Norton Shores is a city located in Muskegon County, Michigan. According to the 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,030.

History

The Ojibwe, Bodewadmi, and Odawa Native Americans lived in the area of western Michigan for many years. When European settlers arrived, they used the open spaces in the forest, which the Native Americans had created, to grow food.

Norton Township was first formed in 1845 by people from the village of Mill Point, which is now called Spring Lake. The township was named after Col. Amos Norton, a Canadian patriot who was involved in the rebellion of 1837.

Norton Township was part of Ottawa County and included the townships of Fruitport and Sullivan. In 1855, Spring Lake Township was separated from Norton and became its own township in Ottawa County. Also in 1855, the village of Black Lake was settled, with a railroad station and a sawmill in Norton Township. In 1859, Norton Township was moved from Ottawa County to Muskegon County. The population of Norton Township was 197 in 1860 and 229 in 1864.

In 1847, the first sawmill in Norton Township was built. It was called Robinson’s Mill and was located at the head of Black Lake, now known as Mona Lake.

In 1850, Ira Porter arrived at Mona Lake. He ran a sawmill and a fruit farm. One of the largest fruit farms in Norton Township was operated by G. N. Cobb, who also ran a box factory for fifteen years starting in 1869. After the sawmills and box factory closed, people in the area began growing fruit, which became a successful industry. Boats traveled from Lake Harbor around the lake, collecting crates of berries from growers’ docks, and then returned to Lake Michigan to transport the berries to large steamers heading to Chicago.

In 1894, a summer resort called Hackley Park was established on Lake Michigan and Mona Lake. It was named after Charles Hackley. The name was shortened to “Hackley” when it received a post office in 1895, though the post office closed in 1897. Roosevelt Park was developed as a subdivision in 1926 and became a city in 1946. The rest of the township was incorporated as the City of Norton Shores in 1968, which helped protect it from being taken over by nearby cities.

Geography

Norton Shores is located in southwestern Muskegon County. It is west of Lake Michigan and south of Ottawa County. The cities of Muskegon, Roosevelt Park, and Muskegon Heights are to the north of Norton Shores.

The city has a total area of 24.6 square miles (64 km), with 1.4 square miles (3.63 km), or 5.6%, covered by water. Mona Lake is in the northern part of the city, and Little Black Lake is in the southern part. Hoffmaster State Park is in the western part of the city. It covers forests and sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Norton Shores has schools and colleges, including Mona Shores Public Schools, Muskegon Community College, Baker College, and Grand Valley State University.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, Norton Shores had a population of 25,030. The median age was 43.3 years. Twenty-one point two percent of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males age 18 and over.

Ninety-eight point one percent of residents lived in urban areas, while 1.9% lived in rural areas.

There were 10,406 households in Norton Shores. Twenty-six point eight percent of these households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.1% were married-couple households, 16.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 11,055 housing units, of which 5.9% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.0%, and the rental vacancy rate was 6.0%.

As of the census of 2010, there were 23,994 people, 9,977 households, and 6,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,032.4 inhabitants per square mile (398.6/km²). There were 10,939 housing units at an average density of 470.7 per square mile (181.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.8% White, 3.2% African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 9,977 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them. Fifty-two point eight percent were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.2% were non-families. Twenty-seven point six percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 43.3 years. Twenty-two percent of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 22,527 people, 8,996 households, and 6,396 families residing in the city. The population density was 969.2 inhabitants per square mile (374.2/km²). There were 9,679 housing units at an average density of 416.4 per square mile (160.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.63% White, 1.63% African American, 0.73% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 8,996 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. Twenty-four point nine percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, 24.8% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.6% was from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $45,457, and the median income for a family was $53,447. Males had a median income of $38,115 versus $26,728 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,713. About 3.7% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

This climate is known for large changes in temperature between seasons, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes very cold) winters. Norton Shores has a humid continental climate, which is shortened to "Dfb" on climate maps according to the Köppen Climate Classification system.

Government

Norton Shores is led by a mayor and a city council. These officials are chosen in elections where candidates do not represent political parties. The mayor and four city council members are elected by all city residents in citywide elections. The other four city council members are elected by voters in one of the city's two specific areas, called wards. These elections happen in different years, alternating between the two wards every two years.