The county economy from official statistics, with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Eaton County is a county of Michigan with 109,130 residents. Its economy produced $7,448 million in 2024 (ranked #19 of 83 counties) and had 44,501 jobs with an average annual pay of $60,862 (#11 for pay). The unemployment rate was 3.8% in 2026M09. It is part of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan area (central county).
Eaton County produced about $7,448 million of goods and services in 2024, which is 1.1% of the combined output of the 83 counties of Michigan that BEA reports (about 1.1% of the state's population lives here), and ranks it 19th of 83 on that measure. Per resident that is $68,252, about the same as the state average; the average for all counties of the state taken together is $69,705. In current dollars output grew 4.8% from 2023 to 2024, before adjusting for inflation.
BLS counts 44,501 jobs located in Eaton County on average in 2024, spread over 2,107 employer sites (about 21 jobs per site). That is 0.41 jobs for every resident, above the 0.31 of the typical county in Michigan, which tells you whether the county is a place people mostly commute to for work or a place they commute from. The average annual pay per job was $60,862, 9% below the average of all counties in the state ($60,862 against $66,692). Average pay is total wages divided by jobs, so it is pulled up by high earners and counts part-time jobs as whole jobs; it is not the pay of a typical worker. The number of jobs rose 3.3% from 2023 to 2024.
The three largest private industries are manufacturing (22.6% of private jobs, $77,674 a year on average), retail trade (15.5% of private jobs, $35,495 a year on average), finance and insurance (13.7% of private jobs, $82,593 a year on average). Together they hold 51.8% of private-sector jobs. Among industries with at least 3% of jobs, the best paying is finance and insurance at $82,593 a year, followed by manufacturing ($77,674). The county is specialised in several industries: finance and insurance (2.7 times the US share, 4,836 jobs); manufacturing (2.2 times the US share, 7,983 jobs); transportation and warehousing (2.1 times the US share, 3,996 jobs). A location quotient above 1 means an industry employs a larger share of workers here than in the whole country, so these are the industries where local employers compete hardest for skills. Several of the biggest employers pay well below the county average: retail trade ($35,495), accommodation and food services ($23,000). Jobs there are plentiful but the pay is lower than the headline average suggests.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate in Eaton County was 3.8%, 22% below the average of the state's counties (3.8% against 4.8%). The labour force (people working or looking for work) numbered 52,082. Over the last 12 months it ranged from 3.7% (2026M04) to 4.9% (2026M01); the latest month is preliminary and BLS revises it. These county rates are not seasonally adjusted, so compare the same month across years.
The median household income was $79,597 (ACS 2020–2024), 9% above the state median ($79,597 against $72,875). The guide covers 1 city with this as the main county: Waverly. Open any of them for rent, home values, commuting and climate.
Counties close to Eaton County in output are Midland County, Grand Traverse County, Saint Clair County, Allegan County. Compare their jobs, pay and unemployment on their own pages.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ | Rank among the 83 counties of Michigan ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 109,130 | 19 of 83 |
| GDP 2024 | $7,448 million | 19 of 83 |
| GDP per resident | $68,252 | 12 of 83 |
| Jobs (QCEW 2024) | 44,501 | 17 of 83 |
| Average annual pay | $60,862 | 11 of 83 |
| Job change vs 2023 | +3.3% | 5 of 83 |
| Unemployment rate (lower is better) | 3.8% | 13 of 83 |
| Median household income | $79,597 | 10 of 83 |
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →All cities of MichiganState guide: Michigan
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
Cities of this guide whose main county is Eaton County (and 1 more that extend into it).
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 7,983 | 22.6% | $77,674 | 2.18 |
| Retail trade | 5,476 | 15.5% | $35,495 | 1.23 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,836 | 13.7% | $82,593 | 2.68 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 3,996 | 11.3% | $50,699 | 2.12 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,624 | 10.3% | $23,000 | 0.90 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,514 | 7.1% | $56,887 | 0.39 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,565 | 4.4% | $59,423 | 1.17 |
| Construction | 1,555 | 4.4% | $76,111 | 0.67 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,137 | 3.2% | $48,502 | 0.43 |
| Educational services | 910 | 2.6% | $40,348 | 0.99 |
| Information | 506 | 1.4% | $85,909 | 0.61 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 417 | 1.2% | $45,953 | 1.16 |
| Real estate and rental | 387 | 1.1% | $49,132 | 0.56 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 371 | 1.1% | $19,006 | 0.50 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 42 | 0.1% | $62,033 | 0.25 |
A location quotient above 1 means the industry is more concentrated here than in the US. BLS withholds sectors with too few employers.
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Labour force | 52,082 |
| Employed residents | 50,108 |
| Unemployed residents | 1,974 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% |
| Jobs located in the county (QCEW) | 44,501 |
| Employer sites | 2,107 |
Residents employed and jobs located here differ: many residents commute to other counties.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP 2024 ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Unemployment ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 1,772,259 | $129,920 million | $73,308 | 725,504 | $76,411 | 6.7% |
| Oakland County | 1,279,825 | $143,144 million | $111,847 | 723,862 | $77,917 | 4.7% |
| Macomb County | 879,853 | $54,177 million | $61,575 | 336,295 | $71,046 | 5.5% |
| Kent County | 663,150 | $60,316 million | $90,954 | 415,565 | $62,288 | 3.7% |
| Genesee County | 403,305 | $20,160 million | $49,986 | 133,787 | $55,798 | 5.1% |
| Washtenaw County | 369,822 | $34,592 million | $93,536 | 217,948 | $74,298 | 3.7% |
| Ottawa County | 301,203 | $21,044 million | $69,865 | 131,885 | $59,813 | 3.6% |
| Ingham County | 283,913 | $23,569 million | $83,013 | 155,500 | $68,532 | 4.1% |
| Kalamazoo County | 262,375 | $20,706 million | $78,919 | 120,708 | $65,730 | 4.0% |
| Livingston County | 195,833 | $10,122 million | $51,689 | 64,380 | $57,015 | 4.3% |
| Saginaw County | 188,665 | $11,010 million | $58,355 | 79,478 | $58,049 | 5.1% |
| Muskegon County | 175,961 | $8,392 million | $47,693 | 63,475 | $53,204 | 4.6% |
| Saint Clair County | 160,221 | $7,417 million | $46,295 | 42,283 | $55,695 | 5.2% |
| Jackson County | 160,060 | $9,061 million | $56,607 | 55,945 | $62,139 | 4.5% |
| Monroe County | 155,505 | $8,136 million | $52,322 | 41,159 | $60,516 | 4.3% |
| Berrien County | 153,288 | $9,718 million | $63,399 | 60,626 | $57,009 | 4.2% |
| Calhoun County | 133,778 | $9,107 million | $68,075 | 54,415 | $64,067 | 4.6% |
| Allegan County | 121,456 | $6,699 million | $55,159 | 41,360 | $60,226 | 3.5% |
| Eaton County | 109,130 | $7,448 million | $68,252 | 44,501 | $60,862 | 3.8% |
| Bay County | 103,008 | $4,724 million | $45,861 | 34,112 | $54,617 | 4.8% |
| Lenawee County | 98,415 | $4,239 million | $43,069 | 25,796 | $53,357 | 4.2% |
| Grand Traverse County | 96,166 | $7,470 million | $77,682 | 51,962 | $59,257 | 3.2% |
| Lapeer County | 88,837 | $3,258 million | $36,672 | 21,986 | $51,778 | 5.1% |
| Midland County | 83,757 | $7,779 million | $92,871 | 38,288 | $72,021 | 4.3% |
| Clinton County | 79,626 | $3,168 million | $39,785 | 18,614 | $53,866 | 3.5% |
| Van Buren County | 75,795 | $3,313 million | $43,713 | 21,597 | $51,293 | 4.1% |
| Shiawassee County | 67,991 | $2,377 million | $34,966 | 15,541 | $51,381 | 4.2% |
| Montcalm County | 67,816 | $2,158 million | $31,823 | 16,263 | $47,244 | 3.9% |
| Marquette County | 67,112 | $3,597 million | $53,592 | 26,385 | $54,658 | 4.2% |
| Ionia County | 66,574 | $2,329 million | $34,986 | 18,530 | $48,605 | 3.7% |
| Isabella County | 64,565 | $3,266 million | $50,579 | 26,640 | $50,992 | 4.3% |
| Barry County | 63,409 | $2,346 million | $37,003 | 13,236 | $50,220 | 4.0% |
| Saint Joseph County | 60,969 | $2,875 million | $47,161 | 21,098 | $53,550 | 4.4% |
| Tuscola County | 52,980 | $1,769 million | $33,383 | 12,102 | $50,754 | 4.7% |
| Cass County | 51,520 | $1,897 million | $36,825 | 9,373 | $51,894 | 4.3% |
| Newaygo County | 50,792 | $2,077 million | $40,886 | 11,901 | $49,371 | 4.5% |
| Hillsdale County | 45,654 | $2,202 million | $48,224 | 12,854 | $51,536 | 4.1% |
| Branch County | 45,300 | $1,938 million | $42,791 | 15,240 | $53,639 | 3.6% |
| Gratiot County | 41,385 | $1,982 million | $47,898 | 12,359 | $54,845 | 4.5% |
| Mecosta County | 41,242 | $1,626 million | $39,428 | 12,746 | $45,193 | 4.6% |
| Sanilac County | 40,462 | $1,747 million | $43,176 | 10,437 | $48,626 | 4.6% |
| Houghton County | 37,693 | $1,589 million | $42,153 | 12,124 | $54,867 | 4.2% |
| Delta County | 36,813 | $1,635 million | $44,420 | 13,848 | $47,978 | 4.5% |
| Chippewa County | 36,295 | $1,603 million | $44,164 | 12,793 | $52,748 | 4.3% |
| Emmet County | 34,125 | $2,559 million | $74,990 | 17,742 | $55,435 | 3.8% |
| Wexford County | 34,077 | $1,744 million | $51,164 | 13,163 | $52,377 | 4.7% |
| Clare County | 31,218 | $1,547 million | $49,562 | 7,261 | $47,949 | 5.4% |
| Huron County | 31,113 | $2,158 million | $69,358 | 11,234 | $50,295 | 4.2% |
| Mason County | 29,207 | $1,347 million | $46,128 | 10,186 | $48,523 | 5.0% |
| Alpena County | 28,880 | $1,517 million | $52,540 | 12,191 | $51,642 | 4.5% |
| Oceana County | 26,915 | $833 million | $30,945 | 6,470 | $45,679 | 4.8% |
| Charlevoix County | 26,108 | $1,721 million | $65,908 | 10,983 | $57,950 | 3.6% |
| Dickinson County | 25,954 | $1,762 million | $67,883 | 13,798 | $57,141 | 3.9% |
| Cheboygan County | 25,865 | $912 million | $35,249 | 6,140 | $47,915 | 4.1% |
| Gladwin County | 25,693 | $699 million | $27,189 | 4,593 | $48,143 | 5.3% |
| Otsego County | 25,584 | $1,498 million | $58,549 | 10,703 | $53,154 | 4.0% |
| Manistee County | 25,350 | $1,160 million | $45,770 | 7,281 | $51,233 | 4.6% |
| Iosco County | 25,347 | $1,265 million | $49,907 | 7,724 | $59,332 | 5.5% |
| Antrim County | 24,127 | $855 million | $35,420 | 5,128 | $42,968 | 4.2% |
| Roscommon County | 23,737 | $854 million | $35,966 | 6,429 | $39,799 | 5.5% |
| Menominee County | 23,247 | $971 million | $41,777 | 7,149 | $48,080 | 3.7% |
| Osceola County | 23,227 | $1,111 million | $47,827 | 8,011 | $56,080 | 4.7% |
| Leelanau County | 22,734 | $1,132 million | $49,772 | 6,662 | $48,322 | 3.5% |
| Ogemaw County | 20,885 | $788 million | $37,730 | 6,008 | $42,697 | 5.9% |
| Benzie County | 18,310 | $741 million | $40,455 | 4,882 | $45,619 | 3.9% |
| Kalkaska County | 18,239 | $839 million | $45,981 | 4,860 | $60,400 | 4.3% |
| Missaukee County | 15,207 | $678 million | $44,566 | 4,213 | $46,075 | 4.1% |
| Arenac County | 15,077 | $603 million | $39,972 | 4,077 | $46,876 | 5.3% |
| Gogebic County | 14,319 | $649 million | $45,297 | 5,046 | $48,384 | 5.3% |
| Crawford County | 13,369 | $563 million | $42,083 | 4,105 | $52,174 | 4.9% |
| Presque Isle County | 13,209 | $482 million | $36,501 | 2,595 | $47,344 | 5.9% |
| Lake County | 12,563 | $289 million | $22,998 | 1,721 | $39,827 | 5.6% |
| Iron County | 11,667 | $420 million | $35,958 | 3,410 | $44,921 | 5.8% |
| Mackinac County | 10,957 | $693 million | $63,238 | 4,836 | $48,728 | 3.5% |
| Alcona County | 10,397 | $263 million | $25,313 | 1,494 | $41,519 | 6.3% |
| Montmorency County | 9,516 | $310 million | $32,560 | 2,050 | $41,365 | 5.4% |
| Alger County | 8,762 | $332 million | $37,860 | 2,650 | $49,474 | 4.8% |
| Oscoda County | 8,425 | $283 million | $33,570 | 1,364 | $40,287 | 7.3% |
| Baraga County | 8,191 | $374 million | $45,719 | 2,973 | $51,002 | 4.9% |
| Schoolcraft County | 8,128 | $360 million | $44,308 | 2,702 | $49,979 | 5.2% |
| Luce County | 6,271 | $210 million | $33,461 | 1,786 | $47,825 | 5.2% |
| Ontonagon County | 5,850 | $169 million | $28,923 | 1,338 | $35,632 | 5.2% |
| Keweenaw County | 2,133 | $77 million | $35,904 | 478 | $35,549 | 4.8% |
109,130 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024).
$7,448 million in 2024 (BEA, current dollars).
3.8% in 2026M09 (BLS, not seasonally adjusted; the latest month may be revised).
44,501 jobs on average in 2024 with an average annual pay of $60,862 (BLS QCEW).