Census-designated place · Michigan
Brethren, Michigan
Brethren, census-designated place, in Manistee County, Michigan. Brethren had 331 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 318 (±100). GEOID 2610300.
Residents, 2020 Census
331
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 318 ±100
Median household income
$52,083
±$35,794 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$152,200
±$38,382 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
not published
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Brethren and what county is it in?
Brethren is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Manistee County, Michigan. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 259 residents per square mile in 2020.
Brethren lies entirely within Dickson Township, 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 Brethren, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 331 residents in Brethren, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 318 (±100).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Brethren is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Brethren | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 318 ±100 | 25,350 | no clear change |
| Households | 121 ±35 | 10,561 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.63 ±0.54 | 2.26 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 183 ±46 | 15,713 | −95 |
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 Brethren?
The median resident of Brethren is 42.2 years old; 29.2% are under 18 and 19.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.1%.
| Measure | Brethren | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 ±10.2 | 50.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 29.2% ±11.0 pts | 16.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.2% ±9.6 pts | 28.0% | – |
| Male | 38.4% ±7.8 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.3% ±1.9 pts | 3.6% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.3% ±3.3 pts | 87.4% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±1.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.1% ±3.1 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±9.0 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.0% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.9% ±5.5 pts | 8.2% | – |
| With a disability | 11.6% ±5.5 pts | 18.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 5.7% ±7.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.8% ±5.9 pts | 92.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 13.5% ±6.8 pts | 24.9% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.3% ±5.1 pts | 8.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 84.6% ±9.3 pts | 90.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±9.0 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 Brethren earn?
Brethren's median household income is published as $52,083 with a margin of ±$35,794, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Brethren | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,083 ±$35,794 | $63,516 | – |
| Mean household income | $76,485 ±$20,719 | $84,176 | – |
| Per capita income | $30,060 ±$6,555 | $36,023 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 18.2% ±9.7 pts | 12.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 35.5% ±15.0 pts | 22.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 26.4% ±13.2 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.6% ±5.5 pts | 91.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.1% ±6.4 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 Brethren?
Owners occupy 93.4% of Brethren's occupied homes and renters 6.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $152,200 by its owner (±$38,382).
| Measure | Brethren | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $152,200 ±$38,382 | $182,200 | +$48,699 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 100.0% ±100.0 pts | 45.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,112 ±$115 | $1,218 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.4% ±6.3 pts | 85.8% | +12.2 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.6% ±6.3 pts | 14.2% | – |
| Housing units | 183 ±46 | 15,713 | −95 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.0 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±100.0 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 86.3% ±11.6 pts | 83.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 13.7% ±11.6 pts | 7.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.6% ±2.3 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 1.6% ±2.3 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.1% ±6.8 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 Brethren work and get to work?
88.2% of Brethren's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 32.6 minutes.
| Measure | Brethren | Manistee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.0% ±10.8 pts | 49.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±21.4 pts | 6.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.2% ±11.4 pts | 77.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.4% ±7.3 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±22.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±22.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.7% ±7.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 32.6 min ±6.2 | 21.7 min | +8.8 min |
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 Brethren?
No census tract lies mostly in Brethren; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5Manistee County | 3,865 | $59,087 |
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 Brethren) · Census block assignment files
How does Brethren compare with other places in Michigan?
Brethren 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.
Brethren's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Brethren 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 Brethren?
27 of the 56 figures for Brethren 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 Brethren 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' school search.