MENOMINEE County, MI

Menominee County is a county located in the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 23,502. The county seat is Menominee. The county's name comes from an American Indian word meaning "wild rice eater" used to describe a tribe. The county was created in 1861 from area partitioned out of Delta County, under the name of Bleeker. When county government was organized in 1863, the name was changed to Menominee.

Menominee County is part of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (22%) is water.

Major highways

Airport

Adjacent counties

Demographics

The 2010 United States Census indicates Menominee County had a population of 24,029. This decrease of 1,297 people from the 2000 United States Census represents a 5.1% population decrease. In 2010 there were 10,474 households and 6,819 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile (9/km²). There were 14,227 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile (5/km²). 95.3% of the population were White, 2.7% Native American, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 0.2% of some other race and 1.2% of two or more races. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 28.2% were of German, 13.1% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 8.4% Polish, 6.5% Swedish, 5.2% Irish and 5.2% American ancestry.

There were 10,474 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.77.

The county population contained 21.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. The population was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,014 and the median income for a family was $50,007. The per capita income for the county was $21,886. About 11.1% of people in families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.6% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Menominee County was strongly Republican-leaning at its start, but has been more middle-leaning during the 20th century. Since 1876, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 69% of the elections (25 of 36 elections).

Menominee County operates the County 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.

Elected officials

(information as of September 2018)

Communities

Cities

Villages

Civil townships

Unincorporated communities

Indian reservations