Genesee County

History

Formative period

Genesee County was created on March 28, 1835, from territory taken from Lapeer, Shiawassee, and Saginaw Counties. The county was attached to Oakland County for judicial purposes. The only township organized at the time was Grand Blanc, formed in 1833, consisting of additional township areas of the present Fenton, Mundy, Flint, Mount Morris, Genesee, Burton, Atlas, and Davison Townships. (Atlas and Davison Township survey areas were then in Lapeer County.) Flint Township followed in formation by the legislature on March 2, 1836, splitting away from Grand Blanc with the township areas of Burton, Genesee, and Mount Morris, plus additional township areas of the present-day Clayton, Montrose, Flushing, Thetford, and Vienna. On April 4, 1836, the county was fully organized. Organized on July 26, 1836, Argentine Township included two township survey areas, taking Fenton away from Grand Blanc Township plus the current Argentine area west of Fenton.

In the organizing act of March 11, 1837, two townships (Mundy and Vienna) were organized in the county. Mundy had an additional township area to the west. Vienna consisted of the northern tier of three township areas in the county at the time taking two areas from Flint Township. With this act just a week after Michigan's admission as a state, the county was fully covered with five township governments.

The townships of Genesee, Fenton, and Flushing were formed on March 6, 1838. Genesee and Flushing were split off from Flint Township. Fenton was split off from Argentine Township. Genesee included half the survey area to the west. While Flushing included the other half of that survey area (township 8 North range 6 East), the full township area further west (township 8 North range 5 East) then another survey area and half the row below (township 7 North range 5,6 East). Thus, Flint Township consisted of one and a half township survey areas.

Fifteen northerly sections of survey area township 7 north range No. 7 east in Flint Township plus southerly sections of Genesee Township were set off by the Michigan Legislature as Kearsley Township in 1839. On March 7, 1843, the legislature abolished this township returning the sections back to Flint and Genesee townships. Thus Flint Township consisted of approximately one and a half township survey areas.

Two new townships were formed by the state on March 9, 1842. Thetford was the eastmost survey area split off from Vienna. While Gaines was formed with the western township survey of Mundy.

Modern era

Plans for the Genesee Recreation Area were placed in Flint's master plan in 1950. This was presented to Charles Stewart Mott Foundation board of trustees in 1964, with Charles Stewart Mott favoring the plan. In 1968, the county park system was started with the purchase of vacant land. with funds from the Mott Foundation, with a stipulation that a parks commission be formed.

Flint Community Junior College was turned into a county-wide institution with a referendum and millage proposal passing the voters in 1969. To reflect this, the college was renamed Genesee Community College on July 5, 1970. In 1973, it was renamed as Charles Stewart Mott Community College after the death of C.S. Mott.

In October 2009, county commissioners directed county corporate counsel to discuss with the county prosecuting attorney a possible merger of his office with the county prosecuting attorney's office. As of December 2011, County Counsel Ward Chapman was intending to retire by the end of the year, again raising the possibility of a merger. By August 9, 2016, the two offices were merged.

The Emergency Management and Homeland Security Department was merged by the county commission into the Sheriff's Department in June 2010, with the department director position being demoted to a manager level post and eliminating a programming coordinator. In July 2010, the county board voted to merge the clerk and register of deeds offices, effective January 1, 2013.

On October 26, 2010, Genesee County became a founding member of the Karegnondi Water Authority with Board of Commissioners Chair Jamie W. Curtis representing the county on the authority's board.

On May 30, 2012, Genesee County was reported to have had 45 confirmed tornadoes since 1950 (most notably the 1953 Flint–Beecher tornado), more than any other county in Michigan in that time.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 649.587 square miles (1,682.42 km2), of which 12.643 sq mi (32.75 km2) (1.95%) are covered by water. It is the 33rd-largest county in Michigan by total area.

The county is mostly drained by the Flint River, which is dammed into Mott Lake and the Holloway Reservoir in the northeast corner of the county. The southeast corner and southern end are drained by the Shiawassee River.

Adjacent counties

Tuscola County (northeast)

Lapeer County (east)

Oakland County (southeast)

Livingston County (southwest)

Shiawassee County (west)

Saginaw County (northwest)

Transportation

Bishop International Airport is served by several major airlines.

The intermodal Flint Amtrak station offers daily service on the Blue Water route west to Chicago and east to Port Huron. It doubles as a bus station for Greyhound Lines, Indian Trails, and Flint Mass Transportation Authority.

Major highways

I-75 - runs north and south through central Genesee County, merges with US 23 in Mundy Township

I-69 - runs east and west through central Genesee County

I-475 - alternate route of I-75/US23, runs north and south through central Genesee County

US 23 - runs north and south through central Genesee County, merges with I-75 in Mundy Township

M-13 - runs north and south through western Genesee County, north of I-69, along the borders with Shiawassee County and Saginaw County

M-15 - runs north and south through eastern Genesee County

M-21 - runs east and west through central Genesee County, west of I-475

M-54 - runs north and south through central Genesee County

M-57 - runs east and west through northern Genesee County, west of M-15

Demographics

Recent estimates

As of the fourth quarter of 2024, the median home value in Genesee County was $191,311.

As of the 2023 American Community Survey, the average household size was 2.40 persons, the county had a median household income of $60,673, and about 17.9% of the county's population lived at or below the poverty line. Genesee County had an estimated 58.3% employment rate, with 22.8% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 90.9% holding a high school diploma.

The top five reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures may total more than 100%) were English (96.2%), Spanish (0.9%), Indo-European (1.0%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.7%), and other (1.2%).

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, 406,211 people, 167,118 households, and 105,520 families were residing in the county. The population density was 637.75 inhabitants per square mile (246.2/km2). The median age was 40.9 years, with 22.2% of residents under 18 and 18.1% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.4 males 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 71.2% White, 19.7% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.2% from some other race, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 4.0% of the population.

About 81.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 18.2% lived in rural areas.

Of the 167,118 households, 28.4% had children under 18 living in them, 40.2% were married-couple households, 20.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.6% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The county had 183,087 housing units, of which 8.7% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 69.4% were owner-occupied and 30.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 10.2%.

Racial and ethnic composition

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

2024 estimate

As of the 2024 estimate, 402,279 people and 166,375 households lived in the county. The population density was 631.58 inhabitants per square mile (243.9/km2). The 184,543 housing units had an average density of 289.73 per square mile (111.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.6% White, 20.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.5% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, 425,790 people, 169,202 households, and 111,620 families resided in the county. The population density was 668.45 inhabitants per square mile (258.1/km2). The 192,180 housing units had an average density of 301.70 per square mile (116.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.54% White, 20.70% African American, 0.53% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from some other race, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.05% of the population.

In terms of ancestry, 18.0% were of German, 11.0% Irish, 10.6% English, 5.5% Polish 5.4% American, and 4.8% French.

Of the 169,202 households, 32.6% had children under 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 17.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were not families; 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.03. The median age was 39 years.

In the county, 25.0% of the population was under 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% was 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income in the county for a household was $38,819 and for a family was $48,979. Males had a median income of $27,269 versus $18,082 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,860. About 16.9% of families and 21.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 31.0% of those under 18 and 6.3% of those 65 or over.

Government and politics

Genesee County has traditionally been a Democratic stronghold, having voted for a Republican candidate just five times since 1932, and not since voting for Ronald Reagan in 1984. However, the county has become significantly more competitive since 2016, with the Democrats carrying it by fewer than ten percentage points in each election since; in 2024, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won the county by just four points.

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations and safeguards public health, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

The Genesee County Road Commission, an independent county government unit, has five members, appointed by the County Board of Commissioners, with the daily management handled by a manager-director.

Genesee County, except for the City of Flint, is under the jurisdiction of the 67th District Court of Michigan. District Courts have a limited jurisdiction as charged under state law. The 67th District Court operates in seven divisions, each with a single judge except for the Central Court Division, which is used for jury and felony cases.

Genesee County is a founding member of the Karegnondi Water Authority The "outcounty" area (all but the city of Flint) receives library services from the Genesee District Library. The county equivalent for school is the Genesee Intermediate School District, which consist of school districts considered primarily within Genesee County. Charles Stewart Mott Community College is the local community college serving the same area as the GISD.

Recreation

Genesee County is the only one in Michigan without a state park. The county has a park system headed by a Parks and Recreation Commission and a director appointed by the county board of commissioners recommended by the parks commission. Commission president is Joe Krapohl with Barry June as acting director.

In 1968, the county park system was started with the purchase of vacant land with funds from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, with a stipulation that a parks commission be formed.

In January 2018, Genesee County Parks & Recreation purchased land along the Kearsley Creek for $700,000 from the Poulos family, owners of the White Horse Tavern in Flint, with assistance from a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. The new Atlas County Park opened on April 29, 2018.

Communities

Villages

Gaines

Goodrich

Lennon (partial)

Otisville

Otter Lake (partial)

Civil townships

Argentine Township

Atlas Township

Davison Township

Forest Township

Gaines Township

Richfield Township

Thetford Township

Census-designated places

Argentine

Beecher

Lake Fenton

Education

Public school districts include:

Atherton Community Schools

Beecher Community School District

Bendle Public Schools

Bentley Community Schools

Birch Run Area School District

Brandon School District

Byron Area Schools

Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools

Clio Area School District

Davison Community Schools

Durand Area Schools

Fenton Area Public Schools

Flint City School District

Flushing Community Schools

Genesee School District

Goodrich Area Schools

Grand Blanc Community Schools

Kearsley Community Schools

Lake Fenton Community Schools

Lakeville Community Schools

Linden Community Schools

Millington Community Schools

Montrose Community Schools