Census tract · Oakland County
Census Tract 1281, Oakland County, Michigan
Census Tract 1281, GEOID 26125128100, in Oakland County, Michigan, entirely within Orion Charter Township. 2,701 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±396); the 2020 Census counted 2,697.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,701
±396 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 2,697
Median household income
$129,099
±$6,527 (90% margin)
Oakland County: $97,760
Median home value
$393,400
±$62,764 (90% margin)
Oakland County: $343,600
Median gross rent
$1,385
±$69 (90% margin)
Oakland County: $1,376
Where is Census Tract 1281?
Census Tract 1281 is one of 350 census tracts in Oakland County, Michigan. It covers 1.92 square miles of land, 1,408 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26125128100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Orion Charter Township | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 1281: Tract 1218 ($117,500), Tract 1280 ($119,432), Tract 1284 ($70,330), Tract 1285 ($81,550), Tract 1286 ($160,174) and Tract 1290 ($101,977). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 1281?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 1281's population at 2,701 (±396) in 1,177 households; the 2020 Census counted 2,697 residents and 1,132 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 1281 | Orion Charter Township |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,701±396 | 38,546 |
| Households | 1,177±208 | 15,259 |
| Average household size | 2.29±0.13 | 2.51 |
| Housing units | 1,261±191 | 16,097 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 1281?
The median resident of Census Tract 1281 is 55.4 years old; 16.3% are under 18 and 21.5% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 95.4%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 1.6%. 4.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 1281 | Orion Charter Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.4±4.2 | 41.9 |
| Under 18 years | 16.3%±3.1 pts | 20.8% |
| 65 years and over | 21.5%±4.7 pts | 16.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.3%±1.4 pts | 6.9% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 95.4%±3.6 pts | 81.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.7%±1.8 pts | 1.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.6%±1.4 pts | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.4 pts | 0.2% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.7%±1.2 pts | 3.5% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.8% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.0%±2.2 pts | 9.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.2%±3.4 pts | 10.8% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 9.0%±4.9 pts | 4.4% |
| With a disability | 13.7%±5.0 pts | 10.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.5%±1.7 pts | 3.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 98.9%±1.7 pts | 96.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 56.9%±6.5 pts | 54.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.9%±6.9 pts | 20.4% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.7%±3.9 pts | 91.1% |
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 Census Tract 1281 earn?
Half of the 1,177 households in Census Tract 1281 earn less than $129,099 a year (±$6,527), against $97,760 across Oakland County: 88th highest of the county's 341 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 1281 | Orion Charter Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,099±$6,527 | $118,801 |
| Mean household income | $155,475±$18,449 | $137,841 |
| Per capita income | $67,958±$8,115 | $56,873 |
| People below the poverty line | 5.1%±4.7 pts | 4.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 8.8%±9.0 pts | 4.6% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 3.5%±3.7 pts | 4.5% |
| Households with a computer | 90.9%±8.2 pts | 98.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.8%±8.7 pts | 95.8% |
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 Census Tract 1281?
Owners occupy 86.6% of Census Tract 1281's occupied homes and renters 13.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $393,400 by its owner (±$62,764). The median renter pays $1,385 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 1281 | Orion Charter Township |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $393,400±$62,764 | $369,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,385±$69 | $1,327 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 18.4%±27.1 pts | 28.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,011±$277 | $2,086 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.6%±8.6 pts | 82.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.4%±8.6 pts | 17.5% |
| Housing units | 1,261±191 | 16,097 |
| Single-family detached homes | 90.7%±7.7 pts | 79.5% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±2.3 pts | 2.1% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0%±1.6 pts | 1.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 11.2%±7.6 pts | 11.7% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.0%±3.1 pts | 5.8% |
| Households with no vehicle | 7.5%±8.9 pts | 3.7% |
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 Census Tract 1281 get to work?
76.2% of Census Tract 1281's workers drive alone and 19.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.5 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 1281 | Orion Charter Township |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.2%±5.4 pts | 68.8% |
| Unemployment rate | 1.8%±2.0 pts | 4.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 76.2%±8.8 pts | 72.8% |
| Carpooled | 3.1%±3.3 pts | 4.2% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±2.5 pts | 0.2% |
| Walked | 1.7%±2.2 pts | 0.6% |
| Worked from home | 19.0%±8.0 pts | 20.5% |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.5 min±3.6 | 25.7 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
How does Census Tract 1281 compare with the other tracts in Oakland County?
Among Oakland County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 1281 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Oakland County |
|---|---|
| Population | 262nd of 345 |
| Residents per square mile | 270th of 350 |
| Median household income | 88th of 341 |
| Per capita income | 70th of 344 |
| Median home value | 110th of 337 |
| Median gross rent | 151st of 282 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 138th of 341 |
| Median age | 10th of 345 |
| Owner-occupied share | 128th of 335 |
The tracts next to it on Oakland County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1361.01 | 85th | $130,671±$23,391 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1732 | 86th | $130,625±$10,481 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1904 | 87th | $130,385±$46,920 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1281 | 88th | $129,099±$6,527 |
| Tract 1288 | 89th | $128,947±$10,072 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1509 | 90th | $128,641±$49,115 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 1363 | 91st | $128,443±$29,395 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 1281?
4 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 1281 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.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). 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 · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections