Dickinson County, Michigan

Dickinson County, Michigan
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	1891
Seat	Iron Mountain
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	777.12 sq mi (2,013 km²) 766.34 sq mi (1,985 km²) 10.78 sq mi (28 km²), 1.39%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	27,472 36/sq mi (14/km²)
Website	www.dickinsoncountymi.gov

Dickinson County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,168. The county seat is Iron Mountain. Dickinson is Michigan's newest county, formed in 1891 from parts of Marquette, Menominee, and Iron counties. It was named for Don M. Dickinson (D), U.S. Postmaster General under President Grover Cleveland.

Dickinson County is part of the Iron Mountain, MI–WI Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 777.12 square miles (2,012.7 km²), of which 766.34 square miles (1,984.8 km²) (or 98.61%) is land and 10.78 square miles (27.9 km²) (or 1.39%) is water.

Highways

• US 2
• US 8
• US 141
• M-69
• M-95

County roads

• G-69

Demographics

Dickinson County Courthouse.

The 2010 United States Census indicates Dickinson County had a 2010 population of 26,168. This is a decrease of -1,304 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -4.7% growth rate during this ten year period. In 2010 there were 11,359 households and 7,320 families in the county. The population density was 34.4 per square mile (13.3 square kilometers). There were 13,990 housing units at an average density of 18.4 per square mile (7.1 square kilometers). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 96.6% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 1.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.0% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races.

There were 11,359 households out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were husband and wife families, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 30.6% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county the population was spread out with 21.4% under age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 31.6% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $42,331 and the median income for a family was $52,222. Males had a median income of $31,402 versus $14,957 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,583. About 3.4% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under the age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Dickinson County fairgrounds

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county 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. In the 2006 elections, it was also the most supportive county of proposal 2, a state constitutional amendment banning affirmative action programs. It received 74.2% support in the county.

Dickinson County elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Stephanie Brule
• Sheriff: Scott Celello
• County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Dolly L. Cook
• County Treasurer: Margie Tarsi
• Drain Commissioner: Richard Rahoi
• Mine Inspector: Todd Jastremski

(information as of September 2005)

Cities, villages, and townships

Cities

• Iron Mountain
• Kingsford
• Norway

Unincorporated communities

Alfred Antoine is a locale, now part of the City of Iron Mountain, that takes its name from the nearby Lake Antoine [1] Channing East Kingsford Felch Felch Mountain

Floodwood Foster City Granite Bluff Hardwood Hylas Loretto Merriman Metropolitan

Quinnesec Ralph Randville Sagola Skidmore Spruce was a stop on the Chicago and North Western Railway, about three miles east of Metropolitan

Theodore Turner was a stop on the Escanaba and Lake Superior Railway about six miles west of Ralph Vulcan Waucedah

Townships

Breen Township Breitung Township

Felch Township Norway Township

Sagola Township Waucedah Township

West Branch Township

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dickinson County, Michigan

External links

• Dickinson county government
• Dickinson Area Partnership
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Dickinson County.