Delta County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Delta County Courthouse in Escanaba | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
| Coordinates:45°47′N86°52′W / 45.78°N 86.87°W /45.78; -86.87 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | March 9, 1843 (authorized) 1861 (organized)[1] |
| Named after | Greek letterDelta |
| Seat | Escanaba |
| Largest city | Escanaba |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,991 sq mi (5,160 km2) |
| • Land | 1,171 sq mi (3,030 km2) |
| • Water | 820 sq mi (2,100 km2) 41% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 36,903 |
• Estimate (2024) | 36,687 |
| • Density | 31.51/sq mi (12.17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | deltacountymi |
Delta County is acounty in theUpper Peninsula in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, thepopulation was 36,903.[2] Thecounty seat isEscanaba.[3] The county was surveyed in 1843 and organized in 1861. Its name originates from the Greek letterdelta (Δ), which refers to the triangular shape of the original county[1][4] which included segments ofMenominee,Dickinson,Iron, andMarquette counties.[5] Recreation and forest products are major industries, and crops include hay, corn, small grains, potatoes, and strawberries.[6]
Delta County comprises the Escanaba, MIMicropolitan Statistical Area.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,991 square miles (5,160 km2), of which 1,171 square miles (3,030 km2) is land and 820 square miles (2,100 km2) (41%) is water.[7] It is the fifth-largest county in Michigan by land area.
By land
By water
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,172 | — | |
| 1870 | 2,542 | 116.9% | |
| 1880 | 6,812 | 168.0% | |
| 1890 | 15,330 | 125.0% | |
| 1900 | 23,881 | 55.8% | |
| 1910 | 30,108 | 26.1% | |
| 1920 | 30,909 | 2.7% | |
| 1930 | 32,280 | 4.4% | |
| 1940 | 34,037 | 5.4% | |
| 1950 | 32,913 | −3.3% | |
| 1960 | 34,298 | 4.2% | |
| 1970 | 35,924 | 4.7% | |
| 1980 | 38,947 | 8.4% | |
| 1990 | 37,780 | −3.0% | |
| 2000 | 38,520 | 2.0% | |
| 2010 | 37,069 | −3.8% | |
| 2020 | 36,903 | −0.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 36,687 | [9] | −0.6% |
| US Decennial Census[10] 1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12] 1990-2000[13] 2010-2018[2] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 36,903, a median age of 47.8 years, with 19.5% of residents under the age of 18 and 24.9% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.0 males age 18 and over.[14]
As of the2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 91.3%White, 0.3%Black or African American, 2.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 5.3% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.5% of the population.[15]
As of the2020 census, 57.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 42.7% lived in rural areas.[16]
As of the2020 census, there were 16,290 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 48.1% were married-couple households, 20.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]
As of the2020 census, there were 19,786 housing units, of which 17.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.5% were owner-occupied and 21.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.7%.[14]
The2010 United States census[17] indicated Delta County had a population of 37,069.
School districts include:[18]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 1,201 | 66.13% | 609 | 33.54% | 6 | 0.33% |
| 1888 | 1,587 | 54.16% | 1,332 | 45.46% | 11 | 0.38% |
| 1892 | 1,769 | 54.30% | 1,412 | 43.34% | 77 | 2.36% |
| 1896 | 2,774 | 67.81% | 1,237 | 30.24% | 80 | 1.96% |
| 1900 | 3,081 | 70.94% | 1,210 | 27.86% | 52 | 1.20% |
| 1904 | 3,332 | 79.88% | 658 | 15.78% | 181 | 4.34% |
| 1908 | 3,243 | 71.70% | 1,097 | 24.25% | 183 | 4.05% |
| 1912 | 1,111 | 25.38% | 1,066 | 24.35% | 2,201 | 50.27% |
| 1916 | 3,088 | 59.74% | 1,781 | 34.46% | 300 | 5.80% |
| 1920 | 4,938 | 65.40% | 1,985 | 26.29% | 627 | 8.30% |
| 1924 | 4,761 | 49.83% | 463 | 4.85% | 4,330 | 45.32% |
| 1928 | 5,420 | 49.59% | 5,419 | 49.58% | 91 | 0.83% |
| 1932 | 4,386 | 35.70% | 7,363 | 59.93% | 536 | 4.36% |
| 1936 | 4,527 | 32.83% | 8,954 | 64.93% | 310 | 2.25% |
| 1940 | 6,218 | 41.18% | 8,802 | 58.29% | 81 | 0.54% |
| 1944 | 5,213 | 41.23% | 7,375 | 58.33% | 56 | 0.44% |
| 1948 | 5,414 | 42.86% | 6,943 | 54.96% | 276 | 2.18% |
| 1952 | 7,488 | 51.79% | 6,921 | 47.87% | 49 | 0.34% |
| 1956 | 7,766 | 54.31% | 6,489 | 45.38% | 45 | 0.31% |
| 1960 | 6,460 | 44.82% | 7,924 | 54.98% | 29 | 0.20% |
| 1964 | 4,434 | 30.56% | 10,046 | 69.25% | 27 | 0.19% |
| 1968 | 5,829 | 40.58% | 7,821 | 54.45% | 714 | 4.97% |
| 1972 | 7,647 | 48.14% | 8,003 | 50.38% | 236 | 1.49% |
| 1976 | 7,809 | 45.85% | 9,027 | 53.00% | 197 | 1.16% |
| 1980 | 8,146 | 46.04% | 8,475 | 47.90% | 1,071 | 6.05% |
| 1984 | 8,952 | 52.84% | 7,934 | 46.83% | 56 | 0.33% |
| 1988 | 7,114 | 44.28% | 8,891 | 55.34% | 60 | 0.37% |
| 1992 | 6,027 | 33.55% | 8,387 | 46.69% | 3,548 | 19.75% |
| 1996 | 5,925 | 36.69% | 8,561 | 53.01% | 1,664 | 10.30% |
| 2000 | 8,871 | 51.23% | 7,970 | 46.03% | 475 | 2.74% |
| 2004 | 9,680 | 50.32% | 9,381 | 48.76% | 177 | 0.92% |
| 2008 | 8,763 | 45.97% | 9,974 | 52.32% | 327 | 1.72% |
| 2012 | 9,534 | 52.59% | 8,330 | 45.95% | 266 | 1.47% |
| 2016 | 11,121 | 59.81% | 6,436 | 34.61% | 1,037 | 5.58% |
| 2020 | 13,207 | 62.39% | 7,606 | 35.93% | 354 | 1.67% |
| 2024 | 14,109 | 64.43% | 7,462 | 34.08% | 326 | 1.49% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 13,601 | 63.33% | 7,316 | 34.06% | 561 | 2.61% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 10,097 | 58.23% | 6,890 | 39.73% | 354 | 2.04% |
Delta County operates the County jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, andvital records, administerspublic health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.
(information as of September 2018)[21]
US 2 runs east–west through the lower part of the county, entering from Schoolcraft County east of Garden Corners and running westward to an intersection with US 41 at Rapid River.
US 41 runs north–south through central part of the county, entering from Alger County at Trenary, running southerly to Rapid River then southwesterly along the Lake Michigan shore to the southwest corner of county.
M-35 enters from Marquette County at the northwest corner of the county and runs southeasterly to intersection with US 41 at Gladstone.
M-69 runs east–west across the southwestern tip of the county, entering from Menominee County at Schaffer and running southeasterly to an intersection with US 41 west of Narenta.
M-183 runs from the southern tip of the Garden Peninsula at Fayette State Park to an intersection with US 2 at Garden Corners.[8]The county is served byDelta County Airport (KESC), southwest of Escanaba. It provides scheduled airline service toDetroit andMinneapolis.
Places adjacent to Delta County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofDelta County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Indian reservations | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Central cities | |
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| Counties | |
| Geography | |
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