Keweenaw County

Keweenaw County is a place of extremes. It is the northernmost in our region and smallest in the state in both land area and population. It has such harsh weather that the northern part of the county nearly shuts down for the winter season. It is at the end of the road, literally, as the northern terminus of Highway US 41. For all of these notables, it is truly a destination for outdoor adventure recreation, including a nationally known mountain biking system; Lake Superior-side small-town resort tourism; and sightseeing.

Traveling north from Calumet brings a string of old mining towns and a lot of trees - including the “Tunnel of Trees,” closing in a narrow, twisting two-lane highway up the spine of the peninsula to Copper Harbor and met there by another highway on the western coast, to form a closed loop. These roads connect most of the historic and scenic sites on the Copper Country Trail National Byway.

Combining this setting with the more “urban” areas farther south in Houghton County, the Keweenaw Peninsula has something for everyone.

 

People

Total population:

  • 2020 Census: 2,046

  • Projected, 2045 (State of Michigan): 1,202

Median age: 57.5

Median household income: $50,292

Median year-round full-time earnings: $41,053

Poverty:

  • All persons determined: 10.6%

  • Children under 18 years old: 19.5%

Unemployment rate, age 16 & over: 7.8%

Education

Primary and secondary schools:

  • 1 public school district

  • Total public school enrollment (Michigan Dept of Education): 7 (2022-23)

Copper Country Intermediate school district

Educational attainment:

  • Less than high school diploma/equivalent: 3.6%

  • High school diploma/equivalent: 35.4%

  • Some college or associate’s degree: 29.0%

  • Bachelor’s degree: 18.4%

  • Graduate or professional degree: 13.6%

Housing

Housing units - total: 2,483

  • 43.5% occupied (many of remainder seasonally vacant)

  • 89.0% single-unit detached

Housing age:

  • 38.0% built 1939 or earlier

  • 17.9% built 2000 or later

Median housing value: $121,100

Median gross rent: $525

Homeownership rate: 88.0%

Economy

Labor force (State of Michigan as of 2021): 892

Largest Employers:

  • Keweenaw Mountain Lodge

  • Keweenaw County

  • The Mariner North

Industry by number of workers 16 & over (U.S. Dept of Labor as of 2021) (822):

  • Health care & social assistance: 16.2%

  • Manufacturing: 6.1%

  • Retail trade: 12.5%

  • Accommodation & food services: 11.0%

  • Educational services: 11.3%

  • Public administration: 7.4%

 

Statistical data are from 2015-2019 American Community Survey five-year estimates or other sources in italics; additional source info available upon request