Gratiot County | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:43°17′N84°36′W / 43.29°N 84.6°W /43.29; -84.6 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1855[1] |
| Named after | Charles Gratiot |
| Seat | Ithaca |
| Largest city | Alma |
| Area | |
• Total | 572 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Land | 568 sq mi (1,470 km2) |
| • Water | 3.1 sq mi (8.0 km2) 0.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 41,761 |
• Estimate (2024) | 41,372 |
| • Density | 75/sq mi (29/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | https://www.gratiotmi.com/ |
Gratiot County (/ˈɡræʃɪt/GRASH-it) is acounty in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 Census, the population was 41,761.[2] Thecounty seat isIthaca,[3] although its most populous city isAlma.
Gratiot County comprises the Alma, MIMicropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of theMount Pleasant-Alma, MICombined Statistical Area. TheGratiot County Courthouse was designed in theclassical revival style byClaire Allen, a prominentsouthern Michiganarchitect. It is one of seven sites in the county listed on theNational Register of Historic Places (No. 76002291 added 1976).[4] In June 2012, the 212.8 MW Gratiot County Wind Project opened, the largestwind power installation in the state.[5]
Gratiot County, Michigan is named for CaptainCharles Gratiot, who supervised the building ofPort Huron'sFort Gratiot.[6] It was described by theTerritorial Legislature in 1831. By 1837, the Territory had been admitted to the Union as a state; in 1855 the State Legislature authorized the organization of Gratiot County – the death year of the county's namesake.[7]
Gratiot County was aNew England settlement. The original founders ofIthaca and ofAlma were settlers from New England, "Yankees", descended from theEnglishPuritans who settled the northeastern coast of the new continent in the 1600s. The Gratiot County settlers were farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of theNorthwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of theErie Canal as well as the close of theBlack Hawk War. They arrived to virgin forest and wild prairie, but laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They maintained their customs, such as passion for education, and abhorrence of the existing slave trade. They were members of theCongregationalist Church or theEpiscopal Church.[8][9][10]
In the 1890s, German immigrants began settling in Gratiot County.[1][11]SeeList of Michigan county name etymologies.Emil Lockwood, a noted Michigan legislator, represented Gratiot County in theMichigan Senate from 1963 to 1970, much of the time as Senate Majority Leader.
There are six Michigan historical markers in Gratiot County:
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km2), of which 568 square miles (1,470 km2) is land and 3.1 square miles (8.0 km2) (0.6%) is water.[13] It is considered to be part ofCentral Michigan.
US 127 – runs north toI-75 and south to Lansing.
Bus. US 127 –business loop through downtown Alma.Bus. US 127 – business loop through downtown Ithaca.Bus. US 127 – business loop through downtown St. Louis.
M-30 – a north–south highway that runs north into Midland County; runs north toWest Branch.
M-46 – cross-peninsular highway that runs east to Saginaw and Port Sanilac; runs west toMuskegon.
M-57 – runs east to Flint; runs west toUS 131 near Grand Rapids.| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 4,042 | — | |
| 1870 | 11,810 | 192.2% | |
| 1880 | 21,936 | 85.7% | |
| 1890 | 28,668 | 30.7% | |
| 1900 | 29,889 | 4.3% | |
| 1910 | 28,820 | −3.6% | |
| 1920 | 33,914 | 17.7% | |
| 1930 | 30,252 | −10.8% | |
| 1940 | 32,205 | 6.5% | |
| 1950 | 33,429 | 3.8% | |
| 1960 | 37,012 | 10.7% | |
| 1970 | 39,246 | 6.0% | |
| 1980 | 40,448 | 3.1% | |
| 1990 | 38,982 | −3.6% | |
| 2000 | 42,285 | 8.5% | |
| 2010 | 42,476 | 0.5% | |
| 2020 | 41,761 | −1.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 41,372 | [14] | −0.9% |
| US Decennial Census[15] 1790-1960[16] 1900-1990[17] 1990-2000[18] 2010-2018[2] | |||
As of the2000 United States census,[19] there were 42,285 people, 14,501 households, and 10,397 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 74 people per square mile (29 people/km2). There were 15,516 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile (10/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.01%White, 3.72%Black orAfrican American, 0.55%Native American, 0.34%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.76% fromother races, and 1.60% from two or more races. 4.43% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 29.8% were ofEnglish ancestry, 24.4% were ofGerman ancestry and 6.9%Irish ancestry, 96.1% spokeEnglish and 2.7%Spanish as their first language.
There were 14,501 households, out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% weremarried couples living together, 10.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.30% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.
The county population included 23.80% under the age of 18, 11.60% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 21.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 108.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,262, and the median income for a family was $43,954. Males had a median income of $32,442 versus $22,333 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $17,118. About 7.30% of families and 10.30% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.70% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.
TheRoman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for theCatholic Church.[20]
Gratiot County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 78% of the elections (28 of 36 elections).
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 2,676 | 46.99% | 2,736 | 48.04% | 283 | 4.97% |
| 1888 | 3,667 | 52.35% | 2,854 | 40.74% | 484 | 6.91% |
| 1892 | 3,037 | 48.83% | 1,661 | 26.70% | 1,522 | 24.47% |
| 1896 | 3,380 | 44.97% | 3,971 | 52.83% | 165 | 2.20% |
| 1900 | 4,263 | 55.49% | 3,202 | 41.68% | 218 | 2.84% |
| 1904 | 4,530 | 67.59% | 1,863 | 27.80% | 309 | 4.61% |
| 1908 | 4,158 | 61.65% | 2,372 | 35.17% | 214 | 3.17% |
| 1912 | 1,809 | 30.64% | 1,835 | 31.08% | 2,261 | 38.29% |
| 1916 | 3,434 | 52.16% | 2,960 | 44.96% | 190 | 2.89% |
| 1920 | 6,578 | 77.41% | 1,846 | 21.72% | 74 | 0.87% |
| 1924 | 6,720 | 76.09% | 1,839 | 20.82% | 273 | 3.09% |
| 1928 | 8,823 | 82.14% | 1,854 | 17.26% | 64 | 0.60% |
| 1932 | 5,123 | 44.40% | 6,124 | 53.08% | 291 | 2.52% |
| 1936 | 5,322 | 47.11% | 5,457 | 48.30% | 519 | 4.59% |
| 1940 | 8,661 | 69.01% | 3,825 | 30.48% | 65 | 0.52% |
| 1944 | 7,987 | 71.03% | 3,160 | 28.10% | 97 | 0.86% |
| 1948 | 7,035 | 70.16% | 2,659 | 26.52% | 333 | 3.32% |
| 1952 | 10,034 | 77.06% | 2,887 | 22.17% | 100 | 0.77% |
| 1956 | 10,319 | 75.71% | 3,267 | 23.97% | 44 | 0.32% |
| 1960 | 9,854 | 71.75% | 3,859 | 28.10% | 21 | 0.15% |
| 1964 | 5,369 | 42.02% | 7,383 | 57.78% | 26 | 0.20% |
| 1968 | 8,404 | 62.68% | 4,040 | 30.13% | 964 | 7.19% |
| 1972 | 9,904 | 68.41% | 4,370 | 30.18% | 204 | 1.41% |
| 1976 | 9,526 | 63.01% | 5,429 | 35.91% | 163 | 1.08% |
| 1980 | 9,294 | 59.30% | 4,916 | 31.37% | 1,462 | 9.33% |
| 1984 | 10,456 | 72.08% | 4,000 | 27.57% | 50 | 0.34% |
| 1988 | 8,447 | 59.36% | 5,719 | 40.19% | 64 | 0.45% |
| 1992 | 6,280 | 39.55% | 5,678 | 35.76% | 3,921 | 24.69% |
| 1996 | 6,214 | 41.77% | 6,793 | 45.67% | 1,868 | 12.56% |
| 2000 | 8,312 | 54.76% | 6,538 | 43.07% | 329 | 2.17% |
| 2004 | 9,834 | 56.59% | 7,377 | 42.45% | 168 | 0.97% |
| 2008 | 8,322 | 46.92% | 9,105 | 51.33% | 311 | 1.75% |
| 2012 | 8,241 | 51.39% | 7,610 | 47.46% | 184 | 1.15% |
| 2016 | 9,880 | 60.01% | 5,666 | 34.41% | 919 | 5.58% |
| 2020 | 12,102 | 63.20% | 6,693 | 34.95% | 353 | 1.84% |
| 2024 | 12,894 | 64.91% | 6,682 | 33.64% | 288 | 1.45% |
The county government operates thejail, 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 other social services. Thecounty board of commissioners controls the budget, and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most localgovernment functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
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TheGratiot–Isabella Regional Education Service District, based inIthaca, services the students in the county. Theintermediate school district offers regionalspecial education services,early education programs, andtechnical career pathways for students of its districts.[22]
Gratiot County is served by the following regularpublicschool districts:[23]
Gratiot County has the followingprivate schools:[24]
Places adjacent to Gratiot County, Michigan | |
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Municipalities and communities ofGratiot County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Civil townships | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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