Article Table Of Contents
There are three major races in America that come to most of our minds right away:
- White
- Hispanic
- African American
But those are only the major races, there's a whole bunch of other races people are interested in knowing about.
And today, we are going to look at the percent of the population in Michigan that are Native American.
Native Americans are not a major portion of the current American Population, but they are still very important.
There are now over 2 million people who identify as Native American living in America, making up .65% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Native American population in Michigan is 39,462 - at 0.4% of the total population of Michigan.
So, what how does the Native American population stratify across Michigan? Which cities and towns in Michigan have seen the greatest increase in their Native American population?
The 10 Cities In Michigan With The Largest Native American Population For 2023
Which city in Michigan had the largest Native American population?
Sault Ste. Marie took the number one over all spot for the largest Native American population in Michigan for 2023. 11.49% of Sault Ste. Marie identify as Native American.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Michigan ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Native American, check out the best places to live in Michigan or the most diverse places in Michigan.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Best Counties To Live In Michigan
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
Cities In Michigan With The Largest Native American Population For 2023
/10
Population: 13,523
% Native American: 11.49%
# Of Native American Residents: 1,554
Percent Change Since 2010: -36.88%
More on Sault Ste. Marie: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,439
% Native American: 2.7%
# Of Native American Residents: 336
Percent Change Since 2010: -4.0%
More on Escanaba: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,731
% Native American: 2.13%
# Of Native American Residents: 122
Percent Change Since 2010: -18.12%
More on Dowagiac: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 21,880
% Native American: 1.83%
# Of Native American Residents: 401
Percent Change Since 2010: -24.62%
More on Mount Pleasant: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,159
% Native American: 1.73%
# Of Native American Residents: 89
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Kingsford: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,868
% Native American: 1.64%
# Of Native American Residents: 129
Percent Change Since 2010: 63.29%
More on St. Joseph: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 7,516
% Native American: 1.57%
# Of Native American Residents: 118
Percent Change Since 2010: 280.65%
More on Iron Mountain: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 10,058
% Native American: 1.5%
# Of Native American Residents: 151
Percent Change Since 2010: inf%
More on Muskegon Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 5,856
% Native American: 1.37%
# Of Native American Residents: 80
Percent Change Since 2010: -54.8%
More on Petoskey: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 8,515
% Native American: 1.29%
# Of Native American Residents: 110
Percent Change Since 2010: 511.11%
More on Center Line: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Michigan With The Largest Native American Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Michigan.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone.
We limited our analysis to places with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 148 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are American Indian and Alaska Native. The percentages ranked from 11.49% to 0.0%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of American Indian and Alaska Native population with a higher score being more American Indian and Alaska Native than a lower score. Sault Ste. Marie took the distinction of being the most American Indian and Alaska Native, while Zeeland was the least Native American city.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Michigan ranked by population of American Indian and Alaska Native residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Native American Populations Across Michigan
If you're looking for a breakdown of Native American populations across Michigan according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least Native American places in Michigan:
- Zeeland
- Richmond
- Northville
For more Michigan reading, check out:
What Are The Most Native American Places In Michigan?
| Rank | City | % Native American |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 11.49% |
| 2 | Escanaba | 2.7% |
| 3 | Dowagiac | 2.13% |
| 4 | Mount Pleasant | 1.83% |
| 5 | Kingsford | 1.73% |
| 6 | St. Joseph | 1.64% |
| 7 | Iron Mountain | 1.57% |
| 8 | Muskegon Heights | 1.5% |
| 9 | Petoskey | 1.37% |
| 10 | Center Line | 1.29% |
| 11 | Big Rapids | 1.16% |
| 12 | Davison | 1.06% |
| 13 | St. Johns | 1.0% |
| 14 | Flushing | 0.92% |
| 15 | Ironwood | 0.91% |
| 16 | Ecorse | 0.86% |
| 17 | Norton Shores | 0.85% |
| 18 | Wayne | 0.83% |
| 19 | Houghton | 0.82% |
| 20 | Ludington | 0.82% |
| 21 | Niles | 0.74% |
| 22 | Albion | 0.72% |
| 23 | Monroe | 0.69% |
| 24 | Manistee | 0.67% |
| 25 | Gladstone | 0.65% |
| 26 | Muskegon | 0.59% |
| 27 | Howell | 0.58% |
| 28 | Hamtramck | 0.54% |
| 29 | Traverse City | 0.53% |
| 30 | Ferndale | 0.53% |
| 31 | Ishpeming | 0.51% |
| 32 | Lincoln Park | 0.49% |
| 33 | Mount Clemens | 0.47% |
| 34 | Fraser | 0.44% |
| 35 | Burton | 0.41% |
| 36 | Lansing | 0.4% |
| 37 | New Baltimore | 0.4% |
| 38 | Lapeer | 0.39% |
| 39 | Marquette | 0.39% |
| 40 | Coldwater | 0.36% |
| 41 | Westland | 0.35% |
| 42 | Eastpointe | 0.34% |
| 43 | Midland | 0.33% |
| 44 | Ann Arbor | 0.33% |
| 45 | Pontiac | 0.32% |
| 46 | Owosso | 0.32% |
| 47 | Flint | 0.32% |
| 48 | Harper Woods | 0.31% |
| 49 | Woodhaven | 0.31% |
| 50 | Detroit | 0.3% |
| 51 | Flat Rock | 0.3% |
| 52 | Charlotte | 0.29% |
| 53 | Saline | 0.29% |
| 54 | Battle Creek | 0.28% |
| 55 | Grand Rapids | 0.27% |
| 56 | Taylor | 0.27% |
| 57 | Wixom | 0.27% |
| 58 | Berkley | 0.26% |
| 59 | Portage | 0.26% |
| 60 | Menominee | 0.25% |
| 61 | Auburn Hills | 0.25% |
| 62 | Wyoming | 0.24% |
| 63 | East Lansing | 0.24% |
| 64 | River Rouge | 0.23% |
| 65 | Greenville | 0.23% |
| 66 | Highland Park | 0.23% |
| 67 | Hazel Park | 0.22% |
| 68 | Bay City | 0.22% |
| 69 | Holly | 0.22% |
| 70 | Romulus | 0.21% |
| 71 | Warren | 0.21% |
| 72 | Troy | 0.2% |
| 73 | Springfield | 0.19% |
| 74 | St. Louis | 0.19% |
| 75 | Kentwood | 0.19% |
| 76 | Hastings | 0.19% |
| 77 | Grand Haven | 0.18% |
| 78 | Ionia | 0.18% |
| 79 | Roseville | 0.18% |
| 80 | Holland | 0.17% |
| 81 | Farmington Hills | 0.17% |
| 82 | Sterling Heights | 0.17% |
| 83 | Beverly Hills | 0.17% |
| 84 | Alma | 0.17% |
| 85 | Port Huron | 0.16% |
| 86 | Wyandotte | 0.16% |
| 87 | Jackson | 0.16% |
| 88 | Alpena | 0.16% |
| 89 | Marysville | 0.15% |
| 90 | Dearborn Heights | 0.15% |
| 91 | Kalamazoo | 0.14% |
| 92 | Grandville | 0.14% |
| 93 | Livonia | 0.14% |
| 94 | Hillsdale | 0.13% |
| 95 | Ypsilanti | 0.13% |
| 96 | Mason | 0.12% |
| 97 | Eaton Rapids | 0.12% |
| 98 | Novi | 0.11% |
| 99 | Grosse Pointe Farms | 0.11% |
| 100 | Garden City | 0.11% |
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