Missaukee County, Michigan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Missaukee County Courthouse inLake City | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
| Coordinates:44°20′N85°06′W / 44.34°N 85.1°W /44.34; -85.1 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1840 (created) 1871 (organized)[1] |
| Seat | Lake City |
| Largest city | Lake City |
| Area | |
• Total | 574 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
| • Land | 565 sq mi (1,460 km2) |
| • Water | 9.1 sq mi (24 km2) 1.6% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 15,052 |
• Estimate (2024) | 15,239 |
| • Density | 26/sq mi (10/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Missaukee County (/mɪˈsɔːki/mih-SAW-kee) is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 census, the population was 15,052.[2] Thecounty seat isLake City.[3]
Missaukee County is part of theCadillac, MImicropolitan statistical area. The county is considered to be part ofNorthern Michigan.
Missaukee County was partitioned fromMackinac County, on April 1, 1840,[4] due to expected population growth. In 1851, the county was attached toGrand Traverse County for legal purposes.[5] It was subsequently attached toManistee County in 1855 andWexford County in 1869, before being organized in its own right in 1871.[6]
Missaukee County may be named after a prominentOttawa chief,Nesaukee, who signed the treaties of 1831 and 1833.[1][7] However, it may also derive frommisizaagii, meaning 'large mouth of the river' (and thus a doublet ofMississauga andmassasauga).[8]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 574 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 565 square miles (1,460 km2) is land and 9.1 square miles (24 km2) (1.6%) is water.[9]
There are 33 natural freshwater lakes in Missaukee County.[10] The largest of these,Lake Missaukee, has a surface area of 1,800 acres (730 ha).[11] The lakes and streams in much of the county drain into theMuskegon River, which flows generally north to south through its eastern tier of townships. The 51.1-mile-long (82.2 km)[12]Clam River, a tributary of the Muskegon, flows generally west to east through the county. TheReedsburg Dam is located within Missaukee County. TheManistee River also flows southwesterly through the extreme northwest of the county.
M-42 is a short east–west route in the northwest of the county, connecting M-66 near Lake City toUS Highway 131 atManton.
M-55 is an east–west route traversing theLower Peninsula.
M-66 is a north–south route running from theIndiana border toUS Highway 31 inCharlevoix.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 130 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,553 | 1,094.6% | |
| 1890 | 5,048 | 225.0% | |
| 1900 | 9,308 | 84.4% | |
| 1910 | 10,606 | 13.9% | |
| 1920 | 9,004 | −15.1% | |
| 1930 | 6,992 | −22.3% | |
| 1940 | 8,034 | 14.9% | |
| 1950 | 7,458 | −7.2% | |
| 1960 | 6,784 | −9.0% | |
| 1970 | 7,126 | 5.0% | |
| 1980 | 10,009 | 40.5% | |
| 1990 | 12,147 | 21.4% | |
| 2000 | 14,478 | 19.2% | |
| 2010 | 14,849 | 2.6% | |
| 2020 | 15,052 | 1.4% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 15,239 | [13] | 1.2% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790-1960[15] 1900-1990[16] 1990-2000[17] 2010-2018[2] | |||
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 15,052. The median age was 43.8 years; 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.8 males age 18 and over.[18]
The racial makeup of the county was 93.6%White, 0.2%Black or African American, 0.5%American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Asian, <0.1%Native Hawaiian andPacific Islander, 1.3% from some other race, and 4.1% fromtwo or more races.Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.3% of the population, and the county remained predominantlynon-Hispanic white.[19]
<0.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.[20]
There were 5,923 households in the county, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 54.5% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 19.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[18]
There were 8,615 housing units, of which 31.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 82.3% were owner-occupied and 17.7% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%.[18]
At thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 14,478 people, 5,450 households, and 4,043 families residing in the county. The population density was 26 inhabitants per square mile (10/km2). There were 8,621 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (5.8/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 97.50%White, 0.20%Black orAfrican American, 0.50%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.37% fromother races, and 1.19% from two or more races. 1.17% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. 24.6% were ofDutch, 18.3%German, 10.8%American, 10.0%English and 7.4%Irish ancestry. 97.9% spokeEnglish and 1.1%Spanish as their first language.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $35,224, and the median income for a family was $39,057. Males had a median income of $30,565 versus $20,905 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,072. About 8.20% of families and 10.70% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 13.20% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.
TheChristian Reformed Church in North America was the biggest denomination in the county with 2,010 members and 7 congregations, almost 50% of the counties population adhere to the CRCNA,[22] followed by theReformed Church in America with 3 congregations and 830 members, the third is the United Methodist Church with 3 churches and 500 members, the PC(USA) has 2 congregations and 200 members, but the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, the Lutherans (ELCA), baptists are also represented with 1 congregations each.[23] Missaukee County is part of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord and has 1 congregations and 800 members.[24] There is anAmish community in the county, founded in 2000, with two church districts in 2013.[25]
TheWexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District, based inCadillac, services the school districts in the county. Theintermediate school district offers regional special education services and technical career programs to students of its districts.[26] Missaukee County is served by two regularpublicschool districts,Lake City Area School District andMcBain Rural Agricultural Schools.[27] Missaukee County has oneprivate school, Northern Michigan Christian School.[28]
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 470 | 54.09% | 373 | 42.92% | 26 | 2.99% |
| 1888 | 632 | 50.44% | 572 | 45.65% | 49 | 3.91% |
| 1892 | 665 | 48.61% | 622 | 45.47% | 81 | 5.92% |
| 1896 | 899 | 55.15% | 687 | 42.15% | 44 | 2.70% |
| 1900 | 1,421 | 67.12% | 616 | 29.10% | 80 | 3.78% |
| 1904 | 1,781 | 80.77% | 345 | 15.65% | 79 | 3.58% |
| 1908 | 1,570 | 74.98% | 445 | 21.25% | 79 | 3.77% |
| 1912 | 671 | 32.88% | 347 | 17.00% | 1,023 | 50.12% |
| 1916 | 1,160 | 54.46% | 917 | 43.05% | 53 | 2.49% |
| 1920 | 1,801 | 82.46% | 345 | 15.80% | 38 | 1.74% |
| 1924 | 1,723 | 85.09% | 208 | 10.27% | 94 | 4.64% |
| 1928 | 1,756 | 87.19% | 247 | 12.26% | 11 | 0.55% |
| 1932 | 1,439 | 51.60% | 1,282 | 45.97% | 68 | 2.44% |
| 1936 | 1,730 | 54.69% | 1,385 | 43.79% | 48 | 1.52% |
| 1940 | 2,154 | 66.83% | 1,037 | 32.17% | 32 | 0.99% |
| 1944 | 1,979 | 71.63% | 759 | 27.47% | 25 | 0.90% |
| 1948 | 1,742 | 68.21% | 750 | 29.37% | 62 | 2.43% |
| 1952 | 2,525 | 80.01% | 600 | 19.01% | 31 | 0.98% |
| 1956 | 2,433 | 76.80% | 727 | 22.95% | 8 | 0.25% |
| 1960 | 2,531 | 79.82% | 627 | 19.77% | 13 | 0.41% |
| 1964 | 1,786 | 58.08% | 1,288 | 41.89% | 1 | 0.03% |
| 1968 | 2,161 | 67.72% | 736 | 23.06% | 294 | 9.21% |
| 1972 | 2,647 | 71.79% | 924 | 25.06% | 116 | 3.15% |
| 1976 | 2,943 | 62.87% | 1,688 | 36.06% | 50 | 1.07% |
| 1980 | 3,221 | 63.47% | 1,563 | 30.80% | 291 | 5.73% |
| 1984 | 3,970 | 75.53% | 1,256 | 23.90% | 30 | 0.57% |
| 1988 | 3,566 | 68.26% | 1,621 | 31.03% | 37 | 0.71% |
| 1992 | 2,829 | 46.70% | 1,893 | 31.25% | 1,336 | 22.05% |
| 1996 | 3,012 | 49.99% | 2,256 | 37.44% | 757 | 12.56% |
| 2000 | 4,274 | 65.79% | 2,062 | 31.74% | 160 | 2.46% |
| 2004 | 5,055 | 68.12% | 2,319 | 31.25% | 47 | 0.63% |
| 2008 | 4,469 | 59.65% | 2,898 | 38.68% | 125 | 1.67% |
| 2012 | 4,665 | 66.39% | 2,274 | 32.36% | 88 | 1.25% |
| 2016 | 5,386 | 73.61% | 1,565 | 21.39% | 366 | 5.00% |
| 2020 | 6,648 | 75.93% | 1,967 | 22.47% | 140 | 1.60% |
| 2024 | 7,066 | 77.21% | 1,945 | 21.25% | 141 | 1.54% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 6,828 | 75.72% | 1,934 | 21.45% | 256 | 2.84% |
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2022 | 5,306 | 71.24% | 1,995 | 26.79% | 147 | 1.97% |
The county government operates thejail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintainsvital records, administerspublic health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare andother social services. Thecounty board of commissioners 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.
(information as of February 2021)
Missaukee County is one of Michigan's most stronglyRepublican counties, and one of the most consistently Republican in the nation since that party was founded. No Democratic presidential candidate has ever won Missaukee County since it was organized:[31] evenLyndon Johnson in 1964 when he swept the Northeast received no more than 42 percent of the county's vote,[32] which made MissaukeeBarry Goldwater’s strongest county north or east of the Great Lakes. No Democrat since has received more than Barack Obama's 38 percent in 2008. In2004, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush received 68.1% in Missaukee County, his second highest percentage among Michigan's 83 counties. In 2008, Republican candidateJohn McCain was held down to below 60 percent, the only time and it has happened since 1964 without a strong third-party showing (Ross Perot in both 1992 and 1996) and just the second time since 1936. Regardless, it was still his second-strongest county in Michigan afterOttawa County, as he won by 21 points while Barack Obama carried the state by 16.4 points.[33] In 2016, 2020, and 2024, the county wasDonald Trump's strongest in Michigan as he won it all three times by more than 50 points. In 2002, Republican gubernatorial nomineeDick Posthumus received 66.1% in Missaukee, which also ranked it as the #2 most Republican county in the state.
Despite its strong Republican leanings, Missaukee County has voted for Democratic gubernatorial candidates on two rare occasions, those being forJames Blanchard in1986 andWilliam B. Fitzgerald Jr. in1978.
Places adjacent to Missaukee County, Michigan | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMissaukee County, Michigan,United States | ||
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