County outline
Where Genesee County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 98.1% of Genesee County’s measured area and water for 1.9%. Its combined area converts to 1,682.4 square kilometers or approximately 415,736 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 636.946 | 1,649.683 | 407,645.4 |
| Water | 12.641 | 32.74 | 8,090.2 |
| Total | 649.587 | 1,682.423 | 415,735.7 |
How Genesee County compares
By original Census land area, Genesee County ranks #33 of 83 in Michigan and #1495 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.122 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 1.1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Genesee County
The Census Bureau estimates that 401,093 people lived in Genesee County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #193 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #5 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 406,207, the population has declined by 5,114 (−1.3%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 636.9 square miles of land, that is 630 people per square mile (243 per km²), placing Genesee County #279 nationally for density and #5 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 405,746 | 404,694 | 401,952 | 401,351 | 401,288 | 401,093 |
| Change | — | −1,052 | −2,742 | −601 | −63 | −195 |
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 Genesee County
Genesee County is divided into 28 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 Flint city, with 79,306 residents (19.8% of the county). The largest by land is Mundy township, at 36 mi², or 5.7% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Fenton charter township grew fastest since then (+3%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint cityCounty seat | 79,306 | −2.4% | 33.4 | 5.3% |
| Grand Blanc charter township | 40,022 | +0.4% | 32.7 | 5.1% |
| Flint charter townshipCounty seat | 30,844 | −2% | 23.1 | 3.6% |
| Burton city | 29,313 | −1.3% | 23.4 | 3.7% |
| Davison township | 20,403 | −0.2% | 33.3 | 5.2% |
| Genesee charter township | 20,266 | −1.7% | 29.1 | 4.6% |
| Mount Morris township | 19,484 | −2.4% | 31.5 | 5% |
| Fenton charter township | 17,408 | +3% | 23.8 | 3.7% |
| Mundy township | 15,468 | +1.1% | 36 | 5.7% |
| Vienna charter township | 13,001 | −2.2% | 35 | 5.5% |
| Fenton city | 11,749 | −1.8% | 6.55 | 1% |
| Flushing charter township | 10,574 | −1.1% | 31.4 | 4.9% |
| Richfield township | 8,941 | −0.5% | 35.1 | 5.5% |
| Atlas township | 8,271 | −0.8% | 35.2 | 5.5% |
| Flushing city | 8,175 | −2.8% | 3.611 | 0.6% |
Show the other 13 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Blanc city | 7,880 | −2.7% | 3.612 |
| Clayton charter township | 7,309 | −1.9% | 34.2 |
| Argentine township | 7,021 | −0.8% | 34.7 |
| Gaines township | 6,610 | −0.8% | 35.1 |
| Thetford township | 6,482 | −2.3% | 34.5 |
| Montrose charter township | 5,896 | −1.7% | 34.2 |
| Swartz Creek city | 5,827 | −1.2% | 4.191 |
| Davison city | 5,039 | −1.9% | 1.986 |
| Forest township | 4,354 | −2.2% | 35.7 |
| Linden city | 4,186 | +1% | 2.355 |
| Mount Morris city | 3,086 | −2.6% | 1.148 |
| Clio city | 2,478 | −2.4% | 1.108 |
| Montrose city | 1,700 | −2.4% | 0.977 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Genesee County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Genesee County is a central county of the Flint, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Genesee County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 636.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #332 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #140 by population. It belongs to the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
34 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Genesee County; 23 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
48411484154841848420484214842348429484304843348436484374843848439484424844948451484574845848460484624846348464484734850248503485044850548506485074850948519485294853248746
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 Genesee County
Genesee County shares a land border with 6 county equivalents. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Oakland County (867.4 mi²) and the smallest is Shiawassee County (531.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Genesee County forms a block of 4,854 mi² of land, of which it holds 13.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Genesee | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County | 867.4 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Tuscola County | 804.9 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Saginaw County | 800.8 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Lapeer County | 647.5 | about the same | Compare |
| Livingston County | 565.3 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
| Shiawassee County | 531.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Genesee County compared with U.S. states?
Genesee County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.6 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 89 areas the size of Genesee County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 25.2 miles (40.6 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 Genesee County?
Genesee County has more land than 1,727 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 Genesee County at #1,580 nationally by total area, 85 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 1.9%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.8 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 Genesee County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1494 | Chicot County, Arkansas | 637 | Compare |
| #1495 | Genesee County, Michigan | 636.9 | This county |
| #1496 | Douglas County, Minnesota | 636.9 | 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 43.021077, -83.706372. 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: 1,649,682,267 m²; AWATER: 32,740,390 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 Genesee County?
Genesee County, Michigan has 636.9 square miles (1,649.7 km²) of land and 12.6 square miles of water, for a total area of 649.6 square miles. It ranks #1495 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Genesee County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Genesee County ranks #33 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Genesee County?
Genesee County shares a land border with Shiawassee County, Lapeer County, Oakland County, Saginaw County, Livingston County, and Tuscola County.
What is the population of Genesee County?
The Census Bureau estimates Genesee County had 401,093 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #193 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 630 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Genesee County?
The county seat of Genesee County is Flint.
What cities and towns are in Genesee County?
Genesee County has 28 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Flint city, Grand Blanc charter township, Flint charter township, Burton city, and Davison township.
Is Genesee County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Flint, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Genesee County?
34 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Genesee County, and 23 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Genesee County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.6 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Genesee County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 407,645 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 415,736 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.