| Oceana County, Michigan | ||
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Location in the state of Michigan |
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Michigan's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1831 | |
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| Seat | Hart | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,306.73 sq mi (3,384 km²) 540.46 sq mi (1,400 km²) 766.27 sq mi (1,985 km²), 58.64% |
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| Population - (2000) - Density |
26,873 49/sq mi (19/km²) |
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| Website | www.co.oceana.mi.us | |
Oceana County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 26,873. The county seat is Hart[1]. Oceana County is thought to be named for Lake Michigan, a freshwater "ocean."[2] However, there is an opposing viewpoint which holds that it was named for the book Oceana, written by James Harrington in 1656.[3] See List of Michigan county name etymologies.
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According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 1,306.73 square miles (3,384.4 km2), of which 540.46 square miles (1,399.8 km2) (or 41.36%) is land and 766.27 square miles (1,984.6 km2) (or 58.64%) is water.[4] Oceana County is famous as the "Asparagus Capital of the World" for its high production of asparagus. The annual Asparagus festival includes a parade and crowning of the Asparagus Queen. This is a source of great pride for those who are so crowned.
| Mason County | ||||
| Lake Michigan Sheboygan County, Wisconsin |
Newaygo County | |||
| Oceana County, Michigan | ||||
| Lake Michigan Ozaukee County, Wisconsin |
Muskegon County |
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 26,873 people, 9,778 households, and 7,265 families residing in the county. The population density was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 15,009 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.37% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 1.04% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.10% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. 11.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.4% were of German, 10.1% American, 8.8% English, 8.6% Dutch and 8.0% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 89.1% spoke only English, while 9.9% spoke Spanish at home. In 2000 Oceana County had the highest percentage of Latinos of any county in Michigan.
By 2005 the percentage of non-Hispanic whites in Oceana county was down to 83.8. African Americans had nearly doubled to 0.6% of the population. Native Americans held steady at 1.0% of the population. Asians also were the same percentage of the population. Latinos continued to grow in numbers, now constituting 13.9% of the population.[7]
In 2000 there were 9,778 households out of which 34.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.70% were non-families. 21.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the county the population was spread out with 28.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $35,307, and the median income for a family was $40,602. Males had a median income of $31,834 versus $22,236 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,878. About 11.00% of families and 14.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.60% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.
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.
(information as of July 2010)
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