Shiawassee County, Michigan


Shiawassee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 68,094. The county seat is Corunna, and the largest city in the county is Owosso. In 2010, the center of population of Michigan was located in Shiawassee County, in Bennington Township.
Shiawassee County is included in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
WWW shiawassee.net

History

In 1822, the Michigan Territorial legislature defined a new county, Shiawassee, 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, of which is land and, 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

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 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, NW of Durand.

Rail

Airport

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

Demographics

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, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.0% of the population.
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. There were 30,319 housing units at an average density of. 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. 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. 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

Communities

Cities

Villages

Charter townships

Civil townships

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities