Okemos, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Okemos is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township
, Ingham County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is a census-designated place
(CDP) for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township. The population was 21,369 at the 2010 census
.
The Okemos Public Schools
includes Okemos and some immediate surrounding areas. The nickname of the school's sports teams is the Chiefs. Some have questioned the political correctness of the mascot despite the town being named after a Native American chieftain. The use of the image of the Chieftain head has been removed from most school-funded items, although several self-supporting sports teams still wear it.
The settlement of Hamilton was founded in 1839 by Freeman Bray as a trading point with the surrounding Ojibwa
people and as a farming community. In 1859, one year following the death of Chief John Okemos
(on whose treaty lands the community was built), the area was renamed Okemos to honor the Native American
chief.
It was originally a farming community, but has been entirely absorbed as a Lansing
suburb. The center of Okemos, referred to by many as "The Four Corners," is located at the intersection of Hamilton and Okemos Roads. The most notable business is the Meridian Mall (located on M-43
Grand River Avenue
), which is northeast of The Four Corners. The American novelist James Hynes
was born in Okemos in 1955.
, the CDP has a total area of 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²), of which, 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.8%) is water.
The Red Cedar River
runs through Okemos.
of 2010, there were 21,369 people, 8,824 households, and 5,416 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 1,274.7 per square mile (487.8/km²). There were 9,384 housing units at an average density of 554.9 per square mile (214.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.5% White, 14.4% Asian, 5.1% Black or African American
, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races
, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 9,194 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples
living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,810, and the median income for a family was $88,459 (These figures had risen to $75,736 and $101,903 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $60,601 versus $41,393 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $33,401. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.
In 2011, CNN Money Magazine rated Okemos as the 12th-best city to live in for "the rich and single".
Meridian Charter Township, Michigan
Meridian Charter Township is a charter township of Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census the township had a population of 39,688. Meridian Township is the local government unit that includes the unincorporated communities and census-designated places of Okemos and...
, Ingham County
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township. The population was 21,369 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
.
The Okemos Public Schools
Okemos Public Schools
Okemos Public Schools, originally organized in 1849, now represents a areain north-central Ingham County in Okemos, Michigan adjacent to East Lansing, Michigan and four miles east of Lansing, Michigan...
includes Okemos and some immediate surrounding areas. The nickname of the school's sports teams is the Chiefs. Some have questioned the political correctness of the mascot despite the town being named after a Native American chieftain. The use of the image of the Chieftain head has been removed from most school-funded items, although several self-supporting sports teams still wear it.
The settlement of Hamilton was founded in 1839 by Freeman Bray as a trading point with the surrounding Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
people and as a farming community. In 1859, one year following the death of Chief John Okemos
John Okemos
John Okemos was a Michigan Native American chief of the Saginaw Chippewa people of the Ojibwa nation. In the Ojibwa language, Ogimaans means "Little Chief." It is not known if this refers to Okemos' short stature or refers in some way to his actual power as a chief...
(on whose treaty lands the community was built), the area was renamed Okemos to honor the Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
chief.
It was originally a farming community, but has been entirely absorbed as a Lansing
Lansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
suburb. The center of Okemos, referred to by many as "The Four Corners," is located at the intersection of Hamilton and Okemos Roads. The most notable business is the Meridian Mall (located on M-43
M-43 (Michigan highway)
M-43 is a state trunkline highway in southwestern and central parts of the US state of Michigan. The highway runs from South Haven to Webberville along an indirect path through both rural areas and larger cities...
Grand River Avenue
Grand River Avenue
US Highway 16 , also called Grand River Avenue for much of its length, is one of the principal pre-Interstate roads in the state of Michigan. Before the creation of the United States Numbered Highway System in 1926, the highway had been designated M-16...
), which is northeast of The Four Corners. The American novelist James Hynes
James Hynes
James Hynes is an American novelist. He was born in Okemos, Michigan, and grew up in Big Rapids, Michigan. He lived for many years in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and currently resides in Austin, Texas, where he has taught creative writing at the University of Texas...
was born in Okemos in 1955.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²), of which, 16.8 square miles (43.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.8%) is water.
The Red Cedar River
Red Cedar River (Michigan)
The Red Cedar River is a westward-flowing tributary of the Grand River in Michigan. Its source is Cedar Lake which is located in Marion Township in the southeastern corner of Livingston County, and it runs about through Okemos, East Lansing, including the campus of Michigan State University, and...
runs through Okemos.
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 2010, there were 21,369 people, 8,824 households, and 5,416 families residing in the CDP. 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 1,274.7 per square mile (487.8/km²). There were 9,384 housing units at an average density of 554.9 per square mile (214.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.5% White, 14.4% Asian, 5.1% Black 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...
, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% 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 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.
There were 9,194 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,810, and the median income for a family was $88,459 (These figures had risen to $75,736 and $101,903 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $60,601 versus $41,393 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 CDP was $33,401. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.
In 2011, CNN Money Magazine rated Okemos as the 12th-best city to live in for "the rich and single".
Notable residents
- Tom WellingTom WellingThomas John Patrick "Tom" Welling is an American actor, director, producer, and former model, best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the WB/CW series Smallville....
: Best known for his portrayal of Clark KentClark Kent (Smallville)Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
in the CWThe CW Television NetworkThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
series SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. - Doc Corbin DartDoc Corbin DartDoc Corbin Dart is an alternative musician from the United States. He was lead singer, founder, and lyricist of the Lansing, Michigan 1980s punk rock band The Crucifucks...
: Punk rock musician
Points of interest
- The Meridian Historical Village http://www.meridian.mi.us/Parks/hist/hist_village.htm and farmers market
- Ferguson Park http://www.meridian.mi.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={9ED8FF7B-65B2-4032-9CEB-C512911220AB}, along the Red Cedar River on Okemos Road, is thought to be the meeting place where Chief Okemos and the war chiefs held their pow wows. The park is part of the oldest settlement in the area along the plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing.
- The Hamilton Building at 2060 Hamilton Road (near The Four Corners of Okemos), is the oldest commercial building in Okemos, and replaced the old Walker General Store, which was built in 1853. The Hamilton Building held its first ice cream social on June 11, 1904, and was built to house the International Order of Odd Fellows, a charity organization. The planks in the building are from the Walnut grove on which it sits. Along with Ferguson Park, it is also part of the oldest settlement in the area along the old plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing
- The Dr. James F. Smiley House built in 1870, is located near The Four Corners at 2142 Hamilton Road. Dr. Smiley was the town doctor. The porch was the last addition in 1930.
- Nancy Moore Park http://www.meridian.mi.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={68FBB57E-AF8C-406A-AF06-2520EFE544B6}
- Meridian Mall http://www.meridianmall.com whose motto is "Meridian Mall is the One, with a Million Square Feet of Fun!"
- Okemos Public SchoolsOkemos Public SchoolsOkemos Public Schools, originally organized in 1849, now represents a areain north-central Ingham County in Okemos, Michigan adjacent to East Lansing, Michigan and four miles east of Lansing, Michigan...
- The Hope Borbas Okemos branch http://www.cadl.org/new/okemos/branchinfo-okemos/ of the Capital Area District LibraryCapital Area District LibraryThe Capital Area District Library is a system of libraries in Ingham County, Michigan, United States. It was formed in 1998 by an agreement between Ingham County and the City of Lansing. It consists of thirteen libraries and a bookmobile. CADL is governed by a seven-member board, five of which are...