Sanilac County (/sænəlæk/ SAN-ə-lack) is a county in the Thumb region of the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2020 Census, its population was 40,611. The county seat is Sandusky. Sanilac County was established on September 10, 1822, and officially organized on December 31, 1849. It is part of the Thumb of Michigan, a subregion of the Flint/Tri-Cities area. The county attracts seasonal visitors to towns like Lexington, Port Sanilac, and Carsonville. Sanilac County is connected economically to St. Clair County and Huron County. The area is mostly made up of flat land with rich soil.

History

Sanilac County was likely named after a Wyandot (Huron) chief named Sanilac. The county was created on September 10, 1822, by the Michigan Territorial Legislature. It was formed by dividing parts of St. Clair County and areas that were not yet organized and managed by Oakland County. The original boundary of the county was changed in 1840, when sections were divided to create Huron and Tuscola counties. The county government became fully established on December 31, 1849. In the middle of the 19th century, the area now called Port Sanilac was known as Bark Shanty. This name came from a single shelter made of bark, which was used to make shingles from pine trees. The county seat of Sanilac is the city of Sandusky.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,590 square miles (4,100 km²), including 963 square miles (2,490 km²) of land and 627 square miles (1,620 km²) (39%) of water. Sanilac County is the largest county in Michigan's Lower Peninsula in terms of land area.

• Huron County (north)
• Tuscola County (west)
• St. Clair County (south)
• Lapeer County (southwest)
• Huron County, Ontario, Canada (east)

• M-19
• M-25
• M-46
• M-53
• M-81
• M-90

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 40,611. The median age was 45.3 years. Twenty-one point four percent of residents were younger than 18 years old, and 22.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 100.3 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 98.7 males aged 18 and older.

The county's population was made up of 93.3% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.1% from some other race, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 4.1% of the population.

Six point four percent of residents lived in urban areas, while 93.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 16,781 households in the county. Twenty-five point five percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.8% were married-couple households, 19.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner, and 23.6% had a female householder with no spouse or partner. About 29.9% of all households included only one person, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 21,676 housing units in the county, of which 22.6% were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, 79.4% were owned by the residents, and 20.6% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5%, and the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%.

According to the 2010 census, Sanilac County had a population of 43,114. This was a decrease of 1,433 people, or 3.2%, compared to the 2000 census. In 2010, there were 17,132 households and 11,885 families in the county. The population density was 44.8 people per square mile (17.3 per square kilometer). There were 22,725 housing units, with an average density of 23.6 per square mile (9.1 per square kilometer). The population was made up of 96.6% White, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.3% Asian, 1.1% from some other race, and 1.2% from two or more races. Three point three percent were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). Twenty-six point one percent had German ancestry, 11.0% Polish, 10.4% English, 8.3% Irish, 7.2% American, and 5.1% French, French Canadian, or Cajun ancestry.

There were 17,132 households in the county. Of these, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were husband-and-wife families, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 30.6% were non-families, and 26.4% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 2.97.

In 2010, the population was spread out as follows: 23.6% were under 18 years old, 7.4% were 18 to 24 years old, 21.8% were 25 to 44 years old, 29.6% were 45 to 64 years old, and 17.6% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and older, there were 96.7 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 3-year estimate showed the median household income in the county was $39,138, and the median family income was $47,885. Males had a median income of $27,440, while females had a median income of $16,509. The per capita income was $19,671. About 1.5% of families and 16.1% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 23.3% of those under 18 and 11.4% of those aged 65 or older.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the

Government

Sanilac County has voted for the Republican candidate in every presidential election since the GOP's first election in 1856, except in 1912, when the county supported Theodore Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party campaign. In 1912, the Republican candidate was William Howard Taft, who had won the county’s vote in the previous election (1908). Every person who has won the GOP’s nomination has also won Sanilac County, Michigan. Theodore Roosevelt was the Republican candidate in 1904.

The county government manages the jail, keeps rural roads in good condition, runs local courts, keeps records of property ownership, mortgages, and important life events, enforces public health rules, and works with the state to provide social services. The county board of commissioners decides how money is spent and has limited power to create laws or rules. In Michigan, most local tasks, such as police and fire services, building and zoning rules, tax assessments, and street maintenance, are handled by individual cities and townships.

Media

• The Tribune-Recorder has delivered news to the county once a week since 1893, along with the Sanilac County News of Sandusky and other local newspapers.
• The Port Huron Times Herald is delivered every day in Sanilac County.