Shiawassee County, Michigan

History

In 1822, the Michigan Territorial legislature defined a new county, Shiawassee (named for the Shiawassee River), taken from portions of existing Oakland and St. Clair counties. However, for purposes of representation, revenue, and judicial matters, the area was temporarily assigned to adjoining county governments. In early 1837, the Michigan Territory was admitted into the Union as the State of Michigan, and that same year the new Michigan State government authorized the organization of a county government in Shiawassee.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 541 sqmi, of which 531 sqmi is land and 10 sqmi, or 1.9%, is water. The Shiawassee River enters it from Genesee County in the southeast and flows through Corunna and Owosso in the center of the county, exiting to Saginaw County in the north. Shiawassee County is considered to be a part of Central Michigan.

Adjacent counties

• Saginaw County – north
• Genesee County – east
• Livingston County – southeast
• Ingham County – southwest
• Clinton County – west
• Gratiot County – northwest

Transportation

Highways

• • enters near SW corner of county. Runs ENE past Shaftsburg, Perry, Morrice, Bancroft, Durand. Exits running east into Genesee County.
• • runs along the east line of county, from NE corner to intersection with I-69 one mile (1.6 km) south of Lennon.
• • runs east–west through upper middle of county, passing Corunna and Owosso.
• • enters north line of county at Oakley. Runs south to Owosso, then SW and south to Perry. Exits running south into Ingham County.
• • begins at Owosso. Runs ESE to intersection with I-69, 1 mi NW of Durand.

Rail

• Durand Union Station in Durand offers access to Amtrak's Blue Water route. The train runs from Port Huron to Chicago.

Airport

Owosso Community Airport – 2 mi east of Owosso. Public airport for general aviation, primarily smaller aircraft.

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 68,094. The median age was 43.3 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.1 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian,

40.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 59.8% lived in rural areas.

There were 27,889 households in the county, of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.9% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 30,231 housing units, of which 7.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 76.9% were owner-occupied and 23.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, Shiawassee County had a 2010 population of 70,648. This decrease of -1,039 people from the 2000 United States census represents a decrease of 1.4% during that ten-year period. In 2010 there were 27,481 households and 19,397 families in the county. The population density was 133.1 /mi2. There were 30,319 housing units at an average density of 57.1 /mi2. 96.7% of the population were White, 0.5% Native American, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.5% of some other race and 1.5% of two or more races. 2.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 22.2% were of German, 21.8% English, 9.5% Irish, 5.2% French, French Canadian or Cajun and 5.1% Polish ancestry according to 2010 American Community Survey.

The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $46,528 and the median income for a family was $52,614. Males had a median income of $32,155 versus $19,301 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,103. About 10.6% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under the age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Shiawassee County has tended to vote Republican since the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee for president has carried 75% of the elections (27 of 36). Until the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the county was a U.S. presidential bellwether county, voting for the winner of the U.S. presidential election from 1980 to 2016.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.

COVID-19 hazard pay scandal

On July 25, 2021, it was revealed that the county's board of commissioners paid themselves a total of $65,000 out of a $557,000 federal relief funds earmarked for county employee hazard pay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees typically received $1,000 to $2,000. The seven member board of commissioners voted themselves $5,000 for four members, $10,000 for two, and the chairman of the county commissioners $25,000. Following days of criticism, a Shiawassee prosecutor declared the bonuses illegal; commissioners responded that they would return the money.

Elected officials

• Governor: Gretchen Whitmer (D)
• Lt. Governor: Garlin Gilchrist (D)
• Attorney General: Dana Nessel (D)
• Secretary of State: Jocelyn Benson (D)
• U.S. Rep 7th District: Tom Barrett (R)
• State Senator 28th District: Sam Singh (D)
• State Senator Lana Theis 22nd District: Lana Theis (R)
• State Rep. 71st District: Brian BeGole (R)
• State Rep. 75th District: Penelope Tsernoglou (D)
• Prosecutor: Scott Koerner (R)
• Sheriff: Doug Chapman (R)
• County Clerk: Caroline Wilson (R)
• County Treasurer: Julie Sorenson (R)
• Register of Deeds: Lori Kimble (R)
• Drain Commissioner: Tony Newman (D)
• County Surveyor: William Wascher (R)
• Road Commissioners: Mike Continue (R); Ric Crawford (R); John Plowman (R)
• Commissioner District 1: Josh Haley (R)
• Commissioner District 2: Greg Brodeur (R)
• Commissioner District 3: Gary Holzhausen (R)
• Commissioner District 4: Bill Johnson (R)
• Commissioner District 5: Brad Howard (R)
• Commissioner District 6: Cindy Garber (R)
• Commissioner District 7: Matthew Shepard (R)

(information as of January 2025)

Communities

Cities

• Corunna (county seat)
• Durand
• Laingsburg
• Ovid (partial)
• Owosso
• Perry

Villages

• Bancroft
• Byron
• Lennon
• Morrice
• New Lothrop
• Vernon

Charter townships

• Caledonia Charter Township
• Owosso Charter Township

Civil townships

• Antrim Township
• Bennington Township
• Burns Township
• Fairfield Township
• Hazelton Township
• Middlebury Township
• New Haven Township
• Perry Township
• Rush Township
• Sciota Township
• Shiawassee Township
• Venice Township
• Vernon Township
• Woodhull Township

Census-designated places

• Henderson
• Middletown
• Shaftsburg

Other unincorporated communities

• Antrim Center
• Bennington
• Burton
• Carland
• Easton
• Five Points
• Forest Green Estates
• Hoovers Corners
• Juddville
• Kerby
• Newburg
• New Haven
• Nicholson
• Olney Corners
• Pittsburg
• Shiawasseetown
• Smith Crossing
• Union Plains

References

References

1. "Bibliography on Shiawassee County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties.
3. "Centers of Population by State: 2010". US Census Bureau.
4. (August 22, 2012). "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau.
5. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables". United States Census Bureau.
6. "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau.
7. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library.
8. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau.
9. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau.
10. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)".
11. (2021). "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)".
12. (2023). "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)".
13. "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau.
14. "2010 Data Release – Data & Documentation – American Community Survey – US Census Bureau".
15. [http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS US Election Atlas]
16. (July 25, 2021). "Michigan Republicans will return Covid relief funds used to pay own bonuses". [[The Guardian]].