Census Data for Mackinac Island

Population ...

The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave Mackinac Island a population of 472 people.

The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave Mackinac Island a population of 492 people.

The city of Mackinac Island is located in Mackinac County. The 2010 Census gave Mackinac County; a population of 11,113 people. This means that Mackinac Island had 4.43% of the county's total population, making it Mackinac's 2nd most populous community.

At the same time, Michigan had a population of 9,883,640 people.

Area ...

The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for Mackinac Island has a total area of 18.84 square miles [48.8 km²]. Of this total, 4.35 square miles [11.3 km²] is land, with the balance (76.9%) being water (14.49 square miles [37.5 km²]).

Mackinac County has a land area of 1,021 square miles [2,645.9 km²]. At 4.35 square miles [11.3 km²], Mackinac Island has 0.43% of the county's total land area.

• Continue Reading ...
  • When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like Mackinac Island, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
  • Things like population, area and housing for Mackinac Island reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of Mackinac Island might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
  • Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
  • Lat:   45° 51' 22"   (or 45.86°)
  • Lon:   -84° 37' 17"   (or -84.62°)
  • More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).

Mackinac County ...

The city of Mackinac Island is located in Mackinac County<3>.

The county had a population of 11,113 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 492 people, Mackinac Island represented 4.43% of the county's total.

In addition, where the city of Mackinac Island has a population density of 26.11 people per square mile [10.08 people/km²], Mackinac County averages 10.88 people per square mile [4.2 people/km²].

For more information, please visit our Census Page for Mackinac County.

Census-to-Census Observations ...

Introduction ...

When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for Mackinac Island, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of Mackinac Island. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.

• Continue Reading ...
  • Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for Mackinac Island or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
  • If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.

Location ...

While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of Mackinac Island, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for Mackinac Island.

• Continue Reading ...
  • For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
  • Lat:   45.856211°   (or 45°51'22" N)
  • Lon:   -84.621440°   (or -84°37'17" W)
  • For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
  • Lat:   45.854729°   (or 45°51'17" N)
  • Lon:   -84.619623°   (or -84°37'10" W)
  • The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 710 feet to the northwest<4> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
  • The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#1626654) to Mackinac Island. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of Mackinac Island. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
  • Lat:   45.856124°   (or 45°51'22" N)
  • Lon:   -84.621712°   (or -84°37'18" W)
  • The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 76 feet to the northeast<5> of the point given by the GNIS for Mackinac Island. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for Mackinac Island.

Miscellaneous Information for Mackinac Island ...

The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Mackinac County or the city of Mackinac Island:

• The GNIS Codes ...
  • The current system of identification is called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The following GNIS codes relate to Mackinac Island:
  • GNIS ID for Mackinac Island: 1626654
  • GNIS ID for Mackinac County: 1622991
  • GNIS ID for State of Michigan: 1779789

• The FIPS Codes ...
  • An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
  • State Code: 26 (Michigan)
  • County Code: 097 (Mackinac County)
  • Place Code: 50280 (Mackinac Island)
  • State & County Code: 26/097 (Michigan / Mackinac County)
  • State & Place Code: 26/50280 (Michigan / Mackinac Island)

• Misc. Census Codes ...
  • Mackinac Island is located in Census Region #2 (the Midwest Region) and Division #3 (the East North-Central Division).

• The US Postal Service ZIP Code ...
  • While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a city like Mackinac Island, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Mackinac Island. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.
  • The ZIP code for Mackinac Island:49757<6>

• Census ZCTA Codes ...
  • The US Census Bureau created statistical entities that they call ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) and these ZCTAs are frequently confused with the ZIP codes that come from the US Postal Service (USPS).
  • ZCTAs were first created for the 2000 Census and at that time, they were based upon the USPS ZIP codes. While largely covering the same areas, the boundaries of a ZCTA do not necessarily match the boundaries of a postal ZIP code with the same number. For example, while a postal ZIP code can cross a county or state line, a Census ZCTA can not. They should be treated as separate entities with no correlation between them.

For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for Mackinac Island.

Off-the-Road Links ...

The official website for Mackinac Island: www.cityofmi.org/

The official website for State of Michigan: https://www.michigan.gov/

The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau

The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)

The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)