Village · Michigan
Empire, Michigan
Empire, village, in Leelanau County, Michigan. Empire had 355 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 362 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 341 (±83). GEOID 2625980.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
355
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 362 · ACS 2020-2024: 341 ±83
Median household income
$83,929
±$33,750 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$456,300
±$193,327 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
not published
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Empire and what county is it in?
Empire is a village in Leelanau County, Michigan. It covers 1.0 square miles of land, 352 residents per square mile in 2020.
Empire is in the Traverse City, MI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Empire lies entirely within Empire 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 Empire, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 355 people lived in Empire on July 1, 2025, up 2.6% since 2020, faster than Michigan (+0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 362 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 341 (±83).
| Measure | Empire | Leelanau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 341 ±83 | 22,734 | no clear change |
| Households | 172 ±35 | 9,645 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.98 ±0.28 | 2.32 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 321 ±63 | 15,759 | no clear change |
Empire's population since 2000
From 378 in 2000 to 355 in 2025: down 6.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Empire 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 Empire?
The median resident of Empire is 63.6 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 43.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 93.3%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.5%.
| Measure | Empire | Leelanau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 63.6 ±3.4 | 55.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.1% ±10.4 pts | 15.4% | – |
| 65 years and over | 43.1% ±11.8 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Male | 48.4% ±7.1 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.5% ±8.8 pts | 4.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 93.3% ±8.8 pts | 89.0% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.8 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 8.0% ±9.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.3% ±5.2 pts | 6.8% | – |
| With a disability | 24.6% ±12.6 pts | 12.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.8% ±2.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.8% ±2.3 pts | 97.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 56.4% ±10.2 pts | 51.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 27.1% ±9.0 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.5% ±5.0 pts | 91.4% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 1.1% | – |
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 Empire earn?
Half of Empire's 172 households earn less than $83,929 a year (±$33,750), against $99,422 in Leelanau County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $47,969 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Empire | Leelanau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,929 ±$33,750 | $99,422 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $137,520 ±$40,604 | $136,818 | – |
| Per capita income | $67,876 ±$22,556 | $57,553 | +$27,300 |
| People below the poverty line | 14.7% ±12.8 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 36.9% ±39.5 pts | 11.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 10.5% ±10.1 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.1% ±2.8 pts | 97.2% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.4% ±7.2 pts | 93.1% | – |
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 Empire?
Owners occupy 79.7% of Empire's occupied homes and renters 20.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $456,300 by its owner (±$193,327).
| Measure | Empire | Leelanau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $456,300 ±$193,327 | $458,400 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 37.0% ±43.5 pts | 39.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,950 ±$545 | $1,865 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.7% ±11.8 pts | 91.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.3% ±11.8 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Housing units | 321 ±63 | 15,759 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±19.5 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 18.6% ±26.2 pts | 23.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.7% ±6.1 pts | 86.0% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±8.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 16.8% ±9.0 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 20.2% ±8.6 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.7% ±11.8 pts | 2.8% | – |
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 Empire work and get to work?
72.0% of Empire's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 24.2 minutes.
| Measure | Empire | Leelanau County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 43.0% ±11.4 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 0.0% ±21.9 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.0% ±18.9 pts | 75.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.2% ±5.2 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±22.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.8% ±2.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 21.2% ±19.5 pts | 15.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.2 min ±7.7 | 23.6 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 Empire?
No census tract lies mostly in Empire; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9704Leelanau County | 1,787 | $107,957 |
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 Empire) · Census block assignment files
How does Empire compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Empire is the 14,565th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 475th-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Empire 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 | 475th | 533 |
Empire's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Empire 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 Empire?
25 of the 56 figures for Empire 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 Empire 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 Empire.