Census-designated place · Michigan
Carp Lake, Michigan
Carp Lake, census-designated place, in Emmet County, Michigan. Carp Lake had 356 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 380 (±179). GEOID 2613480.
Residents, 2020 Census
356
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 380 ±179
Median household income
$27,474
±$16,575 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$180,000
±$32,864 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$570
±$94 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Carp Lake and what county is it in?
Carp Lake is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Emmet County, Michigan. It covers 2.1 square miles of land, 173 residents per square mile in 2020.
Carp Lake is in the Petoskey, MI micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Carp Lake lies entirely within Carp Lake Township (Emmet 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 Carp Lake, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 356 residents in Carp Lake, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 380 (±179).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Carp Lake is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Carp Lake | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 380 ±179 | 34,125 | no clear change |
| Households | 143 ±39 | 15,190 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.66 ±0.80 | 2.22 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 445 ±62 | 21,979 | no clear change |
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 Carp Lake?
The median resident of Carp Lake is 40.0 years old; 32.1% are under 18 and 18.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.7%.
| Measure | Carp Lake | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.0 ±5.4 | 47.0 | −20.7 |
| Under 18 years | 32.1% ±18.1 pts | 18.1% | – |
| 65 years and over | 18.7% ±10.0 pts | 25.0% | – |
| Male | 45.8% ±6.0 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 2.1% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.6% ±5.7 pts | 89.1% | −7.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.8% ±1.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±3.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±3.4 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±0.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.0% ±7.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.9% ±1.7 pts | 6.2% | – |
| With a disability | 27.6% ±10.6 pts | 13.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.9% ±3.8 pts | 6.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.8% ±3.5 pts | 96.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 16.9% ±7.1 pts | 41.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.9% ±4.6 pts | 17.7% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.7% ±5.0 pts | 88.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.8% ±1.4 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 Carp Lake earn?
Half of Carp Lake's 143 households earn less than $27,474 a year (±$16,575), against $78,112 in Emmet County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 the median was $55,766 in 2024 dollars, so it fell by $28,292 after inflation. 48.2% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Carp Lake | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $27,474 ±$16,575 | $78,112 | −$28,292 |
| Mean household income | $59,099 ±$18,666 | $109,768 | – |
| Per capita income | $22,801 ±$11,386 | $48,447 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 48.2% ±25.6 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 87.7% ±19.5 pts | 9.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 34.3% ±18.2 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.3% ±5.0 pts | 95.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 89.5% ±6.1 pts | 91.1% | – |
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 Carp Lake?
Owners occupy 62.9% of Carp Lake's occupied homes and renters 37.1%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $180,000 by its owner (±$32,864). The median renter pays $570 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Carp Lake | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $180,000 ±$32,864 | $315,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $570 ±$94 | $1,112 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 50.0% ±48.4 pts | 35.1% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,438 ±$224 | $1,604 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 62.9% ±16.8 pts | 77.0% | −28.4 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 37.1% ±16.8 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Housing units | 445 ±62 | 21,979 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.7 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 22.1% ±24.7 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 76.9% ±8.6 pts | 73.5% | – |
| Mobile homes | 20.4% ±8.6 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.2% ±2.8 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.4% ±5.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 13.9% ±6.4 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 9.1% ±7.1 pts | 5.0% | – |
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 Carp Lake work and get to work?
94.1% of Carp Lake's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.5 minutes.
| Measure | Carp Lake | Emmet County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 44.6% ±8.4 pts | 60.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% ±9.5 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 94.1% ±7.0 pts | 74.7% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.4% ±4.1 pts | 8.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±28.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±28.9 pts | 3.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.5% ±5.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.5 min ±3.7 | 19.9 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 Carp Lake?
No census tract lies mostly in Carp Lake; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701Emmet County | 2,051 | $52,222 |
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 Carp Lake) · Census block assignment files
How does Carp Lake compare with other places in Michigan?
Carp Lake 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.
Carp Lake's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Carp Lake 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 Carp Lake?
23 of the 57 figures for Carp Lake 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 Carp Lake 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.