Clare County Community Profile

Clare County has been growing steadily, 215 new households between 2020 and 2024, with 39 more projected by 2029. It is a community with a strong sense of place, but the housing market here is sending a clear signal: what exists isn’t enough, and what little is available moves slowly because it doesn’t match what people need or can afford.

The median household income in Clare County is $46,900, the lowest among the eight counties in Region G. At the same time, median home values sit at $151,214, and available listings are priced at a median of $174,000. That gap between income and home prices is narrower than some other counties, but for households already working with limited resources, it still puts ownership out of reach.

Overcrowding is more common in Clare County than almost anywhere else in the region. Nearly 5% of rental households are overcrowded, a sign that families are doubling up or making do in spaces too small for their needs because alternatives simply don’t exist. More than 40% of renters are cost burdened, and over one in five homeowners is in the same position.

Clare County also has 186 households on rental wait lists, a significant number for a community this size.
Between now and 2029, Clare County needs 415 additional rental units and 1,100 additional for-sale homes. The full county profile breaks down where that need is most concentrated, and what types of homes, at what price points, would actually serve the people who live and work here.