Kalamazoo County, Michigan

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Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	May 7, 1830
Seat	Kalamazoo
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	580.18 sq mi (1,503 km²) 561.86 sq mi (1,455 km²) 18.32 sq mi (47 km²), 3.16%
Population  - (2020)  - Density	261,670 425/sq mi (164/km²)
Website	www.kalcounty.com

Kalamazoo County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo. It is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropolitan Area.

History

See, Etymology of Kalamazoo for detail on the origin of the name. See also, List of Michigan county name etymologies.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 580.18 square miles (1,502.7 km²), of which 561.86 square miles (1,455.2 km²) (or 96.84%) is land and 18.32 square miles (47.4 km²) (or 3.16%) is water.

Geographic features

• Kalamazoo River
• Portage River

Adjacent counties

• Barry County - northeast
• Allegan County - northwest
• Calhoun County - east
• Van Buren County - west
• Branch County - southeast
• St. Joseph County - south
• Cass County - southwest

Transportation

Air Service

• The Kalamazoo & Battle Creek Metro Area is served by Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport.

Highways

Interstates

• I-94
• I-94 Business Loop

US highways

• US-131
•  
  BUS US 131

Michigan State Trunklines

• M-43
• M-89
• M-96

Intercounty Highways

• A-45

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1840	7,380		—
1850	13,179		78.6%
1860	24,646		87.0%
1870	32,054		30.1%
1880	34,342		7.1%
1890	39,273		14.4%
1900	44,310		12.8%
1910	60,327		36.1%
1920	71,225		18.1%
1930	91,368		28.3%
1940	100,085		9.5%
1950	126,707		26.6%
1960	169,712		33.9%
1970	201,550		18.8%
1980	212,378		5.4%
1990	223,411		5.2%
2000	238,603		6.8%
2010	250,331		4.9%

As of the census of 2000, there were 238,603 people, 93,479 households, and 57,956 families residing in the county. The population density was 425 people per square mile (164/km²). There were 99,250 housing units at an average density of 177 per square mile (68/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.57% White, 9.73% Black or African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.83% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 2.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.3% were of German, 11.5% Dutch, 10.3% English, 8.4% Irish and 7.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 93.7% spoke English and 2.8% Spanish as their first language.

There were 93,479 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.70% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.00% were non-families. 28.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 15.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,022, and the median income for a family was $53,953. Males had a median income of $39,611 versus $27,965 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,739. About 6.50% of families and 12.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.30% of those under age 18 and 6.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Kalamazoo County was a bastion of the Republican Party following the Civil War. From 1884 until 1988, voters selected the Republican Party nominee all but three times–in 1912, 1936 and 1964. However, since 1992 the county has voted Democratic in national elections (through 2020). It swung particularly heavily to the Democrats after 2008, following the trend in most urban counties across the country.

United States presidential election results for Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	56,823	39.53%	83,686	58.22%	3,237	2.25%
2016	51,034	40.41%	67,148	53.17%	8,117	6.43%
2012	52,662	42.58%	69,051	55.83%	1,977	1.60%
2008	51,554	39.34%	77,051	58.79%	2,456	1.87%
2004	57,147	47.71%	61,462	51.31%	1,174	0.98%
2000	48,254	47.94%	48,807	48.49%	3,595	3.57%
1996	40,703	43.70%	45,644	49.01%	6,788	7.29%
1992	38,035	36.62%	43,568	41.95%	22,255	21.43%
1988	50,205	55.64%	39,457	43.73%	573	0.64%
1984	58,327	63.82%	32,460	35.52%	601	0.66%
1980	48,669	50.90%	34,528	36.11%	12,420	12.99%
1976	51,462	59.09%	33,411	38.37%	2,212	2.54%
1972	50,405	58.77%	33,324	38.85%	2,041	2.38%
1968	39,796	53.90%	26,437	35.81%	7,599	10.29%
1964	27,100	39.79%	40,789	59.89%	215	0.32%
1960	42,800	63.47%	24,286	36.01%	348	0.52%
1956	43,305	70.49%	17,808	28.99%	320	0.52%
1952	38,847	66.76%	18,967	32.60%	371	0.64%
1948	23,799	57.32%	16,393	39.49%	1,325	3.19%
1944	24,974	59.96%	16,223	38.95%	457	1.10%
1940	25,596	58.68%	17,733	40.65%	293	0.67%
1936	17,824	47.68%	17,870	47.81%	1,686	4.51%
1932	18,584	55.01%	13,974	41.36%	1,227	3.63%
1928	23,626	79.20%	5,946	19.93%	258	0.86%
1924	18,451	75.31%	3,587	14.64%	2,462	10.05%
1920	13,765	67.53%	5,271	25.86%	1,348	6.61%
1916	5,951	41.99%	7,164	50.55%	1,058	7.46%
1912	2,642	21.47%	3,660	29.74%	6,006	48.80%
1908	6,511	54.63%	4,477	37.57%	930	7.80%
1904	7,163	62.34%	3,264	28.40%	1,064	9.26%
1900	6,010	53.62%	4,707	41.99%	492	4.39%
1896	5,891	51.16%	5,434	47.19%	190	1.65%
1892	4,968	50.56%	4,018	40.90%	839	8.54%
1888	5,437	54.66%	3,950	39.71%	560	5.63%
1884	4,515	51.78%	3,750	43.00%	455	5.22%

The county government operates the jail, provides law enforcement in unincorporated areas, 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—fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Jeffrey S. Getting (Democrat)
• Sheriff: Richard Fuller (Democrat)
• County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Meredith Place (Democrat)
• County Treasurer: Thomas Whitener (Democrat)
• Drain Commissioner: Jason Wiersma (Democrat)
• County Surveyor: Gary D. Hahn (Republican)
• County Commission or Board of Commissioners: 11 members, elected from districts (7 Democrats, 4 Republicans)
• Circuit Court: 7 judges (all non-partisan)

Cities, villages, and townships

Cities Galesburg Kalamazoo Parchment Portage

Villages Augusta Climax Richland Schoolcraft Vicksburg

Unincorporated Comstock Northwest Eastwood Greater Galesburg South Gull Lake Westwood

Townships

Alamo Township Brady Township Charleston Township Climax Township Comstock Charter Township

Cooper Charter Township Kalamazoo Charter Township Oshtemo Charter Township Pavilion Township Prairie Ronde Township

Richland Township Ross Township Schoolcraft Township Texas Charter Township Wakeshma Township

See also

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

External links

• Kalamazoo County Government
• Chronology of Township, Village and City Formation
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Kalamazoo County