Roscommon County is a county in the state of Michigan. According to the 2020 census, the population was 23,459. The county seat is Roscommon. The county was created in 1840 and officially organized in 1875. The county is home to Houghton Lake, which is the largest inland lake in Michigan.

History

The county was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 and was first called Mikenauk County, named after the Ojibwe word mikinaak, which means "turtle." In 1843, the county was renamed Roscommon County. Before county government was established in 1875, the area was managed by Michilimackinac (Mackinac), Cheboygan, and Midland counties, one after another. Roscommon County was named after County Roscommon in Ireland.

There are three official historical markers in the county:

• Gerrish
• Pioneer House
• Terney House

Geography

The county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km²), with 520 square miles (1,300 km²) being land and 60 square miles (160 km²) (10%) being water. Roscommon County is part of Northern Michigan. A section of Michigan’s Au Sable State Forest is located within the county. The US Forest Service’s Roscoe Fire Management Unit includes Ogemaw and Roscommon Counties.

Before recorded history, glaciers shaped the land in the Michigan area. Much of the region is the Grayling outwash plain, which includes sandy ridges formed when ice melted, jack pine barrens, white pine-red pine forests, and northern hardwood forests. Large lakes were formed by glacial activity.

Notable geographic features include:
• Au Sable River
• Backus Creek
• Cut River
• Dead Stream Flooding
• Higgins Lake
• Houghton Lake, the largest inland lake in Michigan
• Houghton Lake Flats
• Lake St. Helen
• Marl Lake
• Roscommon Virgin Pine Stand – a 160-acre (650,000 m²) area within the Au Sable State Forest, 8 miles (13 km) north of St. Helen, Michigan, and 8 miles east of Roscommon. This area contains old-growth red pine trees, including a former national champion red pine.
• Underground oil deposits

Transportation routes include:
• I-75 – runs south, southeast, and east through the northeastern middle portion of the county.
• US 127 – runs north–south through the western part of the county. It passes on the west side of Higgins and Houghton Lakes.
• M-18 – runs north–south through the center of the county. It passes Roscommon and Prudenville. After leaving Roscommon, it travels east along the northern edge of the county for 5.6 miles (9.0 km) before turning northeast.
• M-55 – runs east–west through the center of the county to an intersection with I-75, 7 miles (11 km) west of the eastern edge of the county.
• M-157 – a short (1.1 mi; 1.8 km) north–south road connecting M-18 to M-55, east of Houghton Lake.
• F-18 – runs south from Prudenville. It exits the county along the line between Clare and Gladwin counties.

Airports include:
• Houghton Lake State Airport – located in Roscommon Township.
• Roscommon County–Blodgett Memorial Airport – located in Markey Township.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 23,459. The median age was 56.6 years. Fourteen point two percent of residents were under the age of 18, and 33.0% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males, and for every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 100.1 males aged 18 and over.

As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 94.1% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, less than 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race made up 1.9% of the population.

As of the 2020 census, 56.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 43.9% lived in rural areas.

As of the 2020 census, there were 11,415 households in the county, of which 16.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.5% were married-couple households, 22.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

As of the 2020 census, there were 23,069 housing units, of which 50.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 81.5% were owner-occupied, and 18.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.4%, and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

At the 2000 United States census, there were 25,469 people, 11,250 households, and 7,616 families residing in the county. The population density was 49 people per square mile (19 people per square kilometer). There were 23,109 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile (17 per square kilometer).

In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 97.99% White, 0.32% Black or African American, 0.64% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. 0.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 24.4% were of German, 12.7% English, 9.9% Irish, 9.2% Polish, 9.2% American, and 6.7% French ancestry. 97.2% spoke English as their first language. Those citing "American" ancestry in Roscommon County are of overwhelmingly English extraction, however most English Americans identify simply as having American ancestry because their roots have been in North America for so long, in some cases since the 1600s.

Attractions and events

The community is located near two large lakes, surrounded by large state forests. Wildlife lives nearby, including bears, deer, eagles, Kirtland Warblers, and turkeys. Local attractions and activities include:

• Birding
• Bluegill Festival each summer in St. Helen
• Boating, paddling (canoe and kayak)
• Firemen's Memorial Festival, an annual event (September) since 1979
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Historical Village Days, an annual event (August) held on the grounds of the Houghton Lake Historical Village & Playhouse since 1972
• Hunting
• Kirtland Warbler Habitat and Festival, an annual event (May) hosted by Kirtland Community College
• Michigan Shore-to-Shore Trail, a 500-mile (800 km) system of connected trails that passes through the area. It runs from Empire to Oscoda and beyond
• Nordic skiing
• ORV trails and groomed snowmobile trails
• Sailing
• Tip-up-town winter festival in Houghton Lake, an annual event (January)

Roscommon County, Michigan, hosts an event called Christmas in the Village. This event happens on the first Saturday in December each year. Christmas in the Village began in 1994 when the old Roscommon Middle School was bought for one dollar and turned into a community building called the CRAF Center. A group of volunteers organized the event. Each year includes burning barrels, an annual tree lighting, an electric light parade, and other activities. New activities are added every year. Usually, there is a craft show in the gym of the CRAF Center and a petting zoo. Vendors set up shops in the CRAF Center gym to sell many items, such as fudge and quilts. The town gathers to celebrate the holidays together. Santa arrives on the train.

Government

Voters in Roscommon County usually choose Republican candidates; they have selected the Republican Party nominee in 75% of the time in national elections.

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, runs local courts, keeps records of property and important life events, enforces public health rules, and helps provide social services with the state. The county board of commissioners manages the budget and can create some laws or rules, but not many. In Michigan, most local tasks like police and fire services, building rules, taxes, and road maintenance are handled by individual cities and townships.

(information as of January 2021)