14.19% of West Michigan are homeowners with an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000. The demographic data for this selected population of West Michigan has been treated in the key findings.
DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON UPPER-MIDDLE-CLASS HOMEOWNERS IN WEST MICHIGAN
- The percentage of families earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 19%.
- The percentage of married families earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 27.5%.
- Percentage of households earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 14.2%.
- Percentage of non-families earning an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 7.1%.
- Percentage of people earning an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 26.1%.
CALCULATIONS
The following information on salaries was obtained from the demographic data of Grand Rapids due to the unavailability of information specific to West Michigan. This is because the Grand Rapids makes up majority of the population of West Michigan.
- Married families earn an average of $100,588 annually.
- Percentage of families earning annual income of $100,000 to $150,000 is 12.5%.
- Percentage of married families earning annual income of $100,000 to $150,000 is 17.9%.
- Percentage of households earning annual income of $100,000 to $150,000 is 9.5%.
- Percentage of non-families earning annual income of $100,000 to $150,000 is 4.8%.
- Percentage of families earning annual income of $150,000 to $200,000 is 3.8%.
- Percentage of married families earning annual income of $150,000 to $200,000 is 5.7%.
- Percentage of households earning annual income of $150,000 to $200,000 is 2.6%.
- Percentage of married non-families earning annual income of $150,000 to $200,000 is 1%.
- Percentage of families earning annual income of over $200,000 is 2.7%.
- Percentage of married families earning annual income of over $200,000 is 3.9%.
- Percentage of households earning annual income of over $200,000 is 2.1%.
- Percentage of non-families earning annual income of over $200,000 is 1.3%.
Therefore,
• The percentage of families earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is
12.5% + 3.8% + 2.7% = 19%
• The percentage of married families earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is
17.9% + 5.7% + 3.9% = 27.5%
• Percentage of households earning annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is
9.5% + 2.6% + 2.1% = 14.2%
• Percentage of non-families earning an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is
4.8% + 1% + 1.3% = 7.1%
• Percentage of non-families and families (therefore all the people) earning an annual household income of $100,000 to $350,000 is 19% + 7.1% = 26.1%.
HOMEOWNERS
And 26.1% are upper-middle-class.
Then,
26.1% * 54.4% = 14.19%
14.19% of West Michigan are homeowners with an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000.
AVERAGE SIZE OF A FAMILY IN WEST MICHIGAN
Total population of households that are families is 318,659 which is 11.66% of the population of West Michigan. Average people per household is 3 people. Therefore, average size of a family is 3 people per family. MARITAL STATUS OF THE UPPER-MIDDLE-CLASS IN WEST MICHIGAN
Given that for the total population of West Michigan,
- Population of people that have never been married is 25.46%.
- Population of people that are married is 41.88%.
- Population of people that are separated is 0.89%.
- Population of people that are widowed is 4%.
- Population of people that are divorced is 8.33%.
From the data obtained from the Grand Rapids from which we have determined that the percentage of the population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan is 14.19%, it is safe to conclude that the marital status of West Michigan families that are upper-middle-class homeowners is as follows:
If the population of the upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan is 14.19% and 25.46% of this have never been married, then the population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan that have never been married is 25.46 % * 14.19%= 3.61%
- Population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan that are married is
- 41.88 % * 14.19% = 5.9%.
- Population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan that are separated is
- 0.89 % * 14.19% = 0.126%.
- Population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan that are widowed is
- 4 % * 14.19% = 0.57%.
- Population of upper-middle-class homeowners in West Michigan that are divorced is
- 8.33 % * 14.19% = 1.18%
OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE UPPER-MIDDLE-CLASS IN WEST MICHIGAN
From the information obtained from a demographic survey of the Grand Rapids, Michigan which makes up the majority of the population of West Michigan, the occupations of the upper-middle-class homeowners has been compiled.
The occupations of the 14.19% of the population of West Michigan that are homeowners and have an annual household earning of $100,000 to $350,000 are as follows:
- Average annual income of above $250,000: Oral and maxilofacial surgeons (25.1%).
- Average annual income of $200,000 to $250,000: general dentists (10.1%), family and general practitioners (11.3%), psychiatrists (13.9%), physicians and surgeons (9.6%), and chief executive (4.9%).
- Average annual income of $150,000 to $200,000: Nurse anesthetists 7.8%.
- Average annual income of $100,000 to $150,000: Some professionals earning the mention income include optometrists (4.5%), pharmacists (2.7%), general internists (15.4%), obstetricians and gynecologists (19.6%), physicians assistants (5.6%), veterinarians (11.7%), management occupations (1.2%), general and operations manager (2.1%), advertising and promotion manager (15.7%), and marketing manager (3%).
- Other career include sales manager (2.8%), computer and information systems manager (3%), financial manager (1.9%), industrial production manager (2.6%), purchasing manager (2%), transportation, storage and distribution manager (5.9%), compensation and benefits manager (4.2%), human resources manager (2.3%), training and development manager (22.4%), architectural and engineering manager (1.4%), medical and health service manager (4.5%), environment engineers (11.4%), engineering teachers in post secondary level (11.4%),
RELIGION PREFERENCES IN WEST MICHIGAN
This information about the religious beliefs was obtained from the demographic data of Michigan due to the unavailability of information specific to West Michigan. This information is used based on the assumption that the religious distribution of West Michigan would be approximately the same as or comparable to that of West Michigan.
- 70% are in Christian based faiths of which 25% are evangelical protestants, 18% are Mainline protestants, 18% are Catholic, 8% are historical black protestants, 1% are Mormon, and 1% are orthodox Christians.
- 24% are not religious of which 3% are atheists, 3% are agnostic, and 17% identified as nothing in particular.
- 5% are in non-Christian based faiths of which 1% are Jewish, 1% are Muslim, 1% are Buddhist, <1% are Hindu, and <1% are other religions
Research strategy
The request criteria to provide the demographics of West Michigan for homeowners that have an annual income of $100,000 to $350,000 is quite narrow and little information that satisfies the client's requirements is publicly available.
Although we didn't find specific data of the demographics of West Michigan to satisfy the client's request, we were able to triangulate the information requested using data from demographic statistics of The Grand Rapids and Michigan. Since the population of the Grand Rapids, Michigan makes up majority of the population of West Michigan, we considered it satisfactory to use its demographic data to complete some parts of the request.
Firstly, we began our research by searching for surveys, reports and publications on the demographic statistics of West Michigan in government databases like the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, World Population Review, United States Census Bureau, Data USA, Government Data Catalog, Michigan.Gov etc. From these databases, the data that satisfies the request was relating to the demographic statistics of Michigan but not West Michigan. We searched other external trusted websites and databases like Grand Valley State University, American Library Association, Pew Research Center, Infoplease, etc. This didn't produce any results to directly answer the client's question without triangulating the data.
Then we widened our search to find the demographic data for Michigan and major cities in West Michigan that could be considered as majority of the population of West Michigan from which we would triangulate substantial information to satisfy the client's request. We considered demographic data of Michigan too generalized in some cases to be used to triangulate the data for West Michigan. Therefore, we tried obtaining data from demographic studies of major cities in West Michigan in this case the Grand Rapids.
We searched the same databases mentioned earlier and we were able to triangulate information on the religious beliefs of the selected population West Michigan from the demographic data of Michigan because we couldn't find this information for either West Michigan or the selected population. We triangulated the occupational data of the selected population from the demographic data of The Grand Rapids which makes up the majority of the population of West Michigan and therefore a justifiable conclusion. We also triangulated the data on the marital status and population of homeowners from the Grand Rapids. We triangulated information on the average size of the family of the selected population from the demographic data of West Michigan because we couldn't find any data for the specific population requested.
Finally, from our triangulation we were able to generate findings to satisfy the client's request.