Branch County, Michigan
| Branch County, Michigan | ||
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 Location in the state of Michigan |
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 Michigan's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1829 | |
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| Seat | Coldwater | |
| Largest city | Coldwater | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
519.49 sq mi (1,345 km²) 507.41 sq mi (1,314 km²) 12.08 sq mi (31 km²), 2.33% |
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| Population - (2010) - Density |
45,248 91/sq mi (35/km²) |
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| Website | co.branch.mi.us | |
Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,248. The county seat is Coldwater[1].
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[edit] Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 519.49 square miles (1,345.5 km2), of which 507.41 square miles (1,314.2 km2) (or 97.67%) is land and 12.08 square miles (31.3 km2) (or 2.33%) is water.[2]
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Calhoun County (north)
- Hillsdale County (east)
- St. Joseph County (west)
- Steuben County, Indiana (south)
- LaGrange County, Indiana (southwest)
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Calhoun County | |
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| St. Joseph County |  |
Hillsdale County | ||
 Branch County, Michigan  |
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| LaGrange County, Indiana | Steuben County, Indiana |
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 27,811 |
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| 1910 | 25,605 | −7.9% | |
| 1920 | 23,997 | −6.3% | |
| 1930 | 23,950 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 25,845 | 7.9% | |
| 1950 | 30,202 | 16.9% | |
| 1960 | 34,903 | 15.6% | |
| 1970 | 37,906 | 8.6% | |
| 1980 | 40,188 | 6.0% | |
| 1990 | 41,502 | 3.3% | |
| 2000 | 45,787 | 10.3% | |
| 2010 | 45,248 | −1.2% | |
The 2010 United States Census[3] indicates Branch County had a 2010 population of 45,248. This is a decrease of -539 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -1.2% growth rate during this ten year period. In 2010 there were 16,419 households and 11,350 families in the county. The population density was 89.4 per square mile (34.5 square kilometers). There were 20,841 housing units at an average density of 41.2 per square mile (15.9 square kilometers). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 90.9% White, 3.0% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races.
There were 16,419 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were husband and wife families, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.9% were non-families, and 25.8% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.9% under age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 111.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.9 males.
The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate[3] indicates the median income for a household in the county was $41,855 and the median income for a family was $48,959. Males had a median income of $25,595 versus $17,263 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,289. About 2.5% of families and 17.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.3% of those under the age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
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.
[edit] Branch County elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: Terri Norris
- Sheriff: Warren Cannon
- County Clerk: Teresa Kubasiak
- County Treasurer: Sandra Thatcher
- Register of Deeds: Nancy Hutchins
- Drain Commissioner: Michael Hard
- County Surveyor: Edward W. Reed
(information as of September 2005)
[edit] Cities, villages, and townships
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Villages |
Unincorporated |
Townships
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Interstates
I-69
I-69 Business Loop routes through Coldwater.
[edit] US Highways
US 12, is an east-west route crossing through the southern portion of the state from Detroit to the Indiana state line at Michiana.
[edit] Michigan State Trunklines
M-60 runs east from Niles to I-94 at Jackson.
M-66 runs south from Sturgis through Battle Creek and ending near Charlevoix.
M-86 runs east from Three Rivers to approximately 1 mile west of Coldwater.
[edit] See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Branch County, Michigan
- USS Branch County (LST-482)
[edit] References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. http://www.census.gov/tiger/tms/gazetteer/county2k.txt. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ a b "American Factfinder". United States Census Bureau accessdate=March 11, 2012. http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml.
[edit] External links
- Branch County government
- Branch County Tourism Bureau
- Branch County Chamber of Commerce
- Office of the County Clerk
- Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Branch County
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