Census tract · Grand Traverse County
Census Tract 5503, Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Census Tract 5503, GEOID 26055550300, in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, partly within Fife Lake Township, Paradise Township, Grant Township, Grand Traverse County, Mayfield Township, Grand Traverse County, Kingsley and Fife Lake. 6,676 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±344); the 2020 Census counted 6,453.
Residents, 2020-2024
6,676
±344 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 6,453
Median household income
$78,314
±$7,136 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $81,647
Median home value
$268,700
±$19,507 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $339,400
Median gross rent
$1,035
±$108 (90% margin)
Grand Traverse County: $1,288
Where is Census Tract 5503?
Census Tract 5503 is one of 24 census tracts in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. It covers 125.69 square miles of land, 51 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26055550300, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Fife Lake Township | 33% |
| Paradise Township | 27% |
| Grant Township, Grand Traverse County | 22% |
| Mayfield Township, Grand Traverse County | 18% |
| Kingsley | 10% |
| Fife Lake | 5% |
9 census tracts border Census Tract 5503: Tract 1.02 in Benzie County ($63,621), Tract 5502 ($88,152), Tract 5504.01 ($83,352), Tract 5505 ($70,944), Tract 5506.02 ($88,750), Tract 5506.03 ($69,777), Tract 9504 in Kalkaska County ($70,887), Tract 3801 in Wexford County ($54,800) and Tract 3802 in Wexford County ($66,014). 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 5503?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 5503's population at 6,676 (±344) in 2,382 households; the 2020 Census counted 6,453 residents and 2,694 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 5503 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 6,676 ±344 | 96,166 |
| Households | 2,382 ±170 | 40,287 |
| Average household size | 2.77 ±0.21 | 2.34 |
| Housing units | 2,867 ±189 | 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 5503?
The median resident of Census Tract 5503 is 40.2 years old; 26.4% are under 18 and 18.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.3%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.7%. 1.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 5503 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.2 ±3.0 | 43.5 |
| Under 18 years | 26.4% ±4.4 pts | 19.4% |
| 65 years and over | 18.9% ±2.8 pts | 22.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.4% ±1.2 pts | 3.4% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 91.3% ±2.3 pts | 90.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.8% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±0.5 pts | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.3 pts | 0.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±1.5 pts | 4.1% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.1% |
| Born outside the United States | 1.7% ±0.8 pts | 2.0% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.9% ±0.9 pts | 2.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 12.2% ±2.6 pts | 6.6% |
| With a disability | 15.7% ±2.6 pts | 12.7% |
| No health insurance coverage | 9.0% ±3.2 pts | 4.3% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.7% ±2.4 pts | 95.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 22.7% ±3.9 pts | 40.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.2% ±1.5 pts | 16.8% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 87.9% ±6.7 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 5503 earn?
Half of the 2,382 households in Census Tract 5503 earn less than $78,314 a year (±$7,136), against $81,647 across Grand Traverse County: 14th highest of the county's 23 tracts with a reliable estimate. 7.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 5503 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,314 ±$7,136 | $81,647 |
| Mean household income | $92,086 ±$6,433 | $105,300 |
| Per capita income | $33,768 ±$3,253 | $45,034 |
| People below the poverty line | 7.9% ±2.5 pts | 9.6% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.1% ±3.5 pts | 14.2% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.3% ±2.1 pts | 7.5% |
| Households with a computer | 96.3% ±1.9 pts | 96.6% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 84.0% ±4.9 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 5503?
Owners occupy 87.4% of Census Tract 5503's occupied homes and renters 12.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $268,700 by its owner (±$19,507). The median renter pays $1,035 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 5503 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $268,700 ±$19,507 | $339,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,035 ±$108 | $1,288 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 15.3% ±11.7 pts | 38.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,368 ±$67 | $1,566 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 87.4% ±5.0 pts | 77.2% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 12.6% ±5.0 pts | 22.8% |
| Housing units | 2,867 ±189 | 47,003 |
| Single-family detached homes | 82.9% ±4.9 pts | 72.5% |
| Mobile homes | 15.1% ±4.8 pts | 6.7% |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.7% ±1.2 pts | 2.0% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.6% ±2.1 pts | 10.4% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.4% ±2.0 pts | 9.9% |
| Households with no vehicle | 2.4% ±1.3 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 5503 get to work?
79.1% of Census Tract 5503's workers drive alone and 10.6% work from home. The average trip to work takes 29.9 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.7%.
| Measure | Tract 5503 | Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.5% ±3.0 pts | 64.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.7% ±3.3 pts | 3.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 79.1% ±4.6 pts | 70.7% |
| Carpooled | 9.6% ±2.4 pts | 9.1% |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% |
| Walked | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 2.2% |
| Worked from home | 10.6% ±3.7 pts | 15.2% |
| Mean travel time to work | 29.9 min ±1.7 | 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 5503 compare with the other tracts in Grand Traverse County?
Among Grand Traverse County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 5503 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Grand Traverse County |
|---|---|
| Population | 1st of 23 |
| Residents per square mile | 23rd of 23 |
| Median household income | 14th of 23 |
| Per capita income | 19th of 23 |
| Median home value | 16th of 22 |
| Median gross rent | 15th of 19 |
| Poverty rate | 10th of 16 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21st of 23 |
| Median age | 17th of 23 |
| Owner-occupied share | 9th of 23 |
The tracts next to it on Grand Traverse County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5502 | 11th | $88,152±$7,567 · within the margin of this tract |
| 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 |
| Tract 5514 | 15th | $73,125±$12,393 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5507.02 | 16th | $72,659±$16,061 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 5505 | 17th | $70,944±$13,484 · 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 5503?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 5503 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