Clare County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 30,856, and Harrison is the county seat.

History

The county was formed by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 from part of Michilimackinac County. It was first called Kaykakee County, named after a Sauk Indian chief. In 1843, the county was renamed Clare County, after County Clare in Ireland. Before county government was set up in 1871, other Michigan counties managed the area. Farwell was the first county seat, and in 1877, the county seat was moved to Harrison.

Geography

The US Census Bureau reports that the county has a total area of 575 square miles (1,490 km), with 564 square miles (1,460 km) being land and 11 square miles (28 km) (1.9%) being water. The county is part of both Northern Michigan and Central Michigan.

• Au Sable State Forest

• US 10 runs east to west across the southern part of the county. It enters the county from the west near 3.7 miles (6.0 km) north of the southwest corner. It continues east until it meets US 127 at 2.8 miles (4.5 km) north of Clare.
• Bus. US 10 travels through Clare alongside Bus. US 127 until both roads meet M-115. At that point, Bus. US 10 turns east toward US 10.
• US 127 runs north to south through the eastern middle of the county, passing through Harrison and Clare.
• Bus. US 127 travels through Clare with Bus. US 10 until both meet M-115. At that point, Bus. US 10 turns east, while Bus. US 127 continues south toward US 127.
• Bus. US 127 begins at US 127 and travels through Harrison. It intersects M-61, and both roads travel together until they meet US 127 again. At that point, Bus. US 127 ends, and M-61 continues east toward Gladwin.
• M-18 runs along the eastern edge of the county, starting at the northeast corner and traveling 3.5 miles (5.6 km) before turning east into Gladwin County.
• M-61 runs east to west through the middle of the county. It enters from Osceola County and travels east until it meets US 127 at Harrison.
• M-115 runs southeast and east across the southern part of the county. It enters from Osceola County at 9 miles (14 km) north of the southwest corner and travels east until it meets Bus. US 127/Bus. US 10 at Clare.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 30,856. The median age was 48.0 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 24.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.2 males aged 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.6% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 2.0% of the population. 12.3% of residents lived in urban areas, while 87.7% lived in rural areas.

There were 13,279 households in the county. 23.3% of these had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 45.3% were married-couple households, 21.7% had a male householder with no spouse or partner, and 24.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner. About 31.8% of all households included individuals living alone, and 15.8% had someone 65 years of age or older living alone. There were 21,818 housing units, of which 39.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 79.4% were owned by residents, and 20.6% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.8%, and the rental vacancy rate was 5.9%.

As of the 2010 census, Clare County had a population of 30,926, a decrease of 326 people from the 2000 census. In 2010, there were 12,966 households and 8,584 families in the county. The population density was 54.8 per square mile (21.2/km²). There were 23,233 housing units at an average density of 41.2 per square mile (15.9/km²). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 95.8% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 1.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races.

There were 12,966 households. 25.3% of these had children under the age of 18 living with them. 51.0% were married-couple families, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 28.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.36, and the average family size was 2.83.

The county population included 20.9% under the age of 18, 7.9% aged 18 to 24, 20.8% aged 25 to 44, 30.4% aged 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 97.9 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate showed that the median income for a household was $33,338, and the median income for a family was $40,983. Men had a median income of $24,220, while women had $13,587. The per capita income for the county was $18,516. About 2.3% of families and 23.1% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 36.8% of those under the age of 18 and 8.5% of those aged 65 or older.

• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw leads the Catholic Church in the area.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has one meetinghouse in the county, in Harrison.

Government

Clare County voters usually vote Republican; they have chosen the Republican Party candidate in 72% of national elections (26 out of 36).

The county government runs the jail, keeps rural roads in good condition, operates major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and important life events like births and deaths, handles public health rules, and works with the state to provide social services. The county board of commissioners manages the budget and can create some laws or rules, but not many. In Michigan, most local government tasks—such as police and fire services, building and zoning rules, tax assessments, and street maintenance—are handled by individual cities and townships.

(information as of June 2025)

Attractions

Clare County is located in the center of large state forests. Many types of wildlife live in the area, such as bears, deer, eagles, Kirtland's warblers, and turkeys. Local attractions include:

• Kirtland's Warbler Habitat and Festival
• The Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail passes through the area, running from Empire to Oscoda and continues to other areas. It is a 500-mile network of connected trails.
• Birding
• Boating
• Fishing
• Hiking
• Hunting
• Nordic skiing
• ORV trails and trails for snowmobiles that are prepared for use
• Paddling (canoe and kayak)

Education

The Clare-Gladwin Regional Education Service District is located in Clare. It helps students in Clare County and Gladwin County. The school district provides special education help, early education programs, after-school activities, and career training for students in the area.

Clare County is served by these public school districts:
• Clare Public Schools
• Farwell Area Schools
• Harrison Community Schools

Clare County has these private schools:
• East Dover School (Amish)
• Great Lakes Mennonite School (Mennonite)
• Shady Lawn Amish Parochial School (Amish)