Ottawa County’s population increased by 51.6 percent between 1980 and 2000 to reach a total of 238,314 (Table 43). Region 8’s population increased by 31.9 percent during the same 20-year period to reach 1,104,848. Both the Region and Ottawa County grew at a much greater rate than Michigan as-a-whole, which increased by 7.3 percent. Projections indicate Ottawa County’s population will continue to grow and by 2020 will reach 393,642. Projections indicate Region 8’s population will reach 1,564,894 by 2020. 2003 Census estimates show the County’s population increased to 249,391, which is a 4.6 percent increase over three years.

Table 43 – Population Trends & Projections

Ottawa County’s age distribution (Table 44) is different than Michigan’s and Region 8’s distribution. The County’s median age of 32.3 is lower 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 three groups under 25, which are higher; and the groups between 25 and 84, which are lower. The distribution of males and females in Ottawa County is similar to the comparison areas.

Table 44 – Age and Gender Distribution in 2000

Ottawa County has a higher proportion of family households (75.1 percent) than Region 8 or Michigan, including a higher proportion of married couple households (Table 45). The County has a lower proportion of one-parent households than the two comparison areas. Since the County has a high proportion of family household, it follows that it has a lower proportion (24.9 percent) of non-family households than either the Region or State. Ottawa County’s figure of 2.7 persons per household is similar to the comparison areas.

Table 45 – Household Distribution in 2000

Between 1999 and 2003 the County experienced a stable labor force, while at the same time experiencing a decrease in the number of employed, resulting in an increased unemployment rate (Table 46). The labor force was 139,950 in 2003, with an annual average of 131,325 employed and 8,625 unemployed. The County’s unemployment rate is consistently lower than Region 8’s or Michigan’s unemployment rates, but crept above the U.S. average in 2003.

Table 46 – Employment Trends

Table 47 shows that Ottawa County has a higher proportion of its population employed in the manufacturing, agriculture, and other service sectors than the population in Region 8 or Michigan. Manufacturing accounts for 29.5 percent of the population’s employment – 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 Ottawa County. While Ottawa 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 47 – Employment Distribution in 2000

Ottawa County’s median household income of $52,347 is much higher than Region 8’s figure of $45,915 or Michigan’s median of $44,667 (Table 48). The County’s per capita income of $21,676 is higher. Ottawa County has a lower percentage of people living below the poverty level than the Region or State.

Table 48 – Income and Poverty in 2000

Table 49 shows that Ottawa County has a higher percentage of traditional single family homes the Region 8 or Michigan. The County has a lower percentage of mobile homes than the two comparison areas and a lower proportion of multiple family housing. Ottawa County’s occupancy rate of 94.0 percent indicates is higher than either comparison area. The median value of owner-occupied in Ottawa County is higher than the Region and State.

Table 49 – Housing Information in 2000

Ottawa County Map

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