Livingston County, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 156,951 people, 55,384 households, and 43,531 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 276 people per square mile (107/km²). There were 58,919 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile (40/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.13% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.46% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.43% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.57% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.06% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 21.0% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 11.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 11.2% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 10.4% Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
, 7.9% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and 6.0% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.8% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 1.1% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
as their first language.
There were 55,384 households out of which 39.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.50% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.40% were non-families. 17.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.80% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 31.70% from 25 to 44, 24.60% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 102.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.70 males.
With a median household income of $67,400 (2008 estimate - $72,700), and a median family income of $75,284, Livingston county is one of the Highest-income counties in the United States
Highest-income counties in the United States
There are 3,141 counties in the United States. The source of the data is the U.S. Census Bureau and the data is current as of the indicated year. Independent cities are considered county-equivalent by the Census Bureau.-2011:...
. Males had a median income of $54,358 versus $32,073 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $28,069. About 2.40% of families and 3.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.60% of those under age 18 and 4.50% of those age 65 or over.
Due to the convenience of the major expressways previously mentioned, Livingston County has been the fastest growing county in the state for the past decade and also through the 1970s. More than 50% of all the population of Livingston County is located in the southeastern communities of Brighton Township, Genoa Township, Hamburg Township, Green Oak Township, the Village of Pinckney, Putnam Township and the City of Brighton.
The US Census Bureau in 2000 identified Brighton
Brighton, Michigan
Brighton is a principal satellite city of Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area...
, Howell
Howell, Michigan
Howell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
and the nearby city of South Lyon
South Lyon, Michigan
South Lyon is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,327 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area, which had a population of 106,139 according to the 2000 census...
to be a contiguously-urbanized area, one of the newest such areas in the United States.
By 2006 the county population had grown 17.6% to 184,511. Livingston County is the fastest-growing county in Michigan.
In 2006, non-Hispanic whites made up 95.7% of the county population; African-Americans made up 0.7%; Asians 0.8%; and Native Americans 0.4%. Hispanics were 1.6% of the population.
Media
There are currently two local newspapers, the "Livingston County Daily Press & ArgusLivingston County Daily Press & Argus
The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus is a daily newspaper published in Howell, Michigan and owned by Gannett. 'As its name implies, it covers news and sports within Livingston County and has offices in Howell and Brighton;. The Brighton office is scheduled to close December 2008. It's...
, owned by Gannett Corp. and "The Community Journal", which is independently owned.
Published Sunday through Friday, the Daily Press & Argus was launched in 2000 through the combination of two weekly newspapers -- The Livingston County Press and The Brighton Argus -- which served the communities for many decades.
"The Community Journal" was launched in February 2010 by Steve Horton and Buddy Moorehouse, two veteran newspaper professionals. It publishes every Tuesday, covering Pinckney, Fowlerville and the Howell areas. It is edited by veteran county journalist Stephenie Koehn. The Journal is published along with the Fowlerville News and Views, which has been published for 25 years by Horton and his wife Dawn.
A weekly all-local paper,The Livingston Community News, was launched in May 2003 with offices in downtown Brighton and was closed in July 2009 when "The Ann Arbor News, the newspaper's parent company, ceased publication. Koehn was a former reporter with The Community News.
Other media in the county includes WHMI-FM, a Classic Hits radio station that has local news on the hour, and www.LivingstonTalk.com, a web-based product launched in the fall of 2009 by Moorehouse and fellow veteran journalist Maria Stuart. Moorehouse and Stuart previously worked as editors for a combined 45 years at the Daily Press and Argus.
"The Marketeer" is a free monthly magazine that is mailed to more than 42,000 in Livingston County. Its content is primarily advertising from local businesses plus articles and information about people and community events. The Marketeer has been published by George Moses Company since 1974.
Government
The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates themajor local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and
other social services. The county board of commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
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.
Livingston County elected officials
- Prosecuting AttorneyProsecutorThe prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
: David L. Morse - SheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
: Robert J. Bezotte - County Clerk: Margaret M. Dunleavy
- County TreasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
: Dianne H. Hardy - Register of Deeds: Sally Reynolds
- Drain CommissionerDrain commissionerA drain commissioner is an elected official in counties of the U.S. state of Michigan with a population over 12,000. In counties with a population under 12,000, the statutory duties and responsibilities of the drain commissioner are performed by the county's board of road commissioners.The office...
: Brian Jonckheere
(information as of July 2011)
Politics
| Year | Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 55.6% 55,592 | 42.4% 42,349 |
| 2004 | 62.8% 58,860 | 36.2% 33,991 |
| 2000 | 59.1% 44,637 | 38.1% 28,780 |
| 1996 | 50.8% 30,598 | 37.4% 22,517 |
| 1992 | 44.6% 27,539 | 28.9% 17,851 |
| 1988 | 68.8% 31,331 | 30.2% 13,749 |
| 1984 | 74.4% 31,846 | 25.0% 10,720 |
| 1980 | 60.2% 25,012 | 30.4% 12,626 |
| 1976 | 59.8% 19,437 | 38.2% 12,415 |
| 1972 | 66.8% 16,856 | 30.3% 7,634 |
| 1968 | 51.0% 10,034 | 35.9% 7,052 |
| 1964 | 40.9% 6,723 | 59.0% 9,698 |
| 1960 | 64.7% 10,340 | 35.1% 5,608 |
Livingston County is a stronghold of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In 2008, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 55,592 votes (55.6% of the county's vote) to 42,349 (42.4%) for Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, even as Obama carried the state by a double-digit margin. Democrats last carried the county in 1964.
Four years earlier, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
easily won the county, receiving 58,860 votes (62.8%) to 33,991 (36.2%) for Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
.
In 2000, George W. Bush received 44,637 votes (59.1%) to 28,780 (38.1%) for Democrat Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
.
In 1996, Republican Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
received 30,598 votes (50.8%) to 22,517 (37.4%) to Democrat Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who carried the state by a double-digit margin.
In 1992, Republican George H.W. Bush received 27,539 votes (44.6%) to Clinton's 17,851 (28.9%), while independent Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
received 15,971 (25.9%).
In 1988, George H.W. Bush received 31,331 votes (68.8%) to 13,749 (30.2%) for Democrat Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
.
In 1984, Republican Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
received 31,846 votes (74.4%) to 10,720 (25.0%) for Democrat Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
Cities, villages, and townships
Cities- BrightonBrighton, MichiganBrighton is a principal satellite city of Metro Detroit located in the southeast portion of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,444. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area...
- HowellHowell, MichiganHowell is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 9,489. It is the county seat of Livingston County and is located mostly within Howell Township, but is politically independent from Howell Township...
Villages
- FowlervilleFowlerville, MichiganFowlerville is a village in Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the northeast portion of Handy Township, but is politically independent from the township. The population was 2,886 at the 2010 census.-History:...
- PinckneyPinckney, MichiganPinckney is a village in Putnam Township, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,141 at the 2000 census.Three miles west of Pinckney, on Patterson Lake Road, is the famous tourist destination of Hell, Michigan.-Geography:...
Unincorporated communities
- Hartland
- HellHell, MichiganHell, or Hiland Lake, is an unincorporated community in Putnam Township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is near the border with Washtenaw County, about northwest of Ann Arbor. Hell is situated southwest of Pinckney via Patterson Lake Road...
- Parshallville
- Whitmore LakeWhitmore Lake, MichiganWhitmore Lake is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community spans the boundary between Green Oak Township in Livingston County and Northfield Township in Washtenaw County. The United States Census Bureau has defined a census-designated place with this name for...
Townships
- Brighton Charter TownshipBrighton Township, MichiganBrighton Charter Township is a charter township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 17,673.- Communities :...
- Cohoctah TownshipCohoctah Township, MichiganCohoctah Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,394 at the 2000 census. It is located in the northwest quadrant of the county, bordered by Conway Township to the west, Deerfield Township to the east, and Howell Township to the south...
- Conway TownshipConway Township, MichiganConway Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,732 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Deerfield TownshipDeerfield Township, Livingston County, MichiganDeerfield Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,087 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Deer Creek is an unincoporated community on Wiggins Road south of Cohoctah Road at ....
- Genoa Charter TownshipGenoa Township, MichiganGenoa Charter Township is a charter township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 15,901.-Communities:...
- Green Oak Charter TownshipGreen Oak Township, MichiganGreen Oak Charter Township is a charter township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 15,618...
- Hamburg TownshipHamburg Township, MichiganHamburg Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 20,627.- Communities :A trio of unincorporated community exist with in the Township....
- Handy TownshipHandy Township, MichiganHandy Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,004 at the 2000 census.-Local government:Township Supervisor: Dr...
- Hartland TownshipHartland Township, MichiganHartland Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,996 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Howell TownshipHowell Township, MichiganHowell Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,679 at the 2000 census. The City of Howell is administratively autonomous and has incorporated approximately of the southwestern portion of the township.-Communities:*Fleming is...
- Iosco TownshipIosco Township, MichiganIosco Township is a civil township in the southwest quadrant of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,039 at the 2000 census.-Community:*Parkers Corners, also Iosco, is an Unincorporated community in the township at W...
- Marion TownshipMarion Township, Livingston County, MichiganMarion Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,757 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Oceola TownshipOceola Township, MichiganOceola Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 8,362.-Geography:...
- Putnam TownshipPutnam Township, MichiganPutnam Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,500 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
- Tyrone TownshipTyrone Township, Livingston County, MichiganTyrone Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,459 at the 2000 census.It was named after County Tyrone in Northern Ireland.-Communities:...
- Unadilla TownshipUnadilla Township, MichiganUnadilla Township is a civil township of the southwest corner of Livingston County, Michigan, United States. The population was 3,190 at the 2000 census.-Communities:There are no incorporated municipalities in the township...
Interstates
I-96Interstate 96Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...
I-96 Business Loop travels through downtown Howell.
Michigan State Trunklines
M-36M-36 (Michigan highway)M-36 is a state trunkline route in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan that runs in a west–east direction from Mason to Whitmore Lake. The route connects US 127 south of Lansing and US 23 north of Ann Arbor-Route description:...
M-59M-59 (Michigan highway)M-59 is an east–west state trunkline highway that crosses the northern part of Metropolitan Detroit in the US state of Michigan. It runs between Howell at Interstate 96 and I-94 on the Chesterfield Township – Harrison Township line near the Selfridge Air National Guard Base...
M-106M-106 (Michigan highway)M-106 is the designation given to a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan near the city of Jackson. M-106 travels in a southwest to northeast direction from Jackson to Gregory at a junction with M-36 just a few miles northwest of Hell. In Jackson, M-106...
Livingston County Intercounty Highways
-
D-19 -
D-32
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Livingston County, Michigan