Cass County, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cass County, Michigan | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Michigan |
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 Michigan's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | 1829 |
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| Seat | Cassopolis |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
508 sq mi (1,316 km²) 492 sq mi (1,274 km²) 16 sq mi (41 km²), 3.20% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
51,104 104/sq mi (40/km²) |
| Website: www.casscountymi.org | |
Cass County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,104. It is part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, Indiana, metropolitan area which has a total population of 316,663. The county seat is Cassopolis[1]. The county is named for the Michigan Territorial Governor, Lewis Cass at the time the county was created in 1829. Cass later served as the United States Secretary of War under President Andrew Jackson, thus making a case for including Cass County as one of Michigan's "cabinet counties".
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[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 508 square miles (1,317 km²), of which, 492 square miles (1,275 km²) of it is land and 16 square miles (42 km²) of it (3.20%) is water.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Van Buren County (north)
- St. Joseph County (east)
- Berrien County (west)
- Elkhart County, Indiana (southeast)
- St. Joseph County, Indiana (southwest)
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2000 census, [2] there were 51,104 people, 19,676 households, and 14,304 families residing in the county. The population density was 104 people per square mile (40/km²). There were 23,884 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.19% White, 6.12% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 2.15% from two or more races. 2.41% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 26.6% were of German, 11.1% American, 10.3% Irish, 10.1% English and 5.0% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.4% spoke English and 2.0% Spanish as their first language.
There were 19,676 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.20% were married couples living together, 9.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.50% under the age of 18, 7.40% from 18 to 24, 27.60% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $41,264, and the median income for a family was $46,901. Males had a median income of $35,546 versus $24,526 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,474. About 6.80% of families and 9.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.60% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] US highways
[edit] Michigan highways
M-40
M-51
M-60
M-60 Business Route serves the city of Niles. The route starts in Cass County and ends in neighboring Berrien County.
M-62
M-152
M-216
M-217
[edit] Government
The county government operates the jail, 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 — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
[edit] Cass County elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: Victor Fitz
- Sheriff: Joseph M. Underwood, Jr.
- County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Barbara K. Wilson
- County Treasurer: Linda Irwin
- Drain Commissioner: Jeff VanBelle
- County Surveyor: Roger Stephenson
(information as of September 2005)
[edit] Cities, villages, and townships
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Cities |
Villages |
Unincorporated
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Townships
[edit] References
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Statistical profile of Cass County, Michigan, United States Census Bureau, Census 2000
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
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