Leoni Township is a civil township in Jackson County, Michigan. According to the 2020 census, the population was 13,847.

Communities

• Leoni is a small unincorporated community located in the southeastern part of the township, 7 miles (11 km) east of Jackson, the county seat.
• Michigan Center is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place located in the southwestern part of the township.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township covers an area of 51.22 square miles (132.66 km²), with 48.54 square miles (125.72 km²) being land and 2.68 square miles (6.94 km²) being water, which is 5.23% of the total area.

Center Lake is located on the southern edge of the township and is next to Michigan Center. Gilletts Lake, Brill Lake, and Goose Lake are found in the central part of the township. The Portage River flows near the township's northern border. The entire township is part of the Grand River watershed.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, 13,459 people, 5,240 households, and 3,825 families lived in the township. The population density was 274.1 people per square mile (105.8/km²). There were 5,568 housing units, with an average density of 113.4 per square mile (43.8/km²). The racial makeup included 97.04% White, 0.82% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 1.62% of the population.

Out of the 5,240 households, 33.4% had children under 18 living with them. 56.7% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder without a husband, and 27.0% were non-families. 21.8% of households included only one person, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.56, and the average family size was 2.97.

The population was divided into age groups: 25.9% were under 18, 7.0% were 18 to 24, 30.0% were 25 to 44, 24.6% were 45 to 64, and 12.4% were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females aged 18 or older, there were 96.7 males.

The median household income was $43,551, and the median family income was $47,032. Males earned a median income of $38,306, while females earned $27,870. The per capita income was $19,329. About 6.5% of families and 7.9% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 10.6% of those under 18 and 6.1% of those 65 or older.