Macomb County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
 Macomb County Administration Building in Mt. Clemens | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
| Coordinates:42°40′N82°55′W / 42.67°N 82.91°W /42.67; -82.91 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | January 15, 1818[1][2] |
| Named after | Alexander Macomb |
| Seat | Mount Clemens |
| Largest city | Warren |
| Area | |
• Total | 571 sq mi (1,480 km2) |
| • Land | 479 sq mi (1,240 km2) |
| • Water | 92 sq mi (240 km2) 16% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 881,217 |
• Estimate (2024) | 886,175 |
| • Density | 1,840/sq mi (710/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 9th,10th |
| Website | macombgov |
Macomb County (/məˈkoʊm/mə-KOHM) is acounty on the eastern shore of theU.S. state ofMichigan. It is part of theDetroit metropolitan area, borderingDetroit to the north and containing many of its northern suburbs. Itsseat of government isMt. Clemens, and its largest community isWarren.[3] As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 881,217, making it the third-most populous county in the state, behind neighboringWayne andOakland.[4] Macomb County contains 27cities,townships andvillages, including three of theten most-populous municipalities in Michigan. Most of this population is concentrated south ofHall Road (M-59), one of the county's main thoroughfares.
TheOjibwe lived in the area for centuries before European contact and were preceded by other cultures of ancient indigenous peoples.
The first European colonists were French, and they arrived in the area during the 17th century. Other early settlers wereFrench fur trappers, who sometimes married Ojibwe women, and Jesuit missionaries. AMoravian colony was established in the county in the late 18th century. In addition to the original French andEnglish settlers, later immigrants includedGermans,Belgians, and others from Europe. In the 19th century, the county received many European-American migrants from New York and New England, who were attracted to the area for land and booming jobs in the lumber and other resource industries.[5]
Macomb County was formally organized on January 15, 1818, as the third county in theMichigan Territory. The county was named in honor ofDetroit-bornAlexander Macomb, Jr., a highly decorated veteran of theWar of 1812 and hero of theBattle of Plattsburg. He was made Commanding General of the U.S. Army in 1828.[1][6]
As was typical in development, the county at first encompassed a much larger area than at present. As population increased in the area, the state legislature removed territory in 1819 and 1820 to form the counties ofOakland,Lapeer,Genesee, andSt. Clair.[1]
AfterWorld War II, Macomb and neighboring Oakland County grew rapidly due to suburbanization - between 1950 and 1960 the county population more than doubled. However, as opposed to the more white-collar Oakland County, Macomb County residents were generally auto workers and other middle-class blue-collar workers.[7]
In May 2008, Macomb County voters approved the inclusion of aCounty Executive in a new charter to be submitted to the voters by 2010. A charter commission was elected in November 2008 to draft a charter for submission to Governor Granholm, which was submitted and approved and placed on the November 2009 ballot. The Charter passed with a 60.4% to 39.6% margin.[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 571 square miles (1,480 km2), of which 479 square miles (1,240 km2) is land and 92 square miles (240 km2) (16%) is water.[9] The county's southeastern border withCanada is located acrossLake St. Clair.
Lake St. Clair borders the county on the east.
Macomb County is mostly considered a part ofSoutheast Michigan. However, the far northern parts of the county, includingRichmond andArmada, are often considered to be part of Michigan'sThumb region.
The county comprises mostly rural/agricultural communities to the north and a mix of suburban and urban areas to the south.
By land
By water
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 580 | — | |
| 1820 | 898 | 54.8% | |
| 1830 | 2,413 | 168.7% | |
| 1840 | 9,716 | 302.7% | |
| 1850 | 15,530 | 59.8% | |
| 1860 | 22,843 | 47.1% | |
| 1870 | 27,616 | 20.9% | |
| 1880 | 31,627 | 14.5% | |
| 1890 | 31,813 | 0.6% | |
| 1900 | 33,244 | 4.5% | |
| 1910 | 32,606 | −1.9% | |
| 1920 | 38,103 | 16.9% | |
| 1930 | 77,146 | 102.5% | |
| 1940 | 107,638 | 39.5% | |
| 1950 | 184,961 | 71.8% | |
| 1960 | 405,804 | 119.4% | |
| 1970 | 625,309 | 54.1% | |
| 1980 | 694,600 | 11.1% | |
| 1990 | 717,400 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 788,149 | 9.9% | |
| 2010 | 840,978 | 6.7% | |
| 2020 | 881,217 | 4.8% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 886,175 | [10] | 0.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[11] 1790-1960[12] 1900-1990[13] 1990-2000[14] 2010-2019[4] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 881,217. The median age was 41.5 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.7% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.9 males age 18 and over.[15]
The racial makeup of the county in 2020 was 76.3%White, 12.4%Black or African American, 0.3%American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.4%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.0% from some other race, and 5.6% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.[16]
The 2020 census also recorded that 96.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.2% lived in rural areas.[17]
There were 353,201 households in the county, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.9% were married-couple households, 19.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[15]
There were 369,404 housing units, of which 4.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.6% were owner-occupied and 26.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.[15]
As of the2010 United States census, there were 840,978 people living in the county. 85.4% wereWhite, 8.6%Black or African American, 3.0%Asian, 0.3%Native American, 0.6% of some other race and 2.1%of two or more races. 2.3% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 14.8% were ofGerman, 14.3%Polish, 11.1%Italian, 6.5%Irish and 5.9%American ancestry.[18]
In 2000, 87.6% of county residents spoke onlyEnglish at home; 1.7% spokeItalian, 1.4%Polish, 1.2%Spanish, 1.1%Arabic, and 1.1%Syriac.
European ethnic groups that have settled in Macomb County since the late 20th century includeBosnians,Albanians andMacedonians.[19]
Among Asian ethnic groups, eight numbered over 1,000 people in Macomb County. They wereArabs, Asian Indians,Chaldo-Assyrians, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, andHmong.[20] Pakistanis are also represented in Macomb County's population.[19]
Native American tribes had more than 2,478 residents in Macomb County in 2000.[21]
In 2000, there were 309,203 households, out of which 31.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.30% weremarried couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.80% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.[21]
In 2000, the age distribution of the county was as follows: 24.10% under the age of 18, 8.00% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.90 males.[21]
The median income for a household in the county was $52,102, and the median income for a family was $62,816. Males had a median income of $48,303 versus $30,215 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $24,446. About 4.00% of families and 5.60% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.00% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.[21]
According to the 2006 American Community Survey, the average family size was 3.15. The population of 25 and over was 571,463. 86.9% of that population had graduated from high school, and 21% of the population had aBachelor's degree or higher. About 14.3% of that population was disabled. 12.5% of Macomb's population could speak another language at home.[21]
Of Michigan's five largest counties, Macomb experienced the most population growth (102.5%) in the post-World War II years of accelerating suburban development, between 1950 and 1960. Its population has continued to grow to the present day, albeit at a slower pace since 1980.
Macomb County is home to more than 130 parks covering 12,000 acres (49 km2) managed by the state, regional, county, and local government. There are four major public parks in the County -Freedom Hill County Park,Macomb Orchard Trail,Lake St. Clair Metropark, andStony Creek Metropark. The county also has 31 miles of shoreline and over 100 marinas.[22]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 2,782 | 42.98% | 3,464 | 53.51% | 227 | 3.51% |
| 1888 | 3,245 | 45.24% | 3,708 | 51.69% | 220 | 3.07% |
| 1892 | 2,788 | 41.50% | 3,584 | 53.35% | 346 | 5.15% |
| 1896 | 4,153 | 53.22% | 3,400 | 43.57% | 250 | 3.20% |
| 1900 | 4,239 | 53.75% | 3,491 | 44.26% | 157 | 1.99% |
| 1904 | 4,818 | 60.18% | 2,989 | 37.33% | 199 | 2.49% |
| 1908 | 4,472 | 56.78% | 3,138 | 39.84% | 266 | 3.38% |
| 1912 | 2,508 | 34.45% | 2,829 | 38.85% | 1,944 | 26.70% |
| 1916 | 4,552 | 58.33% | 3,108 | 39.83% | 144 | 1.85% |
| 1920 | 9,735 | 73.97% | 3,023 | 22.97% | 403 | 3.06% |
| 1924 | 11,147 | 69.96% | 3,191 | 20.03% | 1,595 | 10.01% |
| 1928 | 12,845 | 63.28% | 7,363 | 36.27% | 91 | 0.45% |
| 1932 | 8,649 | 33.29% | 16,539 | 63.65% | 796 | 3.06% |
| 1936 | 9,383 | 32.02% | 17,593 | 60.05% | 2,323 | 7.93% |
| 1940 | 17,848 | 45.70% | 21,003 | 53.78% | 203 | 0.52% |
| 1944 | 21,305 | 47.20% | 23,506 | 52.08% | 324 | 0.72% |
| 1948 | 21,205 | 44.49% | 25,265 | 53.01% | 1,190 | 2.50% |
| 1952 | 37,474 | 50.39% | 36,544 | 49.14% | 346 | 0.47% |
| 1956 | 58,337 | 48.05% | 62,816 | 51.73% | 266 | 0.22% |
| 1960 | 61,989 | 36.86% | 105,681 | 62.83% | 525 | 0.31% |
| 1964 | 44,684 | 25.31% | 131,450 | 74.47% | 387 | 0.22% |
| 1968 | 63,139 | 30.42% | 114,552 | 55.19% | 29,886 | 14.40% |
| 1972 | 147,777 | 62.67% | 82,346 | 34.92% | 5,670 | 2.40% |
| 1976 | 132,499 | 51.24% | 121,176 | 46.86% | 4,928 | 1.91% |
| 1980 | 154,155 | 51.88% | 120,125 | 40.43% | 22,839 | 7.69% |
| 1984 | 194,300 | 66.20% | 97,816 | 33.32% | 1,409 | 0.48% |
| 1988 | 175,632 | 60.33% | 112,856 | 38.77% | 2,627 | 0.90% |
| 1992 | 147,795 | 42.32% | 130,732 | 37.43% | 70,711 | 20.25% |
| 1996 | 120,616 | 39.41% | 151,430 | 49.48% | 33,982 | 11.10% |
| 2000 | 164,265 | 47.54% | 172,625 | 49.96% | 8,669 | 2.51% |
| 2004 | 202,166 | 50.24% | 196,160 | 48.75% | 4,084 | 1.01% |
| 2008 | 187,663 | 44.66% | 223,784 | 53.26% | 8,729 | 2.08% |
| 2012 | 191,913 | 47.33% | 208,016 | 51.30% | 5,586 | 1.38% |
| 2016 | 224,665 | 53.58% | 176,317 | 42.05% | 18,330 | 4.37% |
| 2020 | 263,863 | 53.39% | 223,952 | 45.31% | 6,441 | 1.30% |
| 2024 | 284,660 | 55.81% | 214,977 | 42.15% | 10,439 | 2.05% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 265,883 | 53.31% | 217,665 | 43.64% | 15,176 | 3.04% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 179,258 | 46.62% | 199,277 | 51.82% | 6,009 | 1.56% |
The county government operates thejail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintainsvital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Thecounty board of commissioners controls the budget and creates and adopts ordinances and resolutions related to County functions. 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.
TheMacomb Intermediate School District serves all school districts based in the county.
Macomb County has historically shownRepublican tendencies in statewide elections, while tending to favorDemocratic candidates at the federal and local level.[25] Since the 2010s, Macomb County has shifted towards the Republicans, and, following the2020 elections, the party gained control of theBoard of Commissioners for the first time as well as four of the five countywide offices up for election.[26] The county gained fame in the 1980s and '90s as a bellwether of state and national politics. Macomb's large cohort of middle-class,[27] socially conservative White voters gave it one of the nation's most prominent concentrations of "Reagan Democrats".[28] Outsider candidates with a conservative-populist bent have done well there in the past, such asPat Buchanan in1992 andDonald Trump in2016,2020, and2024.[29][30][31] Macomb County voters were primarily responsible for the failure of the 2016Regional Transit Authority proposal to create a comprehensive public transit system in theMetropolitan Detroit region.[32]
The more populated communities south ofM-59 (Warren, Sterling Heights, Clinton Charter Township), closer to Detroit city proper are friendlier to Democrats. Warren leans Democratic, while Sterling Heights, after voting forBarack Obama in 2012, voted for Trump by about 12 points in both 2016 and 2020, but in 2018, voted forGretchen Whitmer andDebbie Stabenow by 3 points, and Clinton Charter Township after voting for Obama in 2012, voted for Trump in 2016, but swung back to Whitmer and Stabenow in 2018 andJoe Biden in 2020.[33][34] The communities north of M-59 further removed from Detroit are more strongly Republican, all backing Trump in 2016 and 2020 andBill Schuette in 2018.[35]
I-94 (Edsel Ford Freeway) runs –west through Detroit and serves Ann Arbor to the west (where it continues toChicago) and Port Huron to the northeast. The stretch of the current I-94 freeway from Ypsilanti to Detroit was one of the first American limited-access freeways. Henry Ford built it to link his factories atWillow Run andDearborn duringWorld War II. It was called theWillow Run Expressway.
I-696 (Walter Reuther Freeway) runs east–west from the junction of I-96, I-275, and M-5 to I-94, providing a route through the northern suburbs of Detroit.
M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) is a major road that runs from Marysville to downtown Detroit. The portion of the road between 23 Mile Road and New Haven Road is not numbered. Between New Haven Road and Main Street in the city of Richmond, the road is part of M-19. Between Richmond and Marysville the road is not numbered.
M-19 starts in New Haven goes up Gratiot to Richmond. The route leaves Gratiot and goes northwest through Richmond and then north through Memphis. Then it goes north through St. Clair and Sanilac Counties and ends at M-142 near Bad Axe in Huron County.
M-29 begins as part of 23 Mile Road, east of I-94, and ends in Marysville.
M-53 which is called the Van Dyke Freeway and Christopher Columbus Freeway from 18 Mile Road inSterling Heights to 271⁄2 Mile Road inWashington Township. It is also called the POW/MIA Memorial Freeway from 271⁄2 Mile Road in Washington Township to the freeway's end at 34 Mile Road inBruce Township, however, it is locally known as the Van Dyke Freeway. It continues as Van Dyke Road or Van Dyke Avenue north to Port Austin and south throughWarren to Gratiot Avenue in Detroit.
M-59 (Veterans Memorial Freeway) fromUtica toPontiac, continues east as Hall Road to Gratiot Avenue and as William P. Rosso Highway to its terminus at I-94 and west as various surface roads to I-96 nearHowell
M-97 (Groesbeck Highway) begins in Detroit at Gratiot (M-3) and ends at Hall Road (M-59).
M-102 (8 Mile Road), known by many due to the film8 Mile, forms the dividing line between Detroit on the south and the suburbs of Macomb and Oakland counties on the north. It is also known as Baseline Road outside of Detroit, because it coincides with thebaseline used in surveying Michigan; that baseline is also the boundary for many Michigan counties.Into the end of the 1950s theNew York Central Railroad operated multiple trains fromMackinaw City at the north end of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, with stops at Warren station.[36] The last Bay City to Detroit passenger train through Warren stopped on March 19, 1964.[37]
School districts:[38]
Places adjacent to Macomb County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofMacomb County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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| Detroit | ||
| Municipalities over 80,000 | ||
| Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 | ||
| Cultural enclaves | ||
| Satellite cities | ||
| Counties in MSA | ||
| Counties in CSA | ||
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