Michigan’s Least-Populated Island Only Has 35 Residents

Sometimes it sounds like a great idea to pack everything up and move to one of the islands in the Great Lakes and live off the grid. Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

However, there are islands in the Great Lakes within the Michigan border you could feasibly call home if you can land some property. In total, Michigan has 420 named islands out of the estimated 35,000 in the Great Lakes.

Astonishingly, only 30 are inhabited by year-round residents, and 19 of them are in Lake Erie. Michigan has nine inhabited islands, some of which are in rivers, each with a wide range of populations.

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The most heavily populated is Grosse Isle in the Detroit River with a population of over 10,000.

The least populated is Grand Island in Lake Superior just north of Munising with a population of just 35 as of the 2020 Census.

Surprisingly, with such a small population on an island, Grand Island Township isn't the least-populated municipality. That honor goes to Pointe Aux Barques Township in Huron Country with a total population of 15.

As for Grand Island, most of the actual island is dedicated to the Grand Island National Recreation Area, which covers 13,500 acres of the island. Grand Island Township is 49.1 sq mi by comparison.

To reach the island, you'd need to catch the Grand Island Ferry from Munising to Williams Landing on the island, which is just a 1.5-mile ride. Once you get there, you'll notice the island is void of paved roads and doesn't permit vehicles. Instead, you'll find a camping escape with tons of wilderness to explore.

Fortunately, if you ever find it feasible to call the island home, you'll live a fairly private life. Outside of Census data, there is next to no information about its population.