Sanilac County | |
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 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofMichigan | |
 Michigan's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:43°28′N82°38′W / 43.46°N 82.64°W /43.46; -82.64 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Michigan |
| Founded | September 10, 1822 (created) December 31, 1849 (organized)[1] |
| Seat | Sandusky |
| Largest city | Sandusky |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,590 sq mi (4,100 km2) |
| • Land | 963 sq mi (2,490 km2) |
| • Water | 627 sq mi (1,620 km2) 39% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 40,611 |
| • Density | 26/sq mi (10/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 9th |
| Website | sanilaccounty |
Sanilac County (/sænəlæk/SAN-ə-lack) is acounty located in theThumb region of theU.S. state ofMichigan. As of the2020 Census, the population was 40,611.[2] Thecounty seat isSandusky.[3] The county was created on September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on December 31, 1849.[1] Sanilac County is considered to be part ofthe Thumb of Michigan, a subregion of theFlint/Tri-Cities. Sanilac County enjoys seasonal tourism in towns such asLexington,Port Sanilac, andCarsonville. Sanilac County is economically attached toSt. Clair County andHuron County and is largely composed of nearly flat areas of rich soil.
Sanilac County was probably named for aWyandot (Huron) chief named Sanilac.[4] (SeeList of Michigan county name etymologies). The county was formed on September 10, 1822, bythe Michigan Territorial Legislature, partitioning parts ofSt. Clair County and unorganized territory administered byOakland County. The original boundary of the county was reduced in 1840, when parts were partitioned off to createHuron andTuscola counties. The county government was fully organized on December 31, 1849.[1]In the middle of the 19th century, the area now called Port Sanilac was called Bark Shanty. It was named for a lone shanty made of bark, which was used to make shingles from pine. The county seat of Sanilac is the city ofSandusky.[citation needed]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,590 square miles (4,100 km2), of which 963 square miles (2,490 km2) is land and 627 square miles (1,620 km2) (39%) is water.[5] Sanilac County is the largest county in Michigan'sLower Peninsula by land area.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 2,112 | — | |
| 1860 | 7,599 | 259.8% | |
| 1870 | 14,562 | 91.6% | |
| 1880 | 26,341 | 80.9% | |
| 1890 | 32,589 | 23.7% | |
| 1900 | 35,055 | 7.6% | |
| 1910 | 33,930 | −3.2% | |
| 1920 | 31,237 | −7.9% | |
| 1930 | 27,751 | −11.2% | |
| 1940 | 30,114 | 8.5% | |
| 1950 | 30,837 | 2.4% | |
| 1960 | 32,314 | 4.8% | |
| 1970 | 34,889 | 8.0% | |
| 1980 | 40,789 | 16.9% | |
| 1990 | 39,928 | −2.1% | |
| 2000 | 44,547 | 11.6% | |
| 2010 | 43,114 | −3.2% | |
| 2020 | 40,611 | −5.8% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 40,368 | [6] | −0.6% |
| US Decennial Census[7] 1790-1960[8] 1900-1990[9] 1990-2000[10] 2010-2018[2] | |||
The2010 United States Census[11] indicates Sanilac County had a 2010 population of 43,114. This decrease of -1,433 people from the2000 United States Census represents a 3.2% population loss in the decade. In 2010 there were 17,132 households and 11,885 families in the county. Thepopulation density was 44.8 per square mile (17.3/km2). There were 22,725 housing units at an average density of 23.6 per square mile (9.1/km2). 96.6% of the population wereWhite, 0.5%Native American, 0.3%Black or African American, 0.3%Asian, 1.1% of some other race and 1.2%of two or more races. 3.3% wereHispanic or Latino (of any race). 26.1% were ofGerman, 11.0%Polish, 10.4%English, 8.3%Irish, 7.2%American and 5.1%French,French Canadian orCajun ancestry.[12]
There were 17,132 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% werehusband and wife families, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 26.4% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.6% under age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 21.8% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate[11] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $39,138 and the median income for a family was $47,885. Males had a median income of $27,440 versus $16,509 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $19,671. About 1.5% of families and 16.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.3% of those under the age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over.
Sanilac County has voted for the Republican nominee in every presidential election since the GOP's inaugural election in 1856 – except in 1912, when the county supportedTheodore Roosevelt'sBull Moose Party campaign. However, they had voted for the Republican nominee in 1912,William Howard Taft in the previous election (1908). Hence, every person who has won the GOP's nomination has won Sanilac County, Michigan. Theodore Roosevelt had also been the Republican nominee in 1904.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 17,080 | 73.11% | 5,957 | 25.50% | 325 | 1.39% |
| 2020 | 16,194 | 72.15% | 5,966 | 26.58% | 286 | 1.27% |
| 2016 | 13,446 | 69.85% | 4,873 | 25.32% | 930 | 4.83% |
| 2012 | 10,963 | 59.42% | 7,212 | 39.09% | 275 | 1.49% |
| 2008 | 10,679 | 52.95% | 9,047 | 44.86% | 443 | 2.20% |
| 2004 | 12,632 | 60.84% | 7,883 | 37.97% | 248 | 1.19% |
| 2000 | 10,966 | 59.06% | 7,153 | 38.53% | 447 | 2.41% |
| 1996 | 7,821 | 45.17% | 7,092 | 40.96% | 2,401 | 13.87% |
| 1992 | 7,891 | 42.07% | 5,868 | 31.28% | 4,999 | 26.65% |
| 1988 | 10,653 | 65.73% | 5,445 | 33.60% | 109 | 0.67% |
| 1984 | 12,627 | 75.12% | 4,126 | 24.54% | 57 | 0.34% |
| 1980 | 12,158 | 67.11% | 4,898 | 27.04% | 1,061 | 5.86% |
| 1976 | 10,597 | 62.87% | 6,042 | 35.84% | 217 | 1.29% |
| 1972 | 11,031 | 72.93% | 3,780 | 24.99% | 314 | 2.08% |
| 1968 | 9,273 | 65.45% | 3,193 | 22.54% | 1,702 | 12.01% |
| 1964 | 7,590 | 54.71% | 6,266 | 45.16% | 18 | 0.13% |
| 1960 | 11,005 | 72.47% | 4,153 | 27.35% | 27 | 0.18% |
| 1956 | 11,095 | 78.88% | 2,954 | 21.00% | 17 | 0.12% |
| 1952 | 11,181 | 82.47% | 2,298 | 16.95% | 78 | 0.58% |
| 1948 | 8,237 | 77.66% | 2,167 | 20.43% | 202 | 1.90% |
| 1944 | 9,512 | 82.09% | 2,015 | 17.39% | 60 | 0.52% |
| 1940 | 10,289 | 82.13% | 2,195 | 17.52% | 43 | 0.34% |
| 1936 | 6,975 | 63.20% | 3,285 | 29.77% | 776 | 7.03% |
| 1932 | 6,860 | 61.22% | 4,077 | 36.39% | 268 | 2.39% |
| 1928 | 7,888 | 81.59% | 1,736 | 17.96% | 44 | 0.46% |
| 1924 | 7,767 | 84.53% | 983 | 10.70% | 438 | 4.77% |
| 1920 | 7,256 | 84.66% | 1,146 | 13.37% | 169 | 1.97% |
| 1916 | 4,639 | 69.62% | 1,867 | 28.02% | 157 | 2.36% |
| 1912 | 2,166 | 32.19% | 1,161 | 17.26% | 3,401 | 50.55% |
| 1908 | 4,173 | 68.96% | 1,474 | 24.36% | 404 | 6.68% |
| 1904 | 4,671 | 74.37% | 1,217 | 19.38% | 393 | 6.26% |
| 1900 | 4,173 | 63.93% | 2,065 | 31.64% | 289 | 4.43% |
| 1896 | 3,634 | 51.74% | 3,156 | 44.93% | 234 | 3.33% |
| 1892 | 2,494 | 54.34% | 1,730 | 37.69% | 366 | 7.97% |
| 1888 | 2,940 | 51.66% | 2,434 | 42.77% | 317 | 5.57% |
| 1884 | 1,923 | 49.09% | 1,817 | 46.39% | 177 | 4.52% |
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 social services. Thecounty 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.
Sanilac County *10 September 1822: Sanilac County created by Michigan Territory from St. Clair and Non-County Area 2 attached to Oakland. Sanilac not fully organized, attached to Oakland for administrative and judicial purposes. (Terr. Papers U.S., 11:310-311) *12 April 1827: Sanilac detached from Oakland, attached to St. Clair "for judicial purposes." (Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:588) *28 March 1836: Part of Sanilac detached from St. Clair, attached to Lapeer "for judicial purposes." (Mich. Acts 1836, ann. sess., p. 67) *1 April 1840: Sanilac lost to creation of Huron and Tuscola. Sanilac detached from Lapeer, re-attached to St. Clair "for judicial purposes." (Mich. Acts 1840, ann. sess., no. 119, secs. 1, 4, 30, 32-34/pp. 196, 200) *3 April 1848: Sanilac gained from St. Clair. (Mich. Acts 1848, ann. sess., no. 228/p. 344) *31 December 1849: Sanilac fully organized, detached from St. Clair. (Mich. Acts 1848, ann. sess., no. 228/p. 344)
Places adjacent to Sanilac County, Michigan | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofSanilac County, Michigan,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Central/Mid-Michigan including the Tri-Cities and Thumb | |||||||
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