Grand Blanc is a city located in Genesee County, Michigan, and is a suburb of Flint. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the population of Grand Blanc was 7,784. The city is part of the Flint metropolitan area. Grand Blanc is surrounded by Grand Blanc Township but operates as an independent city.

History

The village of Grand Blanc, also known as Grumlaw, was once an Indian campground. Jacob Stevens settled there in 1822. Later, settlers improved the Indian trail to Saginaw and marked it as Saginaw Road in 1829. Grand Blanc Township was formed in 1833 in the area that later became the city. The township center grew quickly in 1864 when the railroad (now called the CSX Saginaw Subdivision) arrived. By 1873, the village was named Grand Blanc Centre, while the older area called Grand Blanc became Gibsonville.

By 1916, the community had about 400 people and included a grade school, a private bank, a flour mill, an elevator, a creamery, two churches (Methodist Episcopal and Congregational), and electrical lighting.

On January 1, 2024, a winning Powerball lottery ticket worth $842.4 million was sold at Food Castle, a store in Grand Blanc. This was the fifth-largest Powerball jackpot and the tenth-largest U.S. lottery jackpot at the time.

On February 28, 2024, an EF2 tornado hit Grand Blanc. Winds reached 115 mph, and the tornado was about 450 yards wide. It began near Creasy Bicentennial Park, damaging trees and buildings, then moved to Waretech Industrial Park near Dort Highway and Reid Road, where a warehouse was destroyed. Homes and businesses in the Indian Hill neighborhood and along Saginaw Road were damaged. The tornado traveled 5.7 miles and was the strongest to ever hit Grand Blanc.

Grand Blanc Centre officially became the City of Grand Blanc in 1930. In 1939, the township and city started a joint fire department. In the 1970s, the city, township, and school district created a joint parks and recreation department with two members from each group. In 1973, the Grand Blanc-McFarlen Library was built, containing about 45,000 books and other materials.

In the May 2, 2006, Genesee County election, voters rejected a plan to combine the city and township governments by a vote of 68.6% against consolidation.

On January 20, 2019, the Township Board voted to cancel its joint fire department agreement unless a new agreement was made within 90 days. In July 2019, the city started its own fire department and hired a fire chief. Previously, the joint department was funded by both the city and township through special taxes.

In early 2019, officials noticed poor management of the parks and recreation commission. The township and city ended the commission in January 2020, with the township taking over to provide services for both areas. The city later created its own parks plan and started its own parks department.

Geography

The United States Census Bureau reports that the city has an area of 3.63 square miles (9.40 km), with 3.61 square miles (9.35 km) being land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km) being water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 US Census, the city had 8,091 people, 3,623 households, and 2,026 families. The population density was 2,240 people per square mile (860/km²). The racial makeup included 82.7% White, 13.1% African American, 1.1% Asian, and 2.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 3.5% of the population.

Of the 3,623 households, 27.5% had children under 18 living with them, 39.4% were married couples, 14% had a female householder without a husband, and 44.1% were non-families. Thirty-seven point two percent of households had only one person, and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.19, and the average family size was 2.98.

The city’s population was 51.2% female and 48.8% male. The median age was 45.5 years.

As of the 2010 US Census, the city had 8,276 people, 3,566 households, and 2,158 families. The population density was 2,177.9 people per square mile (840.9/km²). There were 3,784 housing units at an average density of 995.8 per square mile (384.5/km²). The racial makeup included 82.5% White, 11.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.8% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino individuals of any race made up 2.6% of the population.

Of the 3,567 households, 28.9% had children under 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples, 13.0% had a female householder without a husband, and 39.5% were non-families. Thirty-four percent of households had only one person, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.94.

The city’s population was 53.7% female and 46.3% male. The median age was 39.1 years. The population had two main age groups with the most people: 10–14 years (7.5%) and 45–49 years (7.2%).

As of the 2000 US Census, the median household income was $54,099, and the median family income was $82,456. Males had a median income of $61,522, while females had $31,051. The per capita income was $32,622. About 3.7% of families and 5.5% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 6.3% of those under 18 and 3.9% of those 65 or older.

Government

The city uses a council-manager type of government. This means a mayor and city council work with a manager to run the city. The city manages its own water system.

The city is supported by these government groups:

• Grand Blanc Community Schools
• Genesee District Library, which has a branch called Grand Blanc-McFarlen located in the city. This branch is owned by both the city and the township.
• Senior Center
• Fourth Division B of the 67th District Court of the State of Michigan.