Osceola County’s population increased by 22.6 percent between 1980 and 2000 to reach a total of 23,197 (Table 36). Region 8’s population increased by 31.9 percent during the same 20-year period to reach 1,104,848. Both the Region and Osceola County grew at a much greater rate than Michigan as-a-whole, which increased by 7.3 percent. 2003 Census estimates show the County’s population increased to 23,509, which is a 1.3 percent increase over three years. Projections indicate Osceola County’s population will continue to grow and by 2020 will reach 31,563. Projections indicate Region 8’s population will reach 1,564,894 by 2020.

Table 36 – Population Trends & Projections

Osceola County’s age distribution (Table 37) is different than Michigan’s and Region 8’s distribution. The County’s median age of 37.6 is higher than Michigan’s median age of 35.5 and Region 8’s median of 33.0. The County’s age groups that fall outside of the two comparison groups’ ranges include the under 5 group, which is lower; the 5-17 group, which is higher; the 18-44 groups, which are lower; and the 55-84 groups, which are higher. The distribution of males and females in Osceola County is similar to the comparison areas.

Table 37 – Age and Gender Distribution in 2000

Osceola County has a higher proportion of family households (72.4 percent) than Region 8 or Michigan, including a higher proportion of married couple households (Table 38). The County has a similar proportion of one-parent households as the two comparison areas. Since the County has a high proportion of family households, it follows that it has a lower proportion (27.6 percent) of non-family households than the Region or State. Osceola County’s figure of 2.6 persons per household is similar to the comparison areas.

Table 38 – Household Distribution in 2000

Between 1999 and 2003 the County experienced a decreasing labor force and number of employed people that decreased at a greater rate, resulting in an increased unemployment rate (Table 39). The labor force was 10,575 in 2003, with an annual average of 9,675 employed and 900 unemployed. The County’s unemployment rate is consistently higher than Region 8’s or Michigan’s unemployment rates.

Table 39 – Employment Trends

Table 40 shows that Osceola County has a higher proportion of its population employed in the manufacturing and agriculture sectors than the population in Region 8 or Michigan. The proportion of people employed in agriculture is over double the Region’s percentage. Manufacturing accounts for 31.7 percent of the population’s employment – much higher than the 26.3 percent in Region 8 or the 22.5 percent in Michigan. These figures indicate the County’s residents’ types of employment and do not represent jobs located within Osceola County. While Osceola County has an unusual distribution of employment, the top three job categories (Manufacturing, Education, and Retail) are the same in the County, Region, and State.

Table 40 – Employment Distribution in 2000

Osceola County’s median household income of $34,102 is lower than Region 8’s figure of $45,915 or Michigan’s median of $44,667 (Table 41). The County’s per capita income of $15,632 is lower than the Region and the State. Osceola County has a higher percentage of people living below the poverty level than the Region or State.

Table 41 – Income and Poverty in 2000

Table 42 shows that Osceola County has a lower percentage of traditional single family homes than Region 8 or Michigan. The County also has a much higher percentage of mobile homes than the two comparison areas. The County has a very low proportion of multiple family housing. Osceola County’s occupancy rate of 68.9 percent indicates that there is a considerable amount of seasonal housing. The median value of owner-occupied in Osceola County is much lower than the Region and State.

Table 42 – Housing Information in 2000

Osceola County Map

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