Latino communities are shaping Michigan’s future

Latino communities are an increasingly important part of Michigan’s future. While Latinos make up a smaller share of Michigan’s population than they do nationally, their numbers have increased rapidly over the past decade, expanding their presence in communities across the state. From Detroit and Grand Rapids to Holland and rural communities across western Michigan, Latino families are putting down roots and helping shape the state’s demographic and economic future.

These demographic shifts matter for more than just population trends. As Michigan confronts an aging population, workforce needs, and broader economic change, the well-being and economic mobility of Latino communities will be increasingly critical for the state’s long-term growth and competitiveness.

At the same time, growth does not automatically translate into broad-based opportunity. Many Latino communities continue to face challenges and barriers related to income, housing, education, health access, and environmental conditions that can constrain economic mobility and quality of life.

Latino communities have been part of Michigan’s economy and civic fabric for generations, with roots in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation. What is changing today is the scale and geographic reach of these communities and their importance to Michigan’s future.

This report examines how Latino communities across Michigan are faring across key dimensions of well-being, including economic opportunity, education, housing, health, environmental conditions, and entrepreneurship. It also identifies opportunities to ensure that Michigan’s growth translates into greater economic security and prosperity for Latino families and the state as a whole.

Latino population growth is reshaping communities across Michigan

Michigan’s Latino population has grown considerably over the past decade and is becoming increasingly visible across the state. According to the 2024 American Community Survey (ACS), nearly 600,000 Michiganders are Latino, representing 5.9% of the statewide population (Figure 1). While Latinos make up a smaller share of Michigan’s population than they do nationally, they are among the fastest-growing demographic groups in the state.

Michigan’s Latino population is concentrated in the state’s largest urban centers (including Detroit and Grand Rapids), while also maintaining a strong presence in suburban and rural communities. According to the ACS, Detroit is home to more than 53,000 Latino residents, and Grand Rapids is home to more than 32,000. At the same time, communities such as Holland and Oceana County have Latino population shares that far exceed the statewide average. Many of these communities also have younger populations, higher shares of foreign-born residents, and faster rates of population growth than Michigan overall.

These findings are consistent with previous research showing that Michigan’s Latino population is distributed across both metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties. Wayne, Kent, and Oakland counties are home to the state’s largest Latino populations by number of residents, while Oceana, Van Buren, Kent, Ottawa, and Lake counties have some of the highest Latino population shares. Together, these patterns demonstrate that Latino communities are helping shape Michigan’s urban, suburban, and rural regions.

Latino communities have shaped Michigan’s economy and civic life for generations

Although Latinos are often discussed as a newer population in Michigan, these communities have deep roots in the state stretching back more than a century. Historians trace the first significant Mexican migration to Michigan to around 1915, when workers from Texas and Mexico were recruited to labor in the state’s expanding sugar beet industry. Others found employment on the railroads and, over time, in Michigan’s growing manufacturing sector.

During the 1910s and 1920s, Latino communities became established in places such as Detroit, Saginaw, Grand Rapids, and other parts of the state. Many workers initially migrated seasonally, moving between agricultural work and industrial employment as opportunities changed. Over time, increasing numbers of families settled permanently, establishing churches, mutual aid societies, businesses, and other community institutions that strengthened community life across Michigan.

Like many immigrant communities, Michigan’s Latino population experienced significant hardship during the Great Depression. Economic collapse, discrimination, and repatriation campaigns led thousands of Mexican residents to leave the state, disrupting communities that had already taken root. Despite these setbacks, many families remained or later returned, rebuilding their communities as labor demand increased during and after World War II.

The postwar decades initiated another important chapter in Michigan’s Latino history. The Bracero Program and other labor recruitment efforts expanded Mexican migration to the state, while Puerto Rican migration also increased as workers were recruited for Michigan’s agricultural and industrial sectors. In communities such as Grand Rapids and across western Michigan, many Latino families moved between seasonal agricultural work and year-round manufacturing jobs, creating communities that bridged both rural and urban economies.

By the 1960s and 1970s, Latino communities had become well established across Michigan. Organizations such as mutual aid societies and grassroots community organizations helped families access housing, employment, and social services, while also advocating for migrant workers and expanding educational and economic opportunities. Neighborhoods such as Detroit’s Mexicantown, Grand Rapids’ Roosevelt Park, and Adrian’s Sunnyside became enduring centers of community life, reflecting the growing permanence of Latino communities across both Michigan’s largest cities and its smaller industrial and agricultural communities.

Today, these communities reflect more than a century of Latino history in Michigan and provide an important foundation for understanding the demographic and economic changes underway across the state.

Strong economic participation has not always translated into economic security

Latino workers are a growing part of Michigan’s labor force, with particularly large numbers working in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, education and health services, and professional and service occupations. As Michigan’s workforce ages, this growing labor force can help employers meet workforce needs across the state.

Yet strong economic participation has not always translated into economic security. According to 2024 ACS data, majority-Latino neighborhoods experience poverty rates nearly three times higher than the statewide average, and unemployment rates are nearly twice as high (Figure 1). Despite lower unemployment levels than observed statewide, communities with a plurality of Latino residents still experience elevated poverty rates.

Housing affordability also remains a challenge. Rent burden rates—defined as households spending at least 30% of their income on housing—are higher in many Latino communities than statewide averages. Lower median household incomes, lower homeownership rates, and lower median home values further limit opportunities for families to build wealth over time. In many majority-Latino communities, median home values are roughly half the statewide median.

These gaps are especially relevant as new investment creates the potential for jobs, business development, housing, and wealth creation in communities across Michigan. In Detroit, for example, recent Brookings research has documented a significant wave of public and private investment and its potential to benefit existing residents. Connecting Latino workers, entrepreneurs, and families to the economic activity these investments generate can strengthen economic mobility and help ensure they benefit from Detroit’s resurgence.

A young and growing population underscores the importance of educational opportunity

Michigan’s Latino population is significantly younger than the state overall (Table 1), making educational opportunity central to both individual economic mobility and the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. As Michigan’s workforce ages and employers seek the next generation of workers, Latino youth will play an increasingly important role in filling labor needs, strengthening communities, and driving the state’s future economy.

Communities with larger Latino populations are disproportionately located in areas where educational attainment trails statewide averages. In several majority-Latino communities, high school completion and bachelor’s degree attainment remain below Michigan’s overall rate, reflecting long-standing differences in access to educational and economic opportunity rather than the potential of today’s students.

Closing these gaps represents an important opportunity for the state. Higher levels of educational attainment are often associated with stronger earnings, greater workforce participation, and increased wealth-building over time, though disparities still persist. Expanding access to high-quality schools, affordable postsecondary education, workforce training, and student support services can help ensure that Michigan’s growing Latino population is well positioned to contribute to the state’s future prosperity.

Many Latino communities also include higher shares of residents with limited English proficiency, underscoring the importance of ensuring that schools, workforce programs, and public services are accessible to all families. Reducing language barriers can help more students and families fully participate in educational opportunities and strengthen connections between schools, communities, and employers.

Access to health care and basic needs remains uneven across communities

Healthy communities are essential to Michigan’s long-term economic vitality. As Latino workers and families become an increasingly important part of the state’s workforce and communities, ensuring access to affordable health care and basic needs will benefit both individual well-being and Michigan’s broader economy.

While health outcomes vary across Michigan, many Latino communities continue to face challenges accessing affordable health coverage and meeting basic needs, including food security (Figure 3). Health insurance coverage rates are lower in many majority-Latino communities than statewide averages, while households in many Latino communities are more likely to rely on food assistance programs, reflecting the broader economic pressures facing many working families.

Health and economic security are closely connected. Expanding access to affordable health care, preventive services, and nutrition assistance can improve health outcomes while strengthening workforce participation, reducing financial hardship, and supporting long-term economic mobility. As Michigan’s Latino population continues to grow, these investments will help build healthier communities, a stronger workforce, and a more prosperous state.

Environmental conditions shape health and economic opportunity

Healthy environments support healthy people, productive workers, and thriving communities. As Michigan looks to strengthen its long-term economic competitiveness, ensuring that all communities have access to clean air, safe neighborhoods, and resilient infrastructure will be increasingly important.

Many Latino communities in Michigan are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards and industrial risks (Figure 4). Compared to statewide averages, majority-Latino communities and communities with large Latino populations are more likely to be located near hazardous waste facilities, toxic release sites, and other environmentally burdensome infrastructure, including Superfund sites and industrial sites regulated under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Risk Management Program.

Many Latino communities in Michigan also experience higher concentrations of fine particulate air pollution and greater exposure to toxic chemical releases than the state overall. Together, these indicators underscore the importance of considering environmental quality alongside economic and health outcomes. These findings mirror broader national research showing that Latino communities are more likely to experience environmental hazards and pollution burdens.

Reducing exposure to pollution and investing in cleaner, healthier communities can improve public health while supporting broader economic opportunity. Expanding environmental remediation, strengthening environmental protections, and investing in resilient infrastructure can help ensure that all Michigan communities have the opportunity to thrive. As Michigan looks to build a healthier and more competitive future, addressing environmental disparities will benefit not only Latino communities, but also the state’s workforce, economy, and long-term prosperity.

Latino entrepreneurs are driving economic growth across Michigan

Latino entrepreneurs are an important driver of Michigan’s small business economy. According to the 2023 Annual Business Survey (ABS), Michigan is home to 3,256 Latino-owned employer businesses, which employ more than 36,000 workers and generate over $8.17 billion in annual revenue. In addition, more than 32,000 Latino-owned non-employer businesses operate across the state, reflecting a robust pipeline of entrepreneurship (Figure 4).

According to the 2023 ABS, Michigan’s Latino-owned businesses operate across a broad range of industries, including construction, transportation and warehousing, retail trade, accommodation and food services, administrative services, and manufacturing. They contribute to job creation, expand consumer choice, and support commercial corridors in communities ranging from Detroit and Grand Rapids to smaller cities and rural areas.

Many Latino-owned firms, however, remain concentrated in industries that are particularly sensitive to economic volatility, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and changing federal policies. At the same time, entrepreneurs often face barriers accessing capital, technical assistance, procurement opportunities, and the resources needed to grow from non-employer firms into larger employer businesses.

Expanding access to financing, business development services, procurement opportunities, and entrepreneurial support can help more Latino-owned businesses start, grow, and scale. As Michigan seeks to strengthen its innovation, job creation, and long-term economic competitiveness, investing in Latino entrepreneurship represents an important opportunity to support both local communities and the state’s broader economy.

Investing in Michigan’s shared future

Michigan’s Latino communities are helping shape the state’s economy, workforce, and long-term demographic future. As one of Michigan’s fastest-growing populations, their continued success will play an increasingly important role in the state’s economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness.

Realizing that opportunity will require coordinated action across all levels of government. The findings in this report point to several areas where targeted investments can expand opportunity, strengthen economic mobility, and support long-term competitiveness. Potential policy opportunities include:

On the federal level:

• Expand access to affordable housing, homeownership opportunities, workforce development, and small business capital programs.
• Expand support for minority-owned businesses through procurement, technical assistance, community lending initiatives, and access to capital.
• Protect and strengthen access to affordable health coverage and nutrition assistance programs that many working families rely on.
• Pursue stable, functional, and predictable immigration policies that reduce uncertainty for workers, families, employers, and small businesses.
• Strengthen language-access requirements and outreach across federal programs and services.

On the state level:

• Increase investments in early childhood education, K-12 education, bilingual education, workforce training, and pathways to higher education.
• Expand support for first-time homebuyers and affordable housing development in high-cost and fast-growing communities.
• Ensure that major public and private investments create pathways to quality jobs, small business participation, and wealth-building opportunities for existing residents.
• Improve transportation, environmental remediation, and infrastructure investments that promote healthier, more resilient communities.
• Expand language access and culturally responsive outreach across state agencies and public services.

On the local level:

• Support commercial corridors and Latino-owned small businesses through technical assistance, permitting support, and corridor investment.
• Strengthen partnerships among local governments, schools, employers, and community organizations.
• Expand community health outreach, language access services, and neighborhood-based resource navigation.
• Invest in safe housing, public spaces, parks, and environmental improvements that enhance quality of life.
• Ensure that neighborhood revitalization and economic development initiatives create opportunities for existing residents through local hiring, small business participation, workforce development, and homeownership.
• Increase Latino representation on local economic development organizations, planning commissions, workforce boards, and other advisory bodies that shape community investment and growth.

Conclusion

Michigan’s future will be shaped not only by economic policy, but also by its ability to invest in the people and communities driving the state’s growth. Latino communities have been part of Michigan’s history for generations and are playing an increasingly important role in its future as workers, entrepreneurs, students, homeowners, and civic leaders.

The findings in this report suggest that expanding opportunity is not simply about addressing disparities; it is an investment in Michigan’s long-term prosperity. Ensuring that Latino communities can succeed will strengthen the state’s workforce, support business creation, foster healthier communities, and build greater economic resilience.

As Michigan plans for the decades ahead, the success of Latino communities will become increasingly intertwined with the success of the state as a whole. Investing in the next generation of Michigan’s workers, entrepreneurs, and families is ultimately an investment in Michigan’s future.