Data Shows Latest in Oakland County's Births and Deaths

Data Shows Latest in Oakland County’s Births and Deaths

(Kurt Metzger, Feb. 9, 2026)

Oakland County, MI – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has recently produced 2025 provisional birth and death statistics for Michigan and its counties.

Due to the importance of “natural increase” (births – deaths) to our population growth, I wanted to take a quick look at what 2025 tells us, historical trends.

The first chart looks at Oakland County births over the last 45 years.

2025’s total of 12,638 births represents an increase of 405 births over 2024’s total, and the highest total since 2021. However, when you track historical trends, you find that births hit high points (17,000+ births) around 1960 (baby boom when Oakland’s population was much lower than today), and again in 1990.

Since 2010, births have settled into a stable range between 12,000 and 13,500.

Chart 2 looks at Oakland County deaths over the same period.

Deaths increased by 308 between 2024 and 2025 to a total of 11,469.

This represents the historically highest annual death total outside the COVID years of 2020, 2021 and 2022. It also fits into the existing trend of increasing deaths accompanying an aging population.

Finally, Chart 3 puts births and deaths together and looks at how they are driving “natural increase.” Remember, a geographic entity (state, county, city, neighborhood) grows when more people move in than move out, and when more individuals are born than die.

1990’s high birth number resulted in over 9,000 individuals being added to the county’s population. That number was down to just over 2,000 in 2019 and then flipped negative in 2020. While we have slowly dug ourselves out of that hole since, birth and death trends will continue to add little to the overall population. Growth will require in- migration from other states and abroad.

For more stories about the Census and other interesting numbers, visit the Data-Based Stories Archives on Oakland County Times. Thanks to Data Expert Kurt Metzger for this work!