Clare County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 31,252 people, 12,686 households, and 8,753 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 55 people per square mile (21/km²). There were 22,229 housing units at an average density of 39 per square mile (15/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.36% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.33% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.72% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.26% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.01% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.30% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.03% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 24.7% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 13.9% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 13.3% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 9.9% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 5.5% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and 5.3% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.8% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 1.1% German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and 1.0% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 12,686 households out of which 27.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.30% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.00% were non-families. 26.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.89.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.40% under the age of 18, 7.10% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,845, and the median income for a family was $33,934. Males had a median income of $30,032 versus $20,733 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $15,922. About 12.10% of families and 16.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.40% of those under age 18 and 10.70% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts,keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
regulations, and
participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county
board of commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In
Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street
maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Clare County elected officials
- Prosecuting AttorneyProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
: Michelle Ambrozaitis - SheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
: John Wilson - County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Pamela Mayfield
- County TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
: Jenny Beemer-Fritzinger - Drain CommissionerDrain commissionerA drain commissioner is an elected official in counties of the U.S. state of Michigan with a population over 12,000. In counties with a population under 12,000, the statutory duties and responsibilities of the drain commissioner are performed by the county's board of road commissioners.The office...
: Carl Parks - County SurveyorCounty surveyor1. A county surveyor is a public official in many counties of the USA. At the bottom of this page are working "External Links" as at 4 November 2011 to websites of a selection of such County Surveyor's departments. Most of these officials are elected on the partisan ballot to four-year terms...
: Paul A. Lapham - Road Commissioners: Donald Armentrout; Richard Haynak; Tim Haskin
Local attractions and activities
It is in the middle of large state forests. Wildlife are nearby, including bear, deer, eagles, Kirtland's WarblerKirtland's Warbler
Kirtland's Warbler is a small songbird of the New World warbler family , named after Jared P. Kirtland, an Ohio doctor and amateur naturalist. Nearly extinct just 50 years ago, it is well on its way to recovery. It requires large areas of dense young jack pine for its breeding habitat...
s, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include:
- Birding
- Boating
- Fishing.
- Hiking
- Hunting
- Kirtland'a Warbler Habitat and Festival
- Michigan Shore-to-Shore TrailMichigan Shore-to-Shore TrailThe Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail is a long trail that runs between Empire on Lake Michigan and Oscoda on Lake Huron across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is open to horseback riders and hikers but not bicycles.The trail's western end is located within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National...
passes through the area. It runs from EmpireEmpire, MichiganEmpire is a village in Leelanau County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 378 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Empire Township.-Description:...
to OscodaOscoda, MichiganOscoda is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan located on the northern side of the Au Sable River where it enters Lake Huron. The community of Au Sable is on the other side of the river. Oscoda is in Oscoda Township in Iosco County, and not in Oscoda County, which is to the...
, but also to points north and south. It is a 500-mile interconnected system of trails. - Nordic skiing
- ORV and groomed snowmobile trails.
- Paddling (canoe and kayak)
(information as of September 2005)
Townships
- Arthur TownshipArthur Township, MichiganArthur Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 667.-Geography:...
- Franklin TownshipFranklin Township, Clare County, MichiganFranklin Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 809 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
- Freeman TownshipFreeman Township, MichiganFreeman Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,118 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census...
- Frost TownshipFrost Township, MichiganFrost Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,159 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
- Garfield TownshipGarfield Township, Clare County, MichiganGarfield Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Grant TownshipGrant Township, Clare County, MichiganGrant Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,034.- Communities :...
- Greenwood TownshipGreenwood Township, Clare County, MichiganGreenwood Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Hamilton TownshipHamilton Township, Clare County, MichiganHamilton Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,988.-Geography:...
- Hatton TownshipHatton Township, MichiganHatton Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 923 at the 2000 census.- Communities :There are no incorporated municipalities in the township....
- Hayes TownshipHayes Township, Clare County, MichiganHayes Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,916 at the 2000 census.- Communities :* Ash Acres is an unincorporated housing development just north of Harrison at...
- Lincoln TownshipLincoln Township, Clare County, MichiganLincoln Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,758 at the 2000 census.- Communities:* Lake George is an unincorporated community in the northwest part of the township.-Geography:...
- Redding TownshipRedding Township, MichiganRedding Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 526 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Temple is an unincorporated community just off M-61 approximately 12 miles west of Harrison at...
- Sheridan TownshipSheridan Township, Clare County, MichiganSheridan Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,588 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Summerfield TownshipSummerfield Township, Clare County, MichiganSummerfield Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 453 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
- Surrey TownshipSurrey Township, MichiganSurrey Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,555 at the 2000 census. Lake 13 is located in the township.-Geography:...
- Winterfield TownshipWinterfield Township, MichiganWinterfield Township is a civil township of Clare County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 483 at the 2000 census.- Communities :There are no named settlements of note within the township....
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Clare County, Michigan
External links
Official Visitor Information SiteNews from Clare County