City · Michigan
Sandusky, Michigan
Sandusky, city, in Sanilac County, Michigan. Sandusky had 2,664 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 1.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 2,709 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 2,694 (±15). GEOID 2671540.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
2,664
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 2,709 · ACS 2020-2024: 2,694 ±15
Median household income
$56,563
±$30,981 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$113,800
±$11,913 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$784
±$41 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Sandusky and what county is it in?
Sandusky is a city in Sanilac County, Michigan. It covers 2.1 square miles of land, 1,262 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 Sandusky, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,664 people lived in Sandusky on July 1, 2025, down 1.7% since 2020, while Michigan grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 2,709 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 2,694 (±15).
| Measure | Sandusky | Sanilac County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,694 ±15 | 40,462 | +160 |
| Households | 1,150 ±94 | 17,516 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.12 ±0.17 | 2.28 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 1,206 ±103 | 21,756 | no clear change |
Sandusky's population since 2000
From 2,745 in 2000 to 2,664 in 2025: down 3.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Sandusky 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 Sandusky?
The median resident of Sandusky is 39.1 years old; 18.7% are under 18 and 19.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 89.1%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.3%.
| Measure | Sandusky | Sanilac County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 ±2.9 | 45.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.7% ±3.6 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.7% ±3.3 pts | 23.2% | – |
| Male | 52.5% ±3.7 pts | 50.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.8% ±2.7 pts | 4.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 89.1% ±3.7 pts | 91.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.2% ±0.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4% ±0.5 pts | 0.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.3% ±2.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.8% ±0.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.2% ±0.9 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.8% ±2.0 pts | 7.5% | – |
| With a disability | 16.6% ±3.7 pts | 16.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.9% ±4.8 pts | 7.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.0% ±4.1 pts | 90.6% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.6% ±5.5 pts | 16.5% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.4% ±2.9 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 81.2% ±5.7 pts | 91.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.6% ±0.8 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 Sandusky earn?
Half of Sandusky's 1,150 households earn less than $56,563 a year (±$30,981), against $58,863 in Sanilac County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $48,151 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 16.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Sandusky | Sanilac County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,563 ±$30,981 | $58,863 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $74,928 ±$15,065 | $77,878 | – |
| Per capita income | $31,430 ±$5,777 | $33,584 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 16.1% ±6.6 pts | 15.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.8% ±13.4 pts | 24.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 23.1% ±6.8 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.5% ±3.7 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.1% ±5.8 pts | 85.4% | – |
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 Sandusky?
Owners occupy 55.4% of Sandusky's occupied homes and renters 44.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $113,800 by its owner (±$11,913). The median renter pays $784 a month including utilities, and 33.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Sandusky | Sanilac County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $113,800 ±$11,913 | $168,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $784 ±$41 | $807 | +$87 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.8% ±10.6 pts | 35.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,175 ±$53 | $1,226 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 55.4% ±8.1 pts | 82.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 44.6% ±8.1 pts | 17.4% | – |
| Housing units | 1,206 ±103 | 21,756 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±5.7 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 65.7% ±8.3 pts | 82.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 9.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±2.5 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.6% ±7.3 pts | 21.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 10.0% ±4.2 pts | 5.9% | – |
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 Sandusky work and get to work?
81.4% of Sandusky's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 23.5 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.0%.
| Measure | Sandusky | Sanilac County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.1% ±5.2 pts | 54.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% ±2.8 pts | 6.0% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 81.4% ±7.0 pts | 78.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.2% ±4.9 pts | 9.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 2.0% ±2.6 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 3.0% ±2.7 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.1% ±2.1 pts | 8.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.5 min ±5.3 | 28.6 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 Sandusky?
No census tract lies mostly in Sandusky; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9709Sanilac County | 4,850 | $65,610 |
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 Sandusky) · Census block assignment files
How does Sandusky compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Sandusky is the 6,709th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 215th-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Sandusky ranks 1,100th 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 | 215th | 533 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,092nd | 1,281 |
| Residents per square mile | 272nd | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 1,100th | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 987th | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 1,269th | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 1,007th | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 276th | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,047th | 1,350 |
| Median age | 1,019th | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,299th | 1,356 |
| Travel time to work | 832nd | 1,356 |
Sandusky's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Sandusky 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 Sandusky?
17 of the 57 figures for Sandusky 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 Sandusky 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 Sandusky.