Van Buren County is a county in the state of Michigan. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 75,587. The county seat is Paw Paw. The county was founded in 1829 and established in 1837.

History

Van Buren County was named after Martin Van Buren before he became president of the United States. He served as U.S. Secretary of State and later as Vice President under President Andrew Jackson. Because of this, Van Buren is one of Michigan's "Cabinet counties."

The Van Buren County Courthouse was designed by Claire Allen, a well-known architect from Southern Michigan. The courthouse's cornerstone was placed on September 2, 1901, following a vote in July to raise $35,000 through county bonds.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,090 square miles (2,800 square kilometers), of which 607 square miles (1,570 square kilometers) is land and 482 square miles (1,250 square kilometers) (44%) is water.

Much of the county is farmland with small towns scattered throughout. Areas near Kalamazoo County, specifically Antwerp Township and Almena Township, are becoming more like suburbs. Many inland lakes have homes around them, either occupied by people who live there year-round or by cottagers, who typically live elsewhere, such as in Chicago. Like other areas near Lake Michigan, tourism is a major industry.

• Paw Paw River
• Black River

• Allegan County (north)
• Kalamazoo County (east)
• St. Joseph County (southeast)
• Cass County (south)
• Berrien County (southwest)

• Lake County, Illinois (west)

• Dunes Parkway, an 84-acre (340,000 square meter) preserve of dunes in Covert Township
• Hamilton Township Coastal Plain Marsh Nature Sanctuary, a 79-acre (320,000 square meter) preserve of coastal plain marsh in Hamilton Township owned by the Michigan Nature Association
• Jeptha Lake Fen Preserve, a 49-acre (200,000 square meter) preserve in Columbia Township
• Kal-Haven Trail, a multi-use trail converted from an old rail line that runs from Kalamazoo to South Haven
• Keeler State Game Area, 400 acres (162 hectares) (1.6 square kilometers) in Keeler Township
• North Point Park, high dunes on 17 acres (69,000 square meters) on Lake Michigan, north of Van Buren State Park
• Ross Preserve, a 1,449-acre (5.86 square kilometer) preserve of coastal plain marsh in Covert Township owned by The Nature Conservancy
• Van Buren State Park
• Van Buren Trail State Park is next to Kal-Haven Trail.

Transportation

• Pere Marquette (a train operated by Amtrak)
• Van Buren Public Transit

• Amtrak
• CSX Transportation
• Norfolk Southern (using the Michigan Line, which is owned by Amtrak)
• West Michigan Railroad

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 75,587. The median age was 42.1 years. 23.0% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 98.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 81.2% White, 3.2% Black or African American, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 5.8% from some other race, and 8.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 11.9% of the population.

21.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 78.1% lived in rural areas.

There were 29,510 households in the county. Of these, 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.5% were married-couple households, 18.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 36,948 housing units, of which 20.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 77.8% were owner-occupied, and 22.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%, and the rental vacancy rate was 8.0%.

As of the 2010 United States census, Van Buren County had a population of 76,258. This decrease of -5 people from the 2000 United States census indicated a nearly-zero population change in the decade. The population density was 125.5 per square mile (48.5 per square kilometer). There were 36,785 housing units at an average density of 60.6 per square mile (23.4 per square kilometer). The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 82.7% White, 3.9% Black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 10.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races.

There were 28,928 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 53.0% were husband and wife families, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.4% were non-families, and 24.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.61, and the average family size was 3.07.

The county population contained 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96 males.

The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $44,242, and the median income for a family was $53,642. Males had a median income of $28,079, versus $18,124 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,495. About 10.0% of families and 14.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under the age of 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

• Bangor
• Gobles
• Hartford
• South Haven (partial)

Clinch Township was created in 1837 and stopped existing in 1842 when it was split into Waverly Township and Almena Township.

Government

Van Buren County has mostly voted for the Republican Party in national elections. Since 1884, voters in the county have chosen the Republican candidate in 81% of national elections through 2024, which is 29 out of 36 elections. In recent years, the county has become a swing county, meaning it can vote for either major party, and it has often voted for the person who won the presidential election from 1964 to 2024. There were two exceptions: in 1976, the county supported Gerald Ford, a native of Michigan who lost his bid for a full term, and in 2020, the county voted for Donald Trump, a candidate who was popular in rural areas.

Van Buren County manages the county jail, keeps rural roads in good condition, runs local courts, records important documents like deeds and mortgages, handles public health rules, and works with the state to provide social services. The county board of commissioners decides how money is spent and has limited power to create laws or rules. In Michigan, most local government tasks, such as police and fire services, building rules, taxes, and road maintenance, are handled by cities and townships, not the county.

• Prosecuting Attorney: Susan Zuiderveen (R)
• Sheriff: Dan Abbott (R)
• County Clerk: Suzie Roehm (R)
• County Treasurer: Trisha Nesbitt (R)
• Register of Deeds: Paul W. DeYoung (R)
• Drain Commissioner: Joe Parman (R)
• County Surveyor: Charles Lossie (R)

(Information correct in May 2023)