Luce County

Luce County is a county in the Upper peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,631.[2]The county seat is Newberry.[3] The county was set off and organized in 1887 and named after former Michigan Governor Cyrus Luce.[1]

In 2002, Newberry was designated as themoose capital of Michigan by the state legislature.[4]

Demographics
The 2010 United States Census[7] indicates Luce County had a population of 6,631. This is a decrease of 393 people from the 2000 United States Census. This is a -5.6% change in population. In 2010 there were 2,412 households and 1,542 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile (3/km²). There were 4,343 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile (2/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 80.4% White, 11.1% Black or African American, 5.0% Native American, 0.3% Asian and 3.1% of two or more races. 1.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 14.5% were of German, 7.6% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 7.4% Irish, 6.8% English, 6.3% American and 5.5% Finnish ancestry.[8]

There were 2,412 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.77.

In the county the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. The population was 57.7% male and 42.3% female.

The median income for a household in the county was $42,083, and the median income for a family was $49,948. The per capita income for the county was $18,294. About 12.6% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.7% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Geography

 * According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 1,912.49 square miles (4,953.3 km2), of which 899.08 square miles (2,328.6 km2) (or 47.01%) is land and 1,013.41 square miles (2,624.7 km2) (or 52.99%) is water.[9]


 * Luce County is part of the Upper Peninsulaof Michigan.

Highways

 * M‑28
 * M‑117
 * M‑123
 * H-33
 * H-37
 * H-44
 * H-58

Adjacent counties

 * Chippewa County (east)
 * Mackinac County (south)
 * Schoolcraft County (southwest)
 * Alger County (west)
 * Thunder Bay District, Ontario (north, water boundary only, in Lake Superior)

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.

Luce County elected officials
(information as of July 2013) [10]
 * Prosecuting Attorney: Peter Tazelaar II
 * Sheriff: Kevin R. Erickson
 * County Clerk/Register of Deeds: Sharon J. Price
 * County Treasurer: Deborah Johnson

Villages

 * Newberry

Townships

 * Columbus
 * Lakefield
 * McMillan
 * Pentland