Montcalm County’s population increased by 28.8 percent between 1980 and 2000 to reach a total of 61,266 (Table 29). Region 8’s population increased by 31.9 percent during the same 20-year period to reach 1,104,848. Both the Region and Montcalm County grew at a much greater rate than Michigan as-a-whole, which increased by 7.3 percent. 2003 Census estimates show the County’s population increased to 62,926, which is a 2.7 percent increase over three years. Projections indicate Montcalm County’s population will continue to grow and by 2020 will reach 85,191.

Table 29 – Population Trends & Projections

Montcalm County’s age distribution (Table 30) is similar to Michigan’s and Region 8’s distribution. The County’s median age of 35.6 is almost identical to Michigan’s median age of 35.5 and slightly higher than Region 8’s median of 33.0. The County’s only age groups that fall outside of the two comparison groups’ ranges include the under 5 group, which is lower; the 18-24 group, which is slightly lower; the 35-44 group, which is higher; and the 55-64 group, which is higher. The distribution of males and females in Montcalm County reflects the all male prison in Carson City.

Table 30 – Age and Gender Distribution in 2000

Montcalm County has a higher proportion of family households (73.3 percent) than Region 8 or Michigan, including a higher proportion of married couple households (Table 31). The County has a similar proportion of one-parent households as the two comparison areas. Since the County has a high proportion of family households, it follows that it has a lower proportion (26.7 percent) of non-family households than the Region or State. Montcalm County’s figure of 2.7 persons per household is similar to the comparison areas.

Table 31 – Household Distribution in 2000

Source: U.S. Census of Population

Between 1990 and 2003 the County experienced a fairly stable labor force, but at the same time experiencing a decreasing number of employed, resulting in an increased unemployment rate (Table 32). The labor force was 26,050 people in 2003, with an annual average of 23,625 employed and 2,425 unemployed. The County’s unemployment rate is consistently higher than Region 8’s or Michigan’s unemployment rates, and the highest of the seven counties.

Table 32 – Employment Trends

Table 33 shows that Montcalm County has a higher proportion of its population employed in the manufacturing, agriculture, public administration, and construction sectors than the population in Region 8 or Michigan. Manufacturing accounts for 29.7 percent of the population’s employment – much higher than the 26.3 percent in Region 8 or the 22.5 percent in Michigan. These figures indicate the County’s residents’ types of employment and do not represent jobs located within Montcalm County. While Montcalm County has a different distribution of employment, the top three job categories (Manufacturing, Education, and Retail) are the same in the County, Region, and State.

Table 33 – Employment Distribution in 2000

Montcalm County’s median household income of $37,218 falls below Region 8’s figure of $45,915 and Michigan’s median of $44,667 (Table 34). The County’s per capita income of $16,183 is lower than the Region and the State. Montcalm County has a higher percentage of people living below the poverty level than the Region or State.

Table 34 – Income and Poverty in 2000

Table 35 shows that Montcalm County has a slightly higher percentage of traditional single family homes than the Region 8 or Michigan. The County has a much higher percentage of mobile homes than either of the two comparison areas and a low proportion of multiple family housing. Montcalm County’s occupancy rate of 85.2 percent indicates that there is a considerable amount of seasonal housing. The median value of owner-occupied in Montcalm County is much lower than the Region and State.

Table 35 – Housing Information in 2000

Montcalm County Map

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