Schoolcraft County, Michigan
Schoolcraft County is a county located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 8,047, making it Michigan's fourth-least populous county. The county seat is Manistique, which lies along the northern shore of Lake Michigan. The county is named in honor of Henry Schoolcraft, who explored the area with the expedition of Lewis Cass. The county was founded in 1843 and organized in 1876. The county is largely rural and forested, with much of its western portion within Hiawatha National Forest. Geography. According to the  U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (38%) is water. Demographics. The 2010 United States Census indicates Schoolcraft County had a population of 8,485. This decrease of 418 people from the 2000 United States Census represents a -4.7% change in population. In 2010 there were 3,759 households and 2,425 families in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (3/km). There were 6,313 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km). 87.6% of the population were White, 8.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1 % Black or African American, 0.1% of some other race and 3.3% of two or more races. 0.8% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 16.2% were of German, 13.2% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 7.8% Swedish, 6.7% Irish, 5.3% Polish, 5.2% English and 5.1% American ancestry. There were 3,759 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who  was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72. The county population contained 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.3 years. The population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female. The median income for a household in the county was $38,367, and the median income for a family was $49,561. The per capita income for the county was $ 21,134. About 11.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. Government. Schoolcraft County has been Republican-leaning from its start. Since 1876, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 69% of the elections (25 of 36 elections). Schoolcraft County operates the County jail, Schoolcraft County Public Transit, 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. Historic places. The National Register of Historic Places listings in Schoolcraft County, Michigan are: