The 2020 County population estimates were released by the Census Bureau on May 4. Some of the Ottawa County highlights are provided below. Please note that this data is not a 2020 Census release, but part of the Census Population and Housing Unit Estimates program. 2020 Census county population data will be released later this year.
Data release highlights
• Ottawa County is now the 7th most populated county in Michigan, with a 2020 population of 294,635. This is the first time since 2010 that Ottawa has ranked above 8th.
• Ottawa County was the fastest growing county in the State between 2010 and 2020 (11.7% growth).
• Ottawa County was the 2nd fastest growing county in the State between 2019 and 2020 (1.1% growth).
• 47% of Ottawa’s population growth between 2010 and 2020 was the result of a natural increase, meaning there were more births than deaths in the county.
• 53% of Ottawa’s population growth between 2010 and 2020 was the result of a positive net migration, meaning more people moved into the county than moved out of the county.
Additional information can be found on the Planning and Performance Improvement webpage, which includes data for the 10 largest and 10 fastest growing counties in Michigan as well as the above map.