Village · Michigan
Bear Lake, Manistee County, Michigan
Bear Lake, Manistee County, village, in Manistee County, Michigan. Bear Lake, Manistee County had 324 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 342 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 264 (±69). GEOID 2606460.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
324
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 342 · ACS 2020-2024: 264 ±69
Median household income
$63,281
±$5,006 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$155,400
±$37,341 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
not published
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Bear Lake, Manistee County and what county is it in?
Bear Lake, Manistee County is a village in Manistee County, Michigan. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,103 residents per square mile in 2020.
Bear Lake, Manistee County lies entirely within Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Bear Lake, Manistee County, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 324 people lived in Bear Lake, Manistee County on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, while Michigan grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 342 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 264 (±69).
| Measure | Bear Lake, Manistee County | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 264±69 | 25,350 | no clear change |
| Households | 95±19 | 10,561 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.78±0.53 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 143±29 | 15,713 | no clear change |
Bear Lake, Manistee County's population since 2000
From 318 in 2000 to 324 in 2025: up 1.9%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Bear Lake, Manistee County 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 Bear Lake, Manistee County?
The median resident of Bear Lake, Manistee County is 38.6 years old; 16.3% are under 18 and 15.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 10.2%.
| Measure | Bear Lake, Manistee County | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6±7.0 | 50.3 | −10.5 |
| Under 18 years | 16.3%±7.3 pts | 16.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.5%±5.3 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Male | 47.3%±5.6 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.9%±2.2 pts | 3.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6%±9.0 pts | 87.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±10.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±10.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 2.3%±2.8 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±10.7 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 10.2%±8.5 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±10.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8%±1.1 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.2%±2.4 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 13.1%±6.9 pts | 8.2% | – |
| With a disability | 17.8%±6.5 pts | 18.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.9%±4.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.9%±6.1 pts | 92.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.1%±7.0 pts | 24.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.3%±4.6 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.2%±4.3 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0%±10.9 pts | 1.4% | – |
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 Bear Lake, Manistee County earn?
Half of Bear Lake, Manistee County's 95 households earn less than $63,281 a year (±$5,006), against $63,516 in Manistee County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 the median was $44,613 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $18,668 after inflation.
| Measure | Bear Lake, Manistee County | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,281±$5,006 | $63,516 | +$18,668 |
| Mean household income | $71,685±$8,850 | $84,176 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,075±$4,075 | $36,023 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 5.0%±3.6 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±45.1 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.9%±9.3 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0%±26.5 pts | 91.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 96.8%±4.4 pts | 86.1% | – |
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 Bear Lake, Manistee County?
Owners occupy 94.7% of Bear Lake, Manistee County's occupied homes and renters 5.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $155,400 by its owner (±$37,341).
| Measure | Bear Lake, Manistee County | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $155,400±$37,341 | $182,200 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 40.0%±50.1 pts | 45.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,048±$165 | $1,218 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.7%±5.4 pts | 85.8% | +13.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 5.3%±5.4 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Housing units | 143±29 | 15,713 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±27.7 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 44.4%±51.5 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.0%±8.3 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 11.2%±7.5 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±18.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±18.8 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 35.0%±11.9 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.1%±2.6 pts | 4.8% | – |
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 Bear Lake, Manistee County work and get to work?
58.3% of Bear Lake, Manistee County's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.8 minutes.
| Measure | Bear Lake, Manistee County | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 68.4%±9.8 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.0%±8.4 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 58.3%±12.2 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 39.6%±12.9 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±19.3 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 2.2%±2.9 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0%±19.3 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.8 min±7.0 | 21.7 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 Bear Lake, Manistee County?
No census tract lies mostly in Bear Lake, Manistee County; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
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 Bear Lake, Manistee County) · Census block assignment files
How does Bear Lake, Manistee County compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Bear Lake, Manistee County is the 14,872nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 480th-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Bear Lake, Manistee County is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 480th | 533 |
Bear Lake, Manistee County's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Bear Lake, Manistee County 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 Bear Lake, Manistee County?
26 of the 56 figures for Bear Lake, Manistee County 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 Bear Lake, Manistee County 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 Bear Lake.