Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Air Service
- The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport.
Interstates
I-94Interstate 94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
I-94 Business Loop
US highways
US-131U.S. Route 131US Highway 131 is a north–south United States Highway, of which all but 0.67 miles of its 266.82 miles are within the state of Michigan. The highway starts in rural Indiana south of the state line as a state road connection to the Indiana Toll Road...-
BUS US 131
Michigan State Trunklines
M-43M-43 (Michigan highway)M-43 is a state trunkline highway in southwestern and central parts of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from South Haven to Webberville along an indirect path through both rural areas and larger cities...
M-89M-89 (Michigan highway)M-89 is an east–west state highway in the US state of Michigan. It runs from near Ganges Township to Battle Creek. M-89 passes through Allegan County, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and Calhoun County. It also briefly crosses the southwest corner of Barry County.-Route description:M-89 begins...
M-96M-96 (Michigan highway)M-96 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan that runs between Kalamazoo and Marshall. Its termini are both on business loops of Interstate 94 ; the eastern one coincides with an intersection with I-69...
Intercounty Highways
-
A-45
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 238,603 people, 93,479 households, and 57,956 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 425 people per square mile (164/km²). There were 99,250 housing units at an average density of 177 per square mile (68/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.57% 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...
, 9.73% 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...
, 0.41% 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...
, 1.83% 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...
, 0.03% 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...
, 1.27% 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 2.15% from two or more races. 2.64% 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. 18.3% 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....
, 11.5% Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
, 10.3% 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...
, 8.4% 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...
and 7.2% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.7% 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...
and 2.8% 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 93,479 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% 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, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 15.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $42,022, and the median income for a family was $53,953. Males had a median income of $39,611 versus $27,965 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 $21,739. About 6.50% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The county government operates the jail, provides law enforcement in unincorporated areas, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public healthPublic 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 — fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
Kalamazoo 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...
: Jeffrey R. Fink (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - 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....
: Richard Fuller (DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) - County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Timothy A. Snow (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - 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:...
: Mary Balkema (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - 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...
: Patricia A. S. Crowley (DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) - County Surveyor: Gary D. Hahn (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) - County Commission or Board of Commissioners: 17 members, elected from districts (10 Republicans, 7 Democrats)
- Circuit Court: 7 judges (non-partisan)
(information as of December 2010)
Cities, villages, and townships
Cities- GalesburgGalesburg, MichiganGalesburg is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,009 at the 2010 census.Galesburg is on the north side of the Kalamazoo River on the boundary between Comstock Charter Township on the west and Charleston Township on the east, but is politically independent...
- KalamazooKalamazoo, MichiganThe area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
- ParchmentParchment, MichiganParchment is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,936 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the parchment company that used to manufacture there.Parchment is just north of the city of Kalamazoo.-History :...
- PortagePortage, MichiganPortage is a city in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 46,292 at the 2010 census. It is the smaller of the two main cities included in the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 326,589 as of 2010.Portage is adjacent to the...
Villages
- AugustaAugusta, MichiganAugusta is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 899 at the 2000 census. The village is mostly within Ross Township, though a small portion extends south into Charleston Township....
- ClimaxClimax, MichiganClimax is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Climax Township on the northern boundary with Charleston Township, and is roughly west of Battle Creek and east of Kalamazoo...
- RichlandRichland, MichiganRichland is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 791 at the 2010 census.The village is within Richland Township about nine miles northeast of Kalamazoo.-Geography:...
- SchoolcraftSchoolcraft, Michigan-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all land. Schoolcraft is located on a prairie, and much of the land outside of the village is used as farm land, with the primary crops being corn and soybeans.-Demographics:...
- VicksburgVicksburg, MichiganVicksburg is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,320 at the 2000 census.The village is located mostly within Schoolcraft Township on the east side, though a portion is also within Brady Township.-History:...
Unincorporated
- Comstock NorthwestComstock Northwest, MichiganComstock Northwest is a census-designated place in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As a CDP, it is not a municipality. The population was 4,472 at the 2000 census....
- EastwoodEastwood, MichiganEastwood is an unincorporated community in Kalamazoo Charter Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality...
- Greater GalesburgGreater Galesburg, MichiganGreater Galesburg is a census-designated place in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan, surrounding the city of Galesburg. As a CDP, it used for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as a municipality. The population was 1,631 at the 2000 census.The CDP area includes...
- South Gull LakeSouth Gull Lake, MichiganSouth Gull Lake is an unincorporated community in Ross Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a Census-designated place used for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 1,526 at the 2000 census.The CDP...
- WestwoodWestwood, MichiganWestwood is an unincorporated community in Kalamazoo Charter Township, Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 9,122 at the 2000 census.The...
Townships
- Alamo TownshipAlamo Township, MichiganAlamo Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,820.-Geography:...
- Brady TownshipBrady Township, Kalamazoo County, MichiganBrady Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 4,263.-Communities:*The village of Vicksburg is located partially within the township on the west side.-Geography:...
- Charleston TownshipCharleston Township, MichiganCharleston Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,813 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Climax TownshipClimax Township, MichiganClimax Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,412 at the 2000 census.The Village of Climax is located within the township along the northern boundary with Charleston Township.-Geography:...
- Comstock Charter TownshipComstock Township, MichiganComstock Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,851 at the 2000 census.- Communities :...
- Cooper Charter Township
- Kalamazoo Charter TownshipKalamazoo Township, MichiganKalamazoo Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census....
- Oshtemo Charter Township
- Pavilion TownshipPavilion Township, MichiganPavilion Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,829 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Prairie Ronde TownshipPrairie Ronde Township, MichiganPrairie Ronde Township is a civil township located in the extreme southwestern corner of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,086 at the 2000 census.Prairie Ronde is the birthplace of the women's suffragist Olympia Brown....
- Richland TownshipRichland Township, Kalamazoo County, MichiganRichland Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,501 at the 2010 census.The village of Richland is located within the township...
- Ross TownshipRoss Township, MichiganRoss Township is a township in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,012 at the 2010 census.-Communities:*The village of Augusta is mostly within the township on the southern boundary with Charleston Township....
- Schoolcraft TownshipSchoolcraft Township, Kalamazoo County, MichiganSchoolcraft Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,260 at the 2000 census. The township is named for Henry Schoolcraft, noted for conducting many early land surveys throughout Michigan....
- Texas Charter TownshipTexas Charter Township, MichiganTexas Charter Township, officially named the Charter Township of Texas, is a charter township of Kalamazoo County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 10,919...
- Wakeshma TownshipWakeshma Township, MichiganWakeshma Township is a civil township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,414 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...