City · Michigan
Bad Axe, Michigan
Bad Axe, city, in Huron County, Michigan. Bad Axe had 2,943 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 3.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 3,021 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,992 (±24). GEOID 2604740.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,943
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 3,021 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,992 ±24
Median household income
$44,688
±$10,657 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$125,200
±$11,941 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$742
±$86 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Bad Axe and what county is it in?
Bad Axe is a city in Huron County, Michigan. It covers 2.3 square miles of land, 1,295 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bad Axe, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,943 people lived in Bad Axe on July 1, 2025, down 3.0% since 2020, while Michigan grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 3,021 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,992 (±24).
| Measure | Bad Axe | Huron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,992 ±24 | 31,113 | +44 |
| Households | 1,355 ±159 | 14,150 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.05 ±0.23 | 2.16 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,508 ±167 | 20,349 | no clear change |
Bad Axe's population since 2000
From 3,462 in 2000 to 2,943 in 2025: down 15.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bad Axe as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Bad Axe?
The median resident of Bad Axe is 48.6 years old; 16.7% are under 18 and 26.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 7.8%. 5.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Bad Axe | Huron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.6 ±5.8 | 49.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 16.7% ±5.2 pts | 19.0% | – |
| 65 years and over | 26.4% ±3.9 pts | 27.2% | – |
| Male | 46.2% ±4.4 pts | 50.0% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.8% ±4.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.0% ±5.0 pts | 93.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.9% ±1.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±2.1 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.0% ±2.9 pts | 1.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.8% ±4.4 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.7% ±2.2 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 20.0% ±5.3 pts | 16.1% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.9% ±1.5 pts | 4.8% | −3.4 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.2% ±4.8 pts | 92.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.1% ±5.9 pts | 18.5% | +8.5 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.0% ±3.4 pts | 6.0% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.7% ±3.4 pts | 93.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.8% ±1.7 pts | 0.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Bad Axe earn?
Half of Bad Axe's 1,355 households earn less than $44,688 a year (±$10,657), against $58,870 in Huron County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $48,291 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Bad Axe | Huron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,688 ±$10,657 | $58,870 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $57,541 ±$7,615 | $76,624 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,740 ±$3,812 | $35,271 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.2% ±7.3 pts | 12.6% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 38.0% ±20.2 pts | 16.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 26.1% ±6.0 pts | 11.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 86.5% ±5.7 pts | 91.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 76.1% ±8.6 pts | 83.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Bad Axe?
Owners occupy 57.4% of Bad Axe's occupied homes and renters 42.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $125,200 by its owner (±$11,941). The median renter pays $742 a month including utilities, and 41.6% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Bad Axe | Huron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $125,200 ±$11,941 | $154,300 | +$21,453 |
| Median gross rent | $742 ±$86 | $788 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 41.6% ±16.8 pts | 31.7% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $987 ±$127 | $1,135 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.4% ±7.6 pts | 81.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.6% ±7.6 pts | 18.2% | – |
| Housing units | 1,508 ±167 | 20,349 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±3.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.9% ±7.7 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 70.6% ±6.4 pts | 86.1% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% ±1.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 2.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 22.7% ±6.1 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 14.5% ±6.7 pts | 6.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Bad Axe work and get to work?
75.8% of Bad Axe's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.6%.
| Measure | Bad Axe | Huron County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 49.4% ±5.9 pts | 55.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% ±3.6 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 75.8% ±8.6 pts | 78.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 9.2% ±6.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 2.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 5.0% ±3.5 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Worked from home | 8.0% ±5.7 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.5 min ±6.7 | 20.9 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Bad Axe?
1 census tract lies mostly in Bad Axe (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9510Huron County | 3,928 | $50,304 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Bad Axe) · Census block assignment files
How does Bad Axe compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bad Axe is the 6,402nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 204th-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Bad Axe ranks 1,288th of 1,354 places in Michigan with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 204th | 533 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,219th | 1,281 |
| Residents per square mile | 260th | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 1,288th | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 1,157th | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 1,216th | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 1,061st | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 146th | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 697th | 1,350 |
| Median age | 300th | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,284th | 1,356 |
| Travel time to work | 1,003rd | 1,356 |
Bad Axe's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Bad Axe with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Bad Axe?
15 of the 57 figures for Bad Axe on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Bad Axe are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Bad Axe.