2,511	666,854
Male householder	88	904	199,150
Female householder	122	1,607	467,704
Non-family households	523	6,309	1,530,748
One-person households	483	5,432	1,250,418
Male householder	198	2,827	583,425
Senior (65+) living alone	18	1,080	188,594
Female householder	285	2,605	666,993
Senior (65+) living alone	204	1,697	349,637
Other living arrangements	40	877	280,330

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

1,206

housing units

Sandusky 1,206

Sanilac County 21,756

Michigan 4,622,236

Occupancy status

95.4% occupied

Occupied 95.4%

Vacant 4.6%

vacancy rate

Sandusky 4.6%

Sanilac County 19.5%

Michigan 11.8%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

73.4%

Single family houses

73.4%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

26.6%

Mobile homes

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1967

Half of houses were built before 1967, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

18.6%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

34.7%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

41.4%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

5.3%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.9	5.9
1–3 rooms	13.6%	7.9%	10.5%
4–6 rooms	57.6%	55.7%	51.9%
7+ rooms	28.7%	36.4%	37.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	0%	0.9%	1.6%
1 bedroom	11.4%	5.8%	8.9%
2 bedrooms	32.3%	26.9%	24.6%
3 bedrooms	46.8%	48.6%	43.5%
4+ bedrooms	9.5%	17.7%	21.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1967	1972	1972
Total housing units	1,206	21,756	4,622,236

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

55.4% owners

Renter-occupied 44.6%

Owner-occupied 55.4%

homeownership rate

Sandusky 55.4%

Sanilac County 82.6%

Michigan 73.2%

Average household size

2.46

Owner-occupied

1.7

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Sandusky 2.46

Sanilac County 2.34

Michigan 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Total occupied units	1,150	17,516	4,076,369
Year moved in
2020 or later	21.9%	15.8%	21%
2010 to 2019	50.2%	36.7%	39.5%
2000 to 2009	13%	18.5%	16%
1999 or earlier	15%	29%	23.4%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	97.7%	98.2%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	2.3%	1.2%	1.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.6%	0.4%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	10%	5.9%	7%
1 vehicle	39.1%	32.6%	34.8%
2 vehicles	33%	36.1%	38.3%
3 or more vehicles	17.9%	25.4%	19.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	79%	76%	83.6%
Electricity	17.1%	10.8%	12.1%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	3.5%	0.8%
All other fuels	1.1%	8.4%	3%
No fuel used	2.7%	1.3%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0%	0.8%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0%	1.1%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.7%	2.1%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$113,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Sandusky

$113,800

Sanilac County

$168,300

Michigan

$231,600

Housing Cost Burden

27.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

27.9%

Owners without a mortgage

8.8%

Renters

45.1%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Property value
Median Value	$113,800	$168,300	$231,600
Under $100,000	35.1%	22.5%	16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	51.6%	36.6%	24.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	8.6%	22%	23.4%
$300,000 - $500,000	2.8%	13.3%	24.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	0%	4.7%	9.2%
$1,000,000 and more	1.9%	0.9%	1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	66.2%	49%	57.8%
Without a mortgage	33.8%	51%	42.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,175	$1,226	$1,569
Without a mortgage	$505	$489	$602
Gross rent
Median rent	$784	$807	$1,129

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

15.6%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Sandusky 15.6%

Sanilac County 16.5%

Michigan 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

10%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Sandusky 10%

Sanilac County 9.4%

Michigan 8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

450

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

12%

K–12

73.8%

College / Undergraduate

14.2%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

11.2%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Sandusky

11.2%

Sanilac County

14.2%

Michigan

41.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Total enrolled (age 3+)	450	7,596	2,312,914
Nursery / preschool	12%	7.1%	5.6%
K–12	73.8%	80.8%	67.9%
Kindergarten	13.1%	6.4%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	16%	23.7%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	10.7%	24.7%	20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12	34%	25.9%	22.2%
College or graduate school	14.2%	12.1%	26.5%
College, undergraduate	14.2%	10.5%	21.1%
Graduate, professional school	0%	1.6%	5.4%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	11.2%	14.2%	41.1%
School type
Public school	96.7%	86%	85.2%
Private school	3.3%	14%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

1,929

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

2.9%

9th-12th, no diploma

7.1%

HS graduate

43.1%

Some college no degree

19.7%

Associates degree

11.7%

Bachelors degree

10.1%

Graduate or professional degree

5.4%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

56.4% · 43.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

80.3% · 19.7%

HS graduate

50.2% · 49.8%

Some college no degree

36.8% · 63.2%

Associates degree

33.2% · 66.8%

Bachelors degree

61% · 39%

Graduate or professional degree

48.6% · 51.4%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Population (25+)	1,929	29,043	7,008,507
Less than 9th grade	2.9%	3.4%	2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma	7.1%	6%	5.4%
High school diploma or GED	43.1%	41%	28%
Some college, no degree	19.7%	21.9%	21.9%
Associate's degree	11.7%	11.3%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.6%	16.5%	32.4%
Bachelor's degree	10.1%	10.2%	19.7%
Graduate or professional	5.4%	6.2%	12.7%
High School or higher	90%	90.6%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$37,238

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$21,042

HS graduate

$30,863

Some college or associates

$37,875

Bachelors degree

$126,076

Graduate or professional degree

$51,552

Poverty Rate

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

31.4%

HS graduate

22.8%

Some college or associates

4.6%

Bachelors degree or higher

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Sandusky	Sanilac County	Michigan
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$37,238	$41,876	$50,316
Less than high school graduate	$21,042	$34,339	$31,851
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$30,863	$35,528	$37,777
Some college or associate's degree	$37,875	$40,105	$44,844
Bachelor's degree	$126,076	$61,868	$66,893
Graduate or professional degree	$51,552	$71,659	$85,195
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	31.4%	22.7%	27.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	22.8%	15.2%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	4.6%	11.3%	10.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1%	3.8%	4.2%

Insights for Sandusky, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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