Census tract · Grand Traverse County
Census Tract 5502, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Census Tract 5502, GEOID 26055550200, in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, partly within Union Township, Grand Traverse County, Whitewater Township, Fife Lake Township, East Bay Township, Fife Lake and Paradise Township. 4,356 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±469); the 2020 Census counted 4,332.
Residents, 2020-2024
4,356
±469 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 4,332
Median household income
$88,152
±$7,567 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $81,647
Median home value
$282,200
±$24,050 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $339,400
Median gross rent
$1,378
±$65 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $1,288
Where is Census Tract 5502?
Census Tract 5502 is one of 24 census tracts in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. It covers 77.33 square miles of land, 56 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26055550200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Union Township, Grand Traverse County | 32% |
| Whitewater Township | 28% |
| Fife Lake Township | 21% |
| East Bay Township | 19% |
| Fife Lake | 10% |
| Paradise Township | 0% |
8 census tracts border Census Tract 5502: Tract 5501.01 ($86,101), Tract 5501.02 ($102,120), Tract 5503 ($78,314), Tract 5506.01 ($116,681), Tract 5506.02 ($88,750), Tract 5506.03 ($69,777), Tract 9503 in Kalkaska County ($66,688) and Tract 9504 in Kalkaska County ($70,887). 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 5502?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 5502's population at 4,356 (±469) in 1,940 households; the 2020 Census counted 4,332 residents and 2,384 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 5502 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 4,356 ±469 | 96,166 |
| Households | 1,940 ±227 | 40,287 |
| Average household size | 2.25 ±0.13 | 2.34 |
| Housing units | 2,870 ±238 | 47,003 |
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 5502?
The median resident of Census Tract 5502 is 56.4 years old; 9.7% are under 18 and 26.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 92.7%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 3.3%. 1.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 5502 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.4 ±0.9 | 43.5 |
| Under 18 years | 9.7% ±1.9 pts | 19.4% |
| 65 years and over | 26.7% ±3.0 pts | 22.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1.7% ±1.8 pts | 3.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 92.7% ±3.0 pts | 90.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.5 pts | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±1.3 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.7 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.3% ±2.0 pts | 4.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±0.9 pts | 2.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.4% ±0.3 pts | 2.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 8.2% ±2.1 pts | 6.6% |
| With a disability | 14.7% ±2.7 pts | 12.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.8% ±1.3 pts | 4.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 94.7% ±2.6 pts | 95.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 36.7% ±5.8 pts | 40.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.1% ±3.0 pts | 16.8% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 91.9% ±2.8 pts | 88.7% |
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 Census Tract 5502 earn?
Half of the 1,940 households in Census Tract 5502 earn less than $88,152 a year (±$7,567), against $81,647 across Grand Traverse County: 11th highest of the county's 23 tracts with a reliable estimate. 5.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 5502 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $88,152 ±$7,567 | $81,647 |
| Mean household income | $98,727 ±$6,636 | $105,300 |
| Per capita income | $44,614 ±$2,859 | $45,034 |
| People below the poverty line | 5.1% ±1.7 pts | 9.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 4.3% ±4.3 pts | 14.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.8% ±2.9 pts | 7.5% |
| Households with a computer | 96.2% ±1.9 pts | 96.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.8% ±4.8 pts | 91.9% |
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 5502?
Owners occupy 95.2% of Census Tract 5502's occupied homes and renters 4.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $282,200 by its owner (±$24,050). The median renter pays $1,378 a month including utilities, and 68.1% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 5502 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $282,200 ±$24,050 | $339,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,378 ±$65 | $1,288 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 68.1% ±28.0 pts | 38.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,366 ±$197 | $1,566 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 95.2% ±2.6 pts | 77.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 4.8% ±2.6 pts | 22.8% |
| Housing units | 2,870 ±238 | 47,003 |
| Single-family detached homes | 94.8% ±2.5 pts | 72.5% |
| Mobile homes | 2.2% ±1.0 pts | 6.7% |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.4% ±2.2 pts | 2.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.9% ±3.2 pts | 10.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.4% ±1.4 pts | 9.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.1% ±1.0 pts | 4.9% |
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 Census Tract 5502 get to work?
86.5% of Census Tract 5502's workers drive alone and 7.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 5.6%.
| Measure | Tract 5502 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 61.5% ±4.4 pts | 64.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% ±2.7 pts | 3.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 86.5% ±4.7 pts | 70.7% |
| Carpooled | 4.9% ±2.0 pts | 9.1% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.3 pts | 0.5% |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.9 pts | 2.2% |
| Worked from home | 7.3% ±4.1 pts | 15.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.6 min ±2.3 | 20.6 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 5502 compare with the other tracts in Grand Traverse County?
Among Grand Traverse County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 5502 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|
| Population | 10th of 23 |
| Residents per square mile | 22nd of 23 |
| Median household income | 11th of 23 |
| Per capita income | 9th of 23 |
| Median home value | 15th of 22 |
| Median gross rent | 9th of 19 |
| Poverty rate | 15th of 16 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15th of 23 |
| Median age | 2nd of 23 |
| Owner-occupied share | 3rd of 23 |
The tracts next to it on Grand Traverse County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5510 | 8th | $91,122±$21,523 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5504.02 | 9th | $89,435±$12,781 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5506.02 | 10th | $88,750±$12,543 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5502 | 11th | $88,152±$7,567 |
| Tract 5501.01 | 12th | $86,101±$11,026 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5504.01 | 13th | $83,352±$17,790 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5503 | 14th | $78,314±$7,136 · 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 5502?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 5502 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