Sault Ste. Marie, MI

City in Chippewa County, MI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

13,335

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

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 34, half older

Diversity Index

49.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Sault Ste. Marie is a city within Chippewa County, Michigan, United States.

Location

City in Chippewa County, MI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC46.476169° N, 84.370544° W

DMS46° 28′ 34.21″ N, 84° 22′ 13.96″ W

Population Density & area

901/sq mi (349.1/km²)

Total Area

20.1 sq mi (51.8 km²)

Land Area

14.8 sq mi (38.2 km²) · 73.7%

Water Area

5.3 sq mi (13.6 km²) · 26.3%

Demographics & Living

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

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

47.1% male

Male 47.1%

Female 52.9%

males per 100 females

Sault Ste. Marie 89.1

Chippewa County 120.2

Michigan 98.2

Nativity

4.7%

foreign-born population

95.3%Native

4.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Sault Ste. Marie 4.7%

Chippewa County 2.9%

Michigan 7.2%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

years ∙ half population younger than 34, half older

Sault Ste. Marie

Chippewa County

41.6

Michigan

40.2

Dependency ratio

53.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Sault Ste. Marie 53.1

Chippewa County 59.3

Michigan 66.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.2%	17.6%	21.2%
Working age (18-64)	65.3%	62.8%	60.2%
Senior (65+)	16.5%	19.6%	18.6%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	53.1	59.3	66.3
Child dependency ratio	27.9	28.1	35.3
Old-age dependency ratio	25.2	31.2	31

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

68.4%

Black

0.5%

Asian

1.2%

Hispanic

1.9%

Other

28%

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

49.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Sault Ste. Marie 49.5%

Chippewa County 51.5%

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 Sault Ste. Marie population

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Hispanic or Latino	1.9%	2.3%	5.9%
Mexican	0.8%	1.4%	4%
Puerto Rican	0.5%	0.3%	0.5%
Cuban	0%	0.1%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.6%	0.5%	1.2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	98.1%	97.7%	94.1%
One race	84.9%	87.5%	89.6%
White	68.4%	67.3%	72.4%
Black or African American	0.5%	5.6%	13.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	13.9%	13.2%	0.3%
Asian	1.2%	0.7%	3.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.9%	0.7%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	13.2%	10.2%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

49.6% family

Family 49.6%

Non family 50.4%

% family households

Sault Ste. Marie 49.6%

Chippewa County 59.5%

Michigan 62.4%

Average household size

2.1

persons per household

Sault Ste. Marie

2.1

Chippewa County

2.26

Michigan

2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Sault Ste. Marie population

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Total households	5,860	14,080	4,076,369
Average houshold size	2.1	2.26	2.42
Family households	2,904	8,374	2,545,621
Average family size	2.83	2.86	3.05
Married couple family	1,999	6,385	1,878,767
Other families	905	1,989	666,854
Male householder	234	598	199,150
Female householder	671	1,391	467,704
Non-family households	2,956	5,706	1,530,748
One-person households	2,408	4,683	1,250,418
Male householder	1,000	2,242	583,425
Senior (65+) living alone	302	802	188,594
Female householder	1,408	2,441	666,993
Senior (65+) living alone	723	1,312	349,637
Other living arrangements	548	1,023	280,330

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

6,522

housing units

Sault Ste. Marie 6,522

Chippewa County 20,348

Michigan 4,622,236

Occupancy status

89.8% occupied

Occupied 89.8%

Vacant 10.2%

vacancy rate

Sault Ste. Marie 10.2%

Chippewa County 30.8%

Michigan 11.8%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70.8%

Single family houses

70.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

24.3%

Mobile homes

4.8%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1957

Half of houses were built before 1957, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

29.4%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

30.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

26.2%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

13.6%

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

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.5	5.3	5.9
1–3 rooms	14.7%	16.9%	10.5%
4–6 rooms	56.9%	57%	51.9%
7+ rooms	28.3%	26.1%	37.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.1%	3.1%	1.6%
1 bedroom	13.7%	10.9%	8.9%
2 bedrooms	26.7%	28.9%	24.6%
3 bedrooms	46%	43.4%	43.5%
4+ bedrooms	11.4%	13.7%	21.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1957	1975	1972
Total housing units	6,522	20,348	4,622,236

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

60.5% owners

Renter-occupied 39.5%

Owner-occupied 60.5%

homeownership rate

Sault Ste. Marie 60.5%

Chippewa County 75%

Michigan 73.2%

Average household size

2.32

Owner-occupied

1.76

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Sault Ste. Marie 2.32

Chippewa County 2.37

Michigan 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Total occupied units	5,860	14,080	4,076,369
Year moved in
2020 or later	29%	21%	21%
2010 to 2019	36.2%	36.6%	39.5%
2000 to 2009	12%	17%	16%
1999 or earlier	22.7%	25.4%	23.4%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.2%	97.7%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	1.2%	1.5%	1.2%
1.51 or more	0.6%	0.8%	0.4%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	9.7%	6.9%	7%
1 vehicle	44.6%	36.8%	34.8%
2 vehicles	35.3%	39.1%	38.3%
3 or more vehicles	10.4%	17.1%	19.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	76.3%	72.6%	83.6%
Electricity	21.5%	16.6%	12.1%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.1%	3%	0.8%
All other fuels	2%	7.1%	3%
No fuel used	0.3%	0.6%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	2.4%	1.4%	0.7%
No telephone service available	1.3%	1.8%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$139,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Sault Ste. Marie

$139,400

Chippewa County

$161,900

Michigan

$231,600

Housing Cost Burden

15.7%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

15.7%

Owners without a mortgage

9.6%

Renters

52%

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

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Property value
Median Value	$139,400	$161,900	$231,600
Under $100,000	32%	26.1%	16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	43.5%	37.5%	24.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	14.5%	19%	23.4%
$300,000 - $500,000	8.2%	13.8%	24.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	1.7%	3.4%	9.2%
$1,000,000 and more	0%	0.3%	1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	56.1%	53.5%	57.8%
Without a mortgage	43.9%	46.5%	42.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,064	$1,207	$1,569
Without a mortgage	$515	$470	$602
Gross rent
Median rent	$804	$797	$1,129

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

27%

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

Sault Ste. Marie 27%

Chippewa County 23.3%

Michigan 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

6.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Sault Ste. Marie 6.2%

Chippewa County 7.4%

Michigan 8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

3,543

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

2.3%

K–12

49%

College / Undergraduate

42.8%

Graduate / Professional

5.9%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

49.4%

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

Sault Ste. Marie

49.4%

Chippewa County

42.5%

Michigan

41.1%

Enrollment & school type

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

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Total enrolled (age 3+)	3,543	7,987	2,312,914
Nursery / preschool	2.3%	4.1%	5.6%
K–12	49%	60.3%	67.9%
Kindergarten	4%	5.2%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	12.8%	15%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	17.8%	20.5%	20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12	14.4%	19.6%	22.2%
College or graduate school	48.7%	35.6%	26.5%
College, undergraduate	42.8%	31.3%	21.1%
Graduate, professional school	5.9%	4.3%	5.4%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	49.4%	42.5%	41.1%
School type
Public school	89%	89.8%	85.2%
Private school	11%	10.2%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

8,492

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.8%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.4%

HS graduate

32.3%

Some college no degree

25.9%

Associates degree

8.7%

Bachelors degree

16.4%

Graduate or professional degree

10.6%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

30.3% · 69.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

46.5% · 53.5%

HS graduate

55.7% · 44.3%

Some college no degree

45.5% · 54.5%

Associates degree

37.6% · 62.4%

Bachelors degree

37.3% · 62.7%

Graduate or professional degree

38.3% · 61.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

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

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Population (25+)	8,492	25,680	7,008,507
Less than 9th grade	1.8%	2%	2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.4%	5.4%	5.4%
High school diploma or GED	32.3%	35.4%	28%
Some college, no degree	25.9%	25.3%	21.9%
Associate's degree	8.7%	8.6%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27%	23.3%	32.4%
Bachelor's degree	16.4%	15.2%	19.7%
Graduate or professional	10.6%	8.1%	12.7%
High School or higher	93.9%	92.6%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$35,253

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$—

HS graduate

$31,622

Some college or associates

$33,225

Bachelors degree

$37,625

Graduate or professional degree

$70,583

Poverty Rate

4.7%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

28.8%

HS graduate

20%

Some college or associates

15.4%

Bachelors degree or higher

4.7%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Sault Ste. Marie	Chippewa County	Michigan
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$35,253	$38,671	$50,316
Less than high school graduate	$—	$19,688	$31,851
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$31,622	$31,864	$37,777
Some college or associate's degree	$33,225	$36,869	$44,844
Bachelor's degree	$37,625	$52,868	$66,893
Graduate or professional degree	$70,583	$69,444	$85,195
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	28.8%	25.9%	27.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	20%	15.4%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	15.4%	11.2%	10.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	4.7%	4.3%	4.2%

Insights for Sault Ste. Marie, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

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