County · Michigan

Cass County, Michigan

Cass County, Michigan. Cass County had 51,677 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.2% since 2020, in line with Michigan (+0.5%). It holds 21 places (6 cities, villages and boroughs and 15 towns and townships) and 15 census tracts. GEOID 26027.

Cass County is one of the 2 counties of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

51,677

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 51,589 · ACS 2020-2024: 51,520

Median household income

$70,443

±$3,549 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875

Median home value

$218,000

±$9,705 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600

Median gross rent

$916

±$34 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129

How many people live in Cass County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 51,589 residents in Cass County. The Census Bureau estimates 51,677 for July 1, 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, in line with Michigan (+0.5%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 51,520 over 490 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 −14 (51,539)
2021→2022 −117 (51,422)
2022→2023 +148 (51,570)
2023→2024 −37 (51,533)
2024→2025 +144 (51,677)

Cass County in Michigan. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Cass County	Michigan	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	51,520	10,077,761	−3
Households	21,207±325	4,076,369	no clear change
Average household size	2.41±0.04	2.42	no clear change
Housing units	25,679±52	4,622,236	−616

Cass County's population since 2000

From 51,104 in 2000 to 51,677 in 2025: up 1.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. 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.

2000 Census 51,104
2005 (estimate) 52,358
2010 Census 52,293
2015 (estimate) 51,370
2020 Census 51,589
2025 (estimate) 51,677

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); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Cass County?

Cass County holds 21 places: 6 cities, villages and boroughs (incorporated places) and 15 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government). The largest is Ontwa Township with 6,839 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Cass County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Ontwa Township	township	6,904	6,870±59	$61,241	$249,800	10.1%	100%
Howard Township	township	6,275	6,278±43	$79,226	$200,000	5.7%	100%
Dowagiac	city	5,721	5,732±36	$48,166	$130,800	21.4%	100%
LaGrange Township	township	3,787	3,751±23	$58,786	$119,600	13.9%	100%
Porter Township, Cass County	township	3,750	3,885±18	$79,681	$300,800	10.7%	100%
Milton Township, Cass County	township	3,128	3,140±39	$118,750	$299,600	3.2%	100%
Silver Creek Township	township	3,051	3,041±21	$80,894	$255,100	8.1%	100%
Mason Township, Cass County	township	2,841	2,836±19	$59,922	$205,300	22.0%	100%
Jefferson Township, Cass County	township	2,590	2,578±23	$72,375	$268,900	14.2%	100%
Wayne Township	township	2,576	2,660±437	$61,210	$207,900	21.2%	100%
Marcellus Township	township	2,401	2,179±260	$72,857	$181,800	10.8%	100%
Pokagon Township	township	2,119	2,157±326	$72,022	$217,800	9.0%	100%
Calvin Township	township	1,993	1,593±236	$80,813	$223,800	8.7%	100%
Penn Township	township	1,755	2,052±336	$83,897	$304,000	9.3%	100%
Cassopolis	village	1,712	1,834±318	$40,781	$110,000	20.5%	100%
Newberg Township	township	1,602	1,528±217	$72,167	$202,700	8.8%	100%
Edwardsburg	village	1,304	1,472±280	$52,500	$122,200	18.0%	100%
Volinia Township	township	1,096	1,240±239	$78,750	$224,300	11.8%	100%
Marcellus	village	1,074	1,112±209	$52,917	$120,400	16.4%	100%
Vandalia	village	318	366±138	$70,268	$77,500	3.9%	100%
Niles	city	11,988	11,803±25	$51,376	$135,100	17.8%	0%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Cass County?

The median resident of Cass County is 45.5 years old; 20.2% are under 18 and 22.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 84.0%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 5.2%. 2.7% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Cass County	Michigan	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	45.5±0.3	40.2	no clear change
Under 18 years	20.2%	21.2%	–
65 years and over	22.6%±0.1 pts	18.6%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	4.5%	5.9%	+0.6 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	84.0%±0.7 pts	72.4%	−2.1 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	4.0%±0.4 pts	13.1%	−1.2 pts
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.2 pts	3.4%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.2 pts	0.3%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	5.2%±0.7 pts	4.5%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.8%±0.5 pts	0.5%	–
Born outside the United States	2.7%±0.5 pts	7.2%	+1.0 pts
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	4.3%±0.8 pts	10.4%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.9%±0.8 pts	5.8%	–
With a disability	16.1%±1.4 pts	14.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	6.9%±1.2 pts	4.9%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	90.0%±1.0 pts	92.1%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	21.8%±1.4 pts	32.4%	+2.6 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	8.0%±0.9 pts	12.7%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	4.3%±1.2 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 Cass County earn?

Half of Cass County's 21,207 households earn less than $70,443 a year (±$3,549), against $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $67,820 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.9% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cass County	Michigan	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$70,443±$3,549	$72,875	no clear change
Mean household income	$95,850±$5,107	$98,700	–
Per capita income	$39,236±$1,790	$40,735	no clear change
People below the poverty line	11.9%±1.7 pts	13.2%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	18.9%±4.5 pts	17.6%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	12.8%±1.3 pts	13.5%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	88.6%±1.6 pts	90.5%	–

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 Cass County?

Owners occupy 81.6% of Cass County's occupied homes and renters 18.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $218,000 by its owner (±$9,705). The median renter pays $916 a month including utilities, and 31.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cass County	Michigan	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$218,000±$9,705	$231,600	+$42,257
Median gross rent	$916±$34	$1,129	no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	31.9%±5.8 pts	41.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,478±$70	$1,569	–
Owner-occupied homes	81.6%±1.9 pts	73.2%	no clear change
Housing units	25,679±52	4,622,236	−616
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.8%±0.4 pts	0.8%	–
Rental vacancy rate	5.1%±3.4 pts	5.1%	–
Single-family detached homes	84.6%±1.6 pts	72.0%	–
Mobile homes	7.7%±1.0 pts	5.0%	–
Built 2020 or later	1.0%±0.4 pts	1.0%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	17.0%±1.3 pts	14.6%	–

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 many new homes is Cass County building?

Builders took permits for 140 new housing units across Cass County in 2025 (140 single-family), 2.7 per 1,000 residents.

2019 105 units
2020 269 units
2021 128 units
2022 153 units
2023 131 units
2024 140 units
2025 140 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Cass County get to work?

77.4% of Cass County's workers drive alone and 7.8% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.0%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cass County	Michigan	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	58.8%±1.6 pts	61.3%	–
Unemployment rate	5.0%±1.0 pts	5.7%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	77.4%±1.9 pts	74.3%	–
Carpooled	9.9%±1.6 pts	7.9%	–
Public transportation	0.4%±0.3 pts	0.9%	–
Walked	2.2%±0.7 pts	2.0%	–
Worked from home	7.8%±1.2 pts	13.5%	+3.7 pts
Mean travel time to work	24.4 min±0.9	24.2 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 are Cass County's census tracts?

Cass County is divided into 15 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $52,431 (Tract 22.01) to $118,750 (Tract 18.01).

Census tracts of Cass County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 1026027001000	–	3,750	3,885±18	$79,681	$300,800	$834	10.7%
Tract 1126027001100	–	2,841	2,836±19	$59,922	$205,300	$953	22.0%
Tract 1226027001200	–	3,319	3,128±253	$86,786	$293,200	$1,019	4.6%
Tract 1526027001500	Niles (1%)	3,776	3,558±552	$70,313	$185,500	not published	5.4%
Tract 1626027001600	Vandalia (14%)	3,748	3,645±331	$81,528	$265,400	$1,142	9.0%
Tract 17.0126027001701	Marcellus (34%)	2,978	2,953±279	$73,125	$190,800	$910	12.5%
Tract 17.0226027001702	–	2,121	1,994±241	$73,304	$206,500	$1,033	7.4%
Tract 18.0126027001801	–	3,128	3,140±39	$118,750	$299,600	$845	3.2%
Tract 18.0226027001802	Edwardsburg (32%)	4,618	4,712±298	$60,585	$231,100	$976	12.8%
Tract 19.0126027001901	Dowagiac (47%)	2,852	2,894±429	$68,170	$172,000	$774	22.1%
Tract 19.0226027001902	–	1,778	1,988±262	$92,500	$331,900	not published	4.8%
Tract 2026027002000	Dowagiac (33%)	4,445	4,847±503	$52,476	$148,400	$965	19.3%
Tract 2126027002100	Cassopolis (23%)	6,086	6,012±292	$55,785	$159,700	$846	17.0%
Tract 22.0126027002201	Dowagiac (55%)	2,630	2,294±244	$52,431	$164,500	$904	11.4%
Tract 22.0226027002202	Niles (3%)	3,519	3,634±529	$79,855	$253,700	$866	7.6%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Cass County compare with Michigan's other counties?

Cass County's rank among Michigan's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	35th of 83
Growth 2020-2025	53rd of 83
Residents per square mile	32nd of 83
Median household income	24th of 83
Median home value	23rd of 83
Median gross rent	34th of 83
Poverty rate	55th of 83
Bachelor's degree or higher	44th of 83
Median age	34th of 83

Every county in Michigan

Source: PlainCities ranks 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 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 Cass 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' school search.