Van Buren County, Michigan | |
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.png) Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:42°16′N86°19′W / 42.27°N 86.31°W /42.27; -86.31 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | 1829 (created) 1837 (organized)[1] |
| Named after | Martin Van Buren |
| Seat | Paw Paw |
| Largest city | South Haven |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2) |
| • Land | 607 sq mi (1,570 km2) |
| • Water | 482 sq mi (1,250 km2) 44% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 75,587 |
• Estimate (2024) | 76,129 |
| • Density | 125/sq mi (48.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | www |
Van Buren County is acounty located in theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 Census, the population was 75,587.[2] Thecounty seat isPaw Paw.[3] The county was founded in 1829 and organized in 1837.[1]
The county was named forMartin Van Buren before he became president. He wasU.S. Secretary of State and laterVice President underPresidentAndrew Jackson; thus Van Buren is one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties".[1]
TheVan Buren County Courthouse was built byClaire Allen, a prominent Southern Michigan architect; its cornerstone was laid on September 2, 1901, after a July vote to issue $35,000 in county bonds.[4]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,090 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 607 square miles (1,570 km2) is land and 482 square miles (1,250 km2) (44%) is water.[5]
Much of the county is farmland dotted with small towns. Areas nearKalamazoo County, specificallyAntwerp Township andAlmena Township, are becoming suburbanized. Many of the inland lakes are ringed with homes, either by people living year-round or cottagers, generally people who live the rest of the time inChicago. As with other areas nearLake Michigan, tourism is a major industry.
By land
By water
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 5 | — | |
| 1840 | 1,910 | 38,100.0% | |
| 1850 | 5,800 | 203.7% | |
| 1860 | 15,224 | 162.5% | |
| 1870 | 28,829 | 89.4% | |
| 1880 | 30,807 | 6.9% | |
| 1890 | 30,541 | −0.9% | |
| 1900 | 33,274 | 8.9% | |
| 1910 | 33,185 | −0.3% | |
| 1920 | 30,715 | −7.4% | |
| 1930 | 32,637 | 6.3% | |
| 1940 | 35,111 | 7.6% | |
| 1950 | 39,184 | 11.6% | |
| 1960 | 48,395 | 23.5% | |
| 1970 | 56,173 | 16.1% | |
| 1980 | 66,814 | 18.9% | |
| 1990 | 70,060 | 4.9% | |
| 2000 | 76,263 | 8.9% | |
| 2010 | 76,258 | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | 75,587 | −0.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 76,129 | [8] | 0.7% |
| US Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2010-2018[2] | |||
The2010 United States census[13] indicates Van Buren County had a 2010 population of 76,258. This decrease of -5 people from the2000 United States census indicated a nearly-zero population change in the decade. In 2010 there were 28,928 households and 20,434 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 125.5 per square mile (48.5 per square kilometer). There were 36,785 housing units at an average density of 60.6 per square mile (23.4 per square kilometer). Theracial and ethnic makeup of the county was 82.7% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 10.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.
There were 28,928 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were husband and wife families, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.07.
The county population contained 25.5% under age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96 males.
The2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate[13] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $44,242 and the median income for a family was $53,642. Males had a median income of $28,079 versus $18,124 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $21,495. About 10.0% of families and 14.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 21.1% of those under the age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Van Buren County has usually voted Republican in national elections. Since 1884, the county's voters have selected the Republican Party nominee in 81% (29 of 36) of the national elections through 2024. However, the county has become a swing county as well as a bellwether in recent decades, voting for the overall winner in every presidential election from 1964 to 2024 with two exceptions: 1976, when the county backed native MichiganderGerald Ford who narrowly lost his bid for a full term, and 2020, when Van Buren County stayed withDonald Trump, a popular candidate in this county and other rural bellwethers.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1884 | 4,219 | 56.11% | 2,933 | 39.01% | 367 | 4.88% |
| 1888 | 4,783 | 58.05% | 2,986 | 36.24% | 471 | 5.72% |
| 1892 | 3,788 | 54.05% | 2,182 | 31.14% | 1,038 | 14.81% |
| 1896 | 4,510 | 51.95% | 3,982 | 45.87% | 190 | 2.19% |
| 1900 | 4,892 | 58.72% | 3,235 | 38.83% | 204 | 2.45% |
| 1904 | 5,254 | 72.67% | 1,634 | 22.60% | 342 | 4.73% |
| 1908 | 4,531 | 62.80% | 2,313 | 32.06% | 371 | 5.14% |
| 1912 | 2,101 | 29.01% | 1,994 | 27.53% | 3,147 | 43.45% |
| 1916 | 4,302 | 55.32% | 3,225 | 41.47% | 249 | 3.20% |
| 1920 | 6,904 | 75.11% | 1,988 | 21.63% | 300 | 3.26% |
| 1924 | 7,384 | 71.55% | 1,646 | 15.95% | 1,290 | 12.50% |
| 1928 | 9,325 | 77.39% | 2,643 | 21.93% | 82 | 0.68% |
| 1932 | 6,954 | 47.50% | 7,223 | 49.33% | 464 | 3.17% |
| 1936 | 9,110 | 54.70% | 6,720 | 40.35% | 825 | 4.95% |
| 1940 | 11,571 | 66.90% | 5,625 | 32.52% | 101 | 0.58% |
| 1944 | 10,951 | 68.29% | 5,002 | 31.19% | 84 | 0.52% |
| 1948 | 9,511 | 67.92% | 4,082 | 29.15% | 411 | 2.93% |
| 1952 | 13,231 | 70.91% | 5,309 | 28.45% | 119 | 0.64% |
| 1956 | 13,291 | 69.72% | 5,678 | 29.79% | 94 | 0.49% |
| 1960 | 12,903 | 64.21% | 7,082 | 35.24% | 111 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | 8,120 | 41.63% | 11,336 | 58.12% | 48 | 0.25% |
| 1968 | 10,676 | 51.81% | 7,304 | 35.44% | 2,627 | 12.75% |
| 1972 | 13,903 | 64.57% | 7,159 | 33.25% | 469 | 2.18% |
| 1976 | 13,615 | 56.02% | 10,366 | 42.65% | 321 | 1.32% |
| 1980 | 14,451 | 55.96% | 9,248 | 35.81% | 2,125 | 8.23% |
| 1984 | 16,426 | 64.55% | 8,853 | 34.79% | 166 | 0.65% |
| 1988 | 14,522 | 57.17% | 10,668 | 42.00% | 210 | 0.83% |
| 1992 | 10,357 | 34.25% | 12,466 | 41.23% | 7,414 | 24.52% |
| 1996 | 11,347 | 40.56% | 13,355 | 47.74% | 3,273 | 11.70% |
| 2000 | 14,792 | 50.17% | 13,796 | 46.79% | 894 | 3.03% |
| 2004 | 17,634 | 51.60% | 16,151 | 47.26% | 389 | 1.14% |
| 2008 | 15,534 | 44.68% | 18,588 | 53.47% | 644 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 16,141 | 49.15% | 16,290 | 49.61% | 406 | 1.24% |
| 2016 | 17,890 | 53.77% | 13,258 | 39.84% | 2,126 | 6.39% |
| 2020 | 21,591 | 55.16% | 16,803 | 42.92% | 752 | 1.92% |
| 2024 | 23,407 | 56.75% | 17,175 | 41.64% | 667 | 1.62% |
Van Buren 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.
| District | Commissioner | Party | District's Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gail Patterson-Gladney | Democrat | City of South Haven and Townships of Covert and South Haven |
| 2 | Mike Chappell | Republican | City of Hartford and Townships of Bangor, Hartford, and Lawrence |
| 3 | Kurt Doroh | Republican | City of Bangor and Townships of Arlington, Columbia, and Geneva |
| 4 | Dick Godfrey | Republican | City of Gobles and Townships of Almena (part), Bloomingdale, Pine Grove, Waverly (part) |
| 5 | Randall Peat (chairperson) | Republican | Townships of Antwerp (part), Paw Paw, and Waverly (part) |
| 6 | Tina Leary | Republican | Townships of Antwerp (Village of Lawton only), Decatur, Hamilton, Keeler, and Porter |
| 7 | Paul Schincariol (Vice-chair) | Republican | Townships of Almena (part) and Antwerp (part) |
[16](information correct in May 2023)
Media related toVan Buren County, Michigan at Wikimedia Commons
Places adjacent to Van Buren County, Michigan | |
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Municipalities and communities ofVan Buren County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Charter township | ||
| Civil townships | ||
| Unincorporated community | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| Central cities | |||
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