Birch Run is a village in Saginaw County, Michigan. According to the 2020 census, Birch Run had a population of 1,525. The village is part of Birch Run Township.

History

Birch Run was created in 1852 as a stop on the Pere Marquette Railroad. It received a post office in 1954 and became an official village in 1954.

The town was founded in 1852 by John Moore, who was its first postmaster. It was named Birch Run because of the creek that flows through a large area of birch trees. In 1863, the town was renamed Deer Lick and kept that name until 1868, when it changed back to Birch Run. The village was officially recognized in 1955.

Birch Run was the home of the Great Lakes Storm, a basketball team that was no longer active. The Storm played games at the Birch Run Expo Center from 2001 until the team ended in 2005.

Places of interest

Birch Run Premium Outlets, which opened in 1986, is the largest outlet mall in the Midwest. As of November 2017, the mall has 108 stores and 3 restaurants on its property.

Education

The Birch Run Area School District includes the village of Birch Run, Birch Run Township, and Taymouth Township.

The athletic teams from Birch Run are called the Panthers.

Geography

The United States Census Bureau reports that the village has a total area of 1.91 square miles (4.95 km), with 1.89 square miles (4.90 km) being land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km) being water.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the village had 1,555 people, 655 households, and 398 families. The population density was 822.8 people per square mile (317.7/km²). There were 714 housing units, with an average density of 377.8 per square mile (145.9/km²). The racial composition of the village was 93.9% White, 1.1% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.2% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 5.3% of the population.

Of the 655 households, 32.7% had children under 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples, 16.3% had a female householder without a husband, 5.5% had a male householder without a wife, and 39.2% were non-families. Thirty-one point three percent of households had only one person, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.37 people, and the average family size was 2.99 people.

The median age in the village was 34.6 years. Twenty-five point one percent of residents were under 18, 12.4% were between 18 and 24, 26.9% were between 25 and 44, 23.5% were between 45 and 64, and 12.2% were 65 or older. The gender distribution was 47.3% male and 52.7% female.

As of the 2000 census, the village had 1,653 people, 699 households, and 459 families. The population density was 861.5 people per square mile (332.6/km²). There were 726 housing units, with an average density of 378.4 per square mile (146.1/km²). The racial composition was 95.64% White, 0.42% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.91% from other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 3.27% of the population.

Of the 699 households, 35.1% had children under 18, 46.2% were married couples, 15.6% had a female householder without a husband, and 34.3% were non-families. Twenty-nine point nine percent of households had only one person, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 people, and the average family size was 2.91 people.

The population was distributed as follows: 26.8% under 18, 9.3% between 18 and 24, 34.5% between 25 and 44, 17.8% between 45 and 64, and 11.6% who were 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 81.4 males.

The median household income was $41,685, and the median family income was $48,553. Males had a median income of $35,547, while females had a median income of $28,512. The per capita income was $20,631. Approximately 3.8% of families and 4.8% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under 18 and 3.2% of those 65 or older.