County outline
Where Delta County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 58.8% of Delta County’s measured area and water for 41.2%. Its combined area converts to 5,157.5 square kilometers or approximately 1,274,452 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,171.094 | 3,033.12 | 749,500.2 |
| Water | 820.238 | 2,124.407 | 524,952.3 |
| Total | 1,991.332 | 5,157.526 | 1,274,452.5 |
How Delta County compares
By original Census land area, Delta County ranks #5 of 83 in Michigan and #526 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 2.062 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 2.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Delta County
The Census Bureau estimates that 36,582 people lived in Delta County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #1,313 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #43 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 36,908, the population has declined by 326 (−0.9%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 1,171.1 square miles of land, that is 31 people per square mile (12 per km²), placing Delta County #1,969 nationally for density and #65 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 20 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 36,877 | 36,839 | 36,814 | 36,820 | 36,713 | 36,582 |
| Change | — | −38 | −25 | +6 | −107 | −131 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Delta County
Delta County is divided into 16 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Escanaba city, with 12,257 residents (33.5% of the county). The largest by land is Nahma township, at 168.1 mi², or 14.4% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Escanaba township grew fastest since then (+0.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escanaba cityCounty seat | 12,257 | −1.3% | 12.7 | 1.1% |
| Gladstone city | 5,189 | −0.8% | 5.066 | 0.4% |
| Wells township | 4,821 | −1% | 39.7 | 3.4% |
| Escanaba townshipCounty seat | 3,552 | +0.7% | 59.6 | 5.1% |
| Ford River township | 2,014 | −0.7% | 64.8 | 5.5% |
| Masonville township | 1,625 | −1.2% | 166.5 | 14.2% |
| Bark River township | 1,585 | −0.9% | 45.6 | 3.9% |
| Brampton township | 1,028 | −0.5% | 23.7 | 2% |
| Garden township | 773 | −0.6% | 159.8 | 13.6% |
| Ensign township | 739 | −1.1% | 58.5 | 5% |
| Baldwin township | 694 | −1% | 83.9 | 7.2% |
| Maple Ridge township | 687 | −0.9% | 108.3 | 9.2% |
| Cornell township | 566 | 0% | 59.8 | 5.1% |
| Nahma township | 460 | −1.3% | 168.1 | 14.4% |
| Bay de Noc township | 297 | −1% | 67.7 | 5.8% |
Show the other 1 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks township | 295 | −0.7% | 47.3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Delta County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Delta County is a central county of the Escanaba, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area. Delta County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,171.1 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #146 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #376 by population.
ZIP codes
13 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Delta County; 9 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
49807498174981849829498354983749854498644987249878498804989449895
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Delta County
Delta County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Marquette County (1,809.1 mi²) and the smallest is Alger County (915 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Delta County forms a block of 6,111.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 19.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Delta | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette County | 1,809.1 | 1.5× larger | Compare |
| Schoolcraft County | 1,171.9 | about the same | Compare |
| Menominee County | 1,044 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Alger County | 915 | 1.3× smaller | Compare |
How big is Delta County compared with U.S. states?
Delta County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1.1 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.7 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). Michigan’s county land could hold about 48 areas the size of Delta County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 34.2 miles (55.1 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Delta County?
Delta County has more land than 2,696 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Delta County at #321 nationally by total area, 205 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 41.2%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 40 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Delta County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #525 | Schoolcraft County, Michigan | 1,171.9 | Compare |
| #526 | Delta County, Michigan | 1,171.1 | This county |
| #527 | Adams County, Colorado | 1,166.8 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 45.805229, -86.901938. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 3,033,120,249 m²; AWATER: 2,124,407,020 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Delta County?
Delta County, Michigan has 1,171.1 square miles (3,033.1 km²) of land and 820.2 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,991.3 square miles. It ranks #526 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Delta County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Delta County ranks #5 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Delta County?
Delta County shares a land border with Schoolcraft County, Menominee County, Alger County, and Marquette County.
What is the population of Delta County?
The Census Bureau estimates Delta County had 36,582 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #1,313 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 31 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Delta County?
The county seat of Delta County is Escanaba.
What cities and towns are in Delta County?
Delta County has 16 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Escanaba city, Gladstone city, Wells township, Escanaba township, and Ford River township.
Is Delta County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Escanaba, MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Delta County?
13 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Delta County, and 9 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Delta County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Delta County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 749,500 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,274,452 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.