1st Advantage MortgageThe median Barry County household earns $77,500, and 8% of residents live below the poverty line. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Getting oriented in Barry County
- Earnings across Barry County households
- Employment and commuting in Barry County
- What stands out in Barry County
- Housing costs in Barry County
- Nearby counties: income, rent, ownership
- Barry County communities by population
- What a median Barry County budget can carry
- Barry County residents: age, schooling, coverage
- Local borrowing considerations for Barry County
- Licensing and complaints for Barry County
- Checklist for Barry County applicants
- Keep exploring
- Frequently asked questions
Getting oriented in Barry County
Barry County is home to about 63,409 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 32nd most populous of 83 county-level areas in Michigan. It covers 553 square miles of land, or about 115 people per square mile. It is one of the counties that make up the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). The Census Bureau counts 8 places in the county (5 incorporated, 3 census-designated); the largest is Hastings, with about 7,520 residents, or 12% of the county.
Earnings across Barry County households
Barry County households have a median income of $77,500 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 14th of 83 in Michigan.
| Band | Barry County | Compared with Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 19.0% | -4.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 43.5% | +2.0 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 29.9% | +4.0 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 7.6% | -2.0 pts |
About 19% of households earn under $35,000, while 37% clear $100,000. Barry County counts about 5,330 residents below the poverty line, 8.4% of the population. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.447 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $77,500 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
Employment and commuting in Barry County
Manufacturing (25%), education and health care (19%) and retail trade (9%) lead Barry County's job mix. The sharpest difference from the state is in manufacturing, at 25% locally and 18% for Michigan. Unemployment in Barry County, ACS five-year: 4.3%; Michigan: 5.7%. 24% of Barry County workers get to work in under 15 minutes, while 19% need 45 or more. No car: 3.4% of Barry County households.
| Top industries | Barry County share | +/- vs Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 24.7% | +6.5 pts |
| Education and health care | 19.1% | -4.3 pts |
| Retail trade | 9.4% | -1.4 pts |
| Construction | 7.9% | +2.0 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 6.7% | -1.7 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 6.4% | -3.9 pts |
Self-employed in Barry County? Two years of tax returns usually stand in for pay stubs.
What stands out in Barry County
- On households without a vehicle, Barry County sits near the bottom of Michigan at 3.4%, 7th lowest of 83. Nearly every household has a vehicle, so repair costs are a common reason to borrow.
- Barry County ranks 8th lowest of 83 Michigan counties for the poverty rate: 8.4%, against 13.2% statewide. A low poverty rate does not mean every budget has room; test the payment.
- Few Michigan counties match Barry County on homeownership: 87% here, 73% for the state, ranking 9th highest of 83. An owner-heavy county means repairs are a common reason to borrow.
Housing costs in Barry County
Median gross rent, utilities included, comes to $972 in Barry County versus $1,129 statewide. Cost-burdened renters, paying 30%-plus of income: 45% in Barry County, 50% statewide. Median value $264,100; median income $77,500; ratio 3.4. Homeowners 87%, renters 13%. Median construction year: 1976.
| Housing | Barry County | Michigan statewide | Barry County vs state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $972/mo | $1,129/mo | 14% lower |
| Median home value | $264,100 | $231,600 | 14% higher |
| Owners | 87% | 73% | +14.1 pts |
| Rent-burdened renters | 45% | 50% | -5.3 pts |
| Burdened owners | 24% | 23% | +0.4 pts |
| Vacant units | 12% | 12% | +0.1 pts |
Owners with equity have a second option. Weigh a secured line against an unsecured loan by risk as well as cost before you choose (how they compare).
Nearby counties: income, rent, ownership
Distances run center to center, from Eaton County at 24 miles out to Clinton County at 45. Clinton County leads the group on income ($88,210), Calhoun County trails ($63,177), and Barry County out-earns 3 of the six.
| Nearby county | Center to center | Household income | Gross rent | Owner-occupied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County | - | $77,500 | $972/mo | 87% |
| Eaton County, MI | 24 mi | $79,597 | $1,092/mo | 74% |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 26 mi | $72,532 | $1,093/mo | 65% |
| Ionia County, MI | 28 mi | $75,611 | $884/mo | 77% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 28 mi | $63,177 | $968/mo | 73% |
| Kent County, MI | 33 mi | $82,631 | $1,243/mo | 70% |
| Clinton County, MI | 45 mi | $88,210 | $1,092/mo | 82% |
Barry County communities by population
The table lists the 8 largest of 8 Census places in Barry County, by population. Together all 8 hold about 15,813 people, so roughly 75% of residents live outside any named place. Incomes vary by place: $73,625 at the median in Middleville, $56,143 in Nashville. Hastings and every other Barry County community use this county guide.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings | city | 7,520 | $58,286 | $745 | 5 mi |
| Middleville | village | 4,380 | $73,625 | $1,063 | 12 mi |
| Nashville | village | 1,503 | $56,143 | $780 | 11 mi |
| Delton | CDP | 936 | $61,552 | $1,267 | 8 mi |
| Freeport | village | 523 | $66,250 | $779 | 12 mi |
| Woodland | village | 488 | $58,047 | $408 | 14 mi |
| Dowling | CDP | 267 | $90,313 | n/a | 5 mi |
| Hickory Corners | CDP | 196 | $98,397 | n/a | 11 mi |
CDPs are unincorporated communities the Census Bureau defines for counting.
What a median Barry County budget can carry
How much room does a median Barry County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- $77,500 a year is $6,458 of gross monthly income
- Median rent: $972, or 15 cents of every gross dollar
- $1,353: what a 36% ratio leaves once rent is paid
Two-income households and single earners in Barry County land in very different places on this math, so run it for your own budget.
Barry County residents: age, schooling, coverage
Bachelor's degree or higher: 25% of Barry County adults. 5.2% of residents have no health coverage.
| Residents | Barry County | Difference from Michigan | Difference from middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's or higher | 24.9% | -7.5 pts | +2.8 pts |
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | -4.8 pts | -4.8 pts |
| No vehicle | 3.4% | -3.6 pts | -2.0 pts |
| Work from home | 10.5% | -3.0 pts | +1.8 pts |
| Median age | 42.3 | +2.1 yrs | +0.8 yrs |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.3% | -1.4 pts | -0.1 pts |
| No high school diploma | 6.6% | -1.3 pts | n/a |
| No health insurance | 5.2% | +0.3 pts | -2.6 pts |
| One-way commute | Share of Barry County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 24.1% |
| 15 to 29 min | 30.1% |
| 30 to 44 min | 26.7% |
| 45 to 59 min | 12.5% |
| 60+ min | 6.5% |
Local borrowing considerations for Barry County
Based on the Barry County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Commuter costs. 19% drive 45 minutes or more. Compare shop financing with a loan, and keep a small repair fund.
- Renters under pressure. When 45% pay 30% or more for rent, the smallest loan that solves the problem is the right size.
- Advance-fee offers. No legitimate lender asks a Barry County borrower to pay first (scam signs).
Licensing and complaints for Barry County
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is the place to verify any lender's Michigan license. Federal complaints: consumerfinance.gov.
Checklist for Barry County applicants
A short checklist for Barry County borrowers:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Confirm the lender is licensed in Michigan.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Keep exploring
No city in Barry County has its own guide yet; the state page is next up.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Barry County rank on income in Michigan?
14th of 83, with a median of $77,500. The state median is $72,875.
How does Barry County rent compare with Michigan?
$972 locally versus $1,129 for the state, 14% below.
I live near Hastings. Which guide is mine?
This one. Hastings and the rest of Barry County have no separate city guide.
Does living in Barry County change what I qualify for?
Not in our fit check, which uses only the amount, credit range, income and payments you enter, the same for a Barry County resident as anyone. Lenders decide under fair-lending law.
Where can someone in Barry County check a lender's license?
With the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. If a lender is unlicensed or asks for a fee before funding, walk away.