† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupHoughton LakeMichiganUnited States
German25.8%17.7%12.5%
English16.4%10.5%9.5%
Irish11.9%9.9%9.4%
Polish10.1%7.2%2.2%
French5.4%3.0%1.6%
American5.4%4.2%5.3%
Scottish3.7%—1.3%
Italian3.5%4.2%4.8%
Mexican0.8%4.0%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.2%0.5%1.8%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
Houghton Lake
Michigan
United States
Median age
54.8
40.3
39.1
Age 18–24
6.2%
9.2%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
34.5%
18.5%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
Houghton Lake
Michigan
United States
Median household income
$50,305
$72,875
$84,427
Poverty rate
19.0%
13.2%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
15.2%
32.6%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
Houghton Lake
Michigan
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
0.9%
10.4%
22.3%
Religious landscape
Measure
Houghton Lake
Michigan
United States
Catholic
—
14.8%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
12.1%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
60.3%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Houghton Lake, Michigan
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−1.2%
2008
+5.4%
2012
−4.9%
2016
−32.4%
2020
−34.6%
2024
−38.8%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
30.0%Harris994
68.8%Trump2,281
1.2%
R+38.8
R+4.2
R+37.4
3,314
R
32.2%Biden1,022
66.9%Trump2,120
0.9%
R+34.6
R+2.3
R+39.1
3,171
R
31.0%Clinton841
63.4%Trump1,719
5.6%
R+32.4
R+27.5
R+34.5
2,712
R
46.9%Obama1,239
51.8%Romney1,368
1.4%
R+4.9
R+10.3
R+8.7
2,643
D
51.6%Obama1,501
46.2%McCain1,343
2.3%
D+5.4
D+6.6
R+1.8
2,910
R
49.3%Kerry1,435
50.5%Bush1,469
0.2%
R+1.2
—
D+1.3
2,911
Houghton Lake's registered voter base fluctuates between year-round residents and part-time cottage owners, a dynamic that can meaningfully shift precinct-level results in close statewide races.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 5.4 points in 2008 and a Republican high of 38.8 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 4.2 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 38.8 points.
A population of 5,769, a 95% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $50,305 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of South Monroe and Silver Springs.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, Houghton Lake, Michigan voted Republican by 38.8 points (R+38.8), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 3,314 votes cast, 994 went Democratic and 2,281 went Republican.
When did Houghton Lake, Michigan last vote Democratic?
The most recent presidential election in which Houghton Lake, Michigan voted Democratic was 2008.
How many people live in Houghton Lake, Michigan?
Houghton Lake, Michigan has a population of 5,769 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Houghton Lake, Michigan?
Median household income in Houghton Lake, Michigan is $50,305 — below the national median of $80,734. The Michigan state median is $72,875.
What is the political history of Houghton Lake, Michigan?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Houghton Lake, Michigan from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 1 went Democratic and 5 went Republican.
