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Livingston County, MI · Google Ads Management
Reach Livingston County's Higher-Income Households With Google Ads
Livingston County is a high-income market. We build and run Google Ads campaigns for Livingston County businesses on a flat monthly fee with no contract. This page lays out what public data says about the field you would be bidding in.
The market in numbers
Livingston County at a Glance: Competition, Growth and Demand
Ad Competition Index
68.1/ 100
Rank 290 of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and also 116 of the 400 markets we cover. More local businesses chasing the same searches pushes the score up. How the score works
We rate every U.S. county-equivalent with 20,000 or more residents on how many ad-heavy local businesses (lawyers, dentists, contractors, agents and similar) compete for the same customers. Livingston County scores 68.1, which is more crowded than most.
Two things stand out: Livingston County is a high-income county, and it is also a county where many residents live outside any city or town. The eight measures below show how it compares with every other county.
- Population movement since 2020 +1.5% More growth than 59% of counties
- Median income per household (2023 est.) $103,737 Higher than 95% of counties
- Local advertisers' business locations per 10,000 residents 44.3 Heavier than 79% of counties
- Growth in those businesses, 2017 to 2022 +8.1% More growth than 61% of counties
- Share of them that employ 20 or more people 3.9% Greater share than 69% of counties
- New-home permits in 2025, per 10,000 people 27 Quieter building than 51% of counties
- Permits so far in 2026 against the same months in 2025 +24% Stronger than 75% of counties
- Share of residents in unincorporated areas 88% Bigger share than 95% of counties
Each bar sets Livingston County among all 1,822 U.S. counties with 20,000 or more residents. Data from: Census Bureau population estimates, County Business Patterns (2017 and 2022), Census income estimates and the Building Permits Survey.
What shapes the market
What Livingston County's Higher Incomes Mean for Your Ads
Livingston County is an affluent market by U.S. standards: a median household income of $103,737 puts it above 95% of counties. Affluent customers tend to research before they call, so the ad is only the first step; the page behind it has to earn trust quickly.
Livingston County has 196,757 residents, which ranks 354th of 3,143 U.S. counties, with population change of +1.5% since the 2020 Census.
The biggest places in Livingston County are Howell (10,008), Brighton (7,958), Fowlerville (2,931), Pinckney (2,353) and Fenton (0). Some of these cities extend into neighboring counties, so the figures are the portion inside this county. We target by city, ZIP code or a radius around your location, so a business on one side of the county is not paying for clicks from the other.
88% of residents (173,507 people) live outside any incorporated place. Radius and ZIP targeting reach them where city-only targeting would not.
Who else is in the auction
Which Livingston County Categories Are Most Crowded, and Which Have Room
We divide each category's employer locations by population, then compare the result with the median county. A 2.0x reading means twice as many locations per resident as a typical county.
Business typeEmployer locationsDensity vs. a typical countyShift, 2017 to 2022Locations with 20+ employees
Residential remodelersBusiest 119 +16.7% 4
Landscaping services 124 +17% 0
Roofing contractors 18 +5.9% 3
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors 94 +4.4% 5
Real estate agents and brokersQuickest growth 71 +20.3% 0
Insurance agencies and brokerages 102 +10.9% 4
Dentists 77 +6.9% 7
Electrical contractorsLargest operators 62 -7.5% 6
Law offices 61 -6.2% 0
Physicians officesLeast crowded 85 +14.9% 5
Accounting and CPA firms 25 -7.4% 0
General automotive repair 33 -5.7% 0
Crowding compares employer locations per 10,000 residents with the median U.S. county of 20,000+ residents (1.0x is typical; the dark tick marks it). Counts are establishments from County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), not a count of active advertisers. See the method
In Livingston County, the residential remodelers category is the most crowded, with 119 locations at 2.0 times the typical density; the count is up 16.7% since 2017. Landscaping services (124 locations, 1.9x) and plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors (94 locations, 1.5x) also sit above a normal county.
Real estate agents and brokers grew fastest, up 20.3% since 2017 to 71 locations. Electrical contractors went the other way, down 7.5% to 62 locations.
The figures show the competition, not click prices. Click costs come from keywords, ad quality, landing pages and timing, so a crowded category calls for careful planning and a quiet one is an opening, not a quote.
New construction
Livingston County Housing Permits Since 2022: Down From the High, Turning Up This Year
New homes authorized by building permits. Data: the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (county annual files, and the year-to-date bars compare the same months each year). A permit is an authorization, not a finished home.
Livingston County authorized 1,145 housing units in 2022 and 531 in 2025, about 54% fewer; 2025 still works out to 27 units per 10,000 residents, less than in 51% of counties. For January through August, permits are running at 403 against 325 a year earlier (+24%).
In Livingston County, the construction-linked categories already busiest are residential remodelers (2.0x typical) and landscaping services (1.9x typical). New households need contractors, insurers, agents and providers, so categories tied to construction feel a swing in permits first. If you are in one of them, a shift in permits is worth acting on before the busy stretch begins.
Markets like this one
Which Markets Look Most Like Livingston County?
We matched Livingston County to the six markets in our 400-market set that look most like it on population, income, growth, construction and how crowded local advertising is.
| Market | ACI | Residents | Growth since 2020 | Ad-business change since 2017 | Permits per 10k, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Livingston County, MI (this market) | 68.1 | 196,757 | +1.5% | +8.1% | 27 |
| Harford County, MD | 66.7 | 264,644 | +1.4% | +0.2% | 22.5 |
| El Dorado County, CA | 75.8 | 192,215 | +0.5% | +12.5% | 20.2 |
| Dutchess County, NY | 71.1 | 297,150 | 0% | -2% | 19.3 |
| Saratoga County, NY | 58.4 | 238,711 | +1.4% | +0.9% | 36.9 |
| Ulster County, NY | 70.7 | 182,333 | +0.3% | +7% | 33.1 |
| Gloucester County, NJ | 56.9 | 308,423 | +2% | +4.4% | 32.4 |
Look-alikes are the six counties in our 400-market set closest to this one on size, income, growth, construction and ad-business density. Sources as above.
Harford County, MD is the closest match, scoring 66.7 against Livingston County's 68.1. Gloucester County, NJ is the furthest from it, scoring 56.9. Dutchess County, NY's ad-heavy business base changed −2% over the period against +8.1% in Livingston County. If you already advertise in one of these markets, the comparison tells you how similar the competitive field is, not what your results will be.
Where the customers are
The Largest Places in Livingston County
These are the largest places in Livingston County by resident count. You can aim a campaign at any of these places, or at ZIP codes and a radius around your location.
| Place | Population (2023 estimate) | Slice of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Howell | 10,008 | 5% |
| Brighton | 7,958 | 4% |
| Fowlerville | 2,931 | 1% |
| Pinckney | 2,353 | 1% |
| Fenton (part) | 0 | 0% |
Source: the Census Bureau's Population Estimates. Places are cities, towns and census-designated places; where a city runs into a neighboring county, only the part inside Livingston County is counted.
Run your own numbers
Is Google Ads Worth It for Your Livingston County Business? Run the Numbers
Each business has a different break-even. Type in what a new customer is worth to you and how many leads become customers, and you will see the highest cost per lead you can afford, how many customers pay for your month, and how your expected cost per lead stacks up.
The process
Our Google Ads Process in Livingston County
Build
We set up your campaign with the groundwork done properly: conversion-ready landing pages, keywords, ads, ad extensions and call and form tracking.
Launch and learn
When the campaign goes live we watch it closely and adjust, cutting wasted clicks with negative keywords, adjusting bids and improving lead quality.
Grow the winners
We concentrate on the ad groups that deliver and test broader keywords to build on the calls you already get.
Keep getting better
We keep refining the account and reduce your monthly management fee as your account grows, so your return keeps rising.
Beyond Google Search
Google, Facebook, Instagram and Bing Ads for Livingston County Businesses
Facebook and Instagram Ads
Social ads on Facebook and Instagram, built in Meta's platform, that put you in front of Livingston County people before they go looking.
Bing Ads
Reach searchers who use Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft's partner network instead of Google.
Pay-per-click, paid search and paid social
Paid ads, PPC, pay-per-click, Google Ads, Facebook ads, Instagram ads: it is one service, you pay per click, and we run it for Livingston County businesses on a flat plan.
Google Ads generally goes first since people searching are ready to act; Facebook, Instagram and Bing come next. Whatever mix you choose, one account manager handles it all.
What it costs
Livingston County Google Ads Management Plans and Pricing
Flat monthly management, no contracts, set by the number of platforms we manage. Ad spend is billed by the platform, separate from our fee. Planning a budget above $10K a month? Talk to us.
FAQ
Livingston County Google Ads Management: Your Questions Answered
What are your Google Ads management fees in Livingston County?
We bill management as one flat monthly fee, $895 for one platform, $1,595 for two and $2,295 for three, and it does not change with the size of your ad budget. Ad spend is paid to the platform, and you can cancel anytime.
How much should I spend on ads in Livingston County?
Start from your own economics rather than a rule of thumb: the calculator above takes your profit per new customer and close rate and returns the most you can pay per lead. In Livingston County, residential remodelers (2.0x) and landscaping services (1.9x) are denser than a typical county, so if you are in one of those categories plan for a busier auction. We agree on a budget with you before launch and scale it as results come in.
Is Livingston County a competitive market for Google Ads?
More than most. Livingston County scores 68.1 on our Ad Competition Index, ranking 290th of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and 116th of the 400 markets we cover. Residential remodelers leads on density, at 2.0 times the typical county. That is no reason to skip ads; it raises the stakes on targeting and landing pages.
What kinds of local businesses advertise most in Livingston County?
Across the twelve ad-heavy categories we track, the largest by employer locations in Livingston County are landscaping services (124), residential remodelers (119) and insurance agencies and brokerages (102). Measured against a typical county, the most crowded are residential remodelers (2.0x) and landscaping services (1.9x). A large or crowded category does not settle whether ads will work for you; it only shows how many other businesses could be bidding on the same searches.
How soon will I get calls from Google Ads in Livingston County?
There is no single answer. A few accounts get calls on day one; the rest need two to four weeks of tuning, especially in busy categories like residential remodelers. At the start we look at which searches triggered your ads and cut the ones that do not fit your business.
Is Livingston County growing, and does that matter for Google Ads?
Livingston County has 196,757 residents, +1.5% since the 2020 Census, and 531 housing units were permitted in 2025 (27 per 10,000 residents). With little population change, new customers are mostly people who already have a provider and must be given a reason to switch. Whichever way it goes, ads reach the people who are searching today, which is why we watch these trends when we set budgets.
Can you target only the parts of Livingston County I serve?
Yes. We can target by city (Howell, Brighton, Fowlerville, Pinckney and others), by ZIP code or by a radius around your location. Roughly 88% of residents live outside any incorporated place, and radius targeting is frequently how we reach them.
Is it only Google, or do you manage Facebook and Instagram ads too?
Yes. Beyond Google Ads, we manage Bing ads and Meta ads, which run on Facebook and Instagram. Google tends to be the first platform because searchers are ready to act; Bing adds a second search audience and Facebook and Instagram let you reach people before they search. The fee depends on how many platforms you run: $895, $1,595 or $2,295 a month.
Do you require a contract, and how will I track results?
No contract, and you can cancel anytime. One dedicated account manager runs your account, and each month you see the calls, forms and sales it produced.
Nearby
Outside Livingston County: The Closest Counties
For customers outside Livingston County, here are the nearest counties, measured center to center:
- Ingham County, MI: around 24 miles away, 284,637 people, index score 45.8
- Washtenaw County, MI: roughly 24 miles from here, 365,536 residents, competition index 47.1
- Shiawassee County, MI: around 27 miles away, 68,025 people, Ad Competition Index 39.8
- Oakland County, MI: around 27 miles out, 1,270,426 residents, index score 71.5
- Genesee County, MI: around 31 miles away, 401,522 residents, index score 46.2
- Jackson County, MI: around 36 miles from here, 159,424 residents, competition index 36.3
About this page
The Data Behind This Livingston County Page
The numbers on this page are drawn from public U.S. Census Bureau data, computed the same way for every county, so you can compare Livingston County with any other market. Client account data is not used, and we do not publish campaign results, since results vary by business.
- UpdatedOctober 16, 2026
- Data sourcesCensus population estimates (2023), County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), income estimates from the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program (2023), the Building Permits Survey (2021 to 2026 year to date), Census Gazetteer files.
- MethodologyThe Ad Competition Index and every other figure here are defined on the methodology page. Compare all markets in the index.
- Report a mistakeNoticed a mistake? Email hello@getphound.com and we will check it against the Census source.
Get in Touch
Ready to Grow Your Livingston County Business With Google Ads?
Share what you sell and where in Livingston County you want customers. We will build a plan around your budget. Call 610-825-4363 or write to hello@getphound.com and we will set up a strategy session with our CEO.