Benzie County, Michigan

Benzie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,970. The county seat is Beulah. The county was initially set off in 1863 and organized in 1869.County place names At , Benzie County is the smallest of the 83 counties in Michigan in terms of land area. Benzie County is home to the City of Frankfort which sits on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is located within Benzie county. It is also home to Crystal Mountain, one of Michigan's top-rated ski resorts.

History Today's Benzie County was originally part of Leelanau County. Leelanau County was separated from Michilimackinac County in 1840, and was attached to Grand Traverse County. In 1863, The northern section of Leelanau County was organized, and the southern section, now named Benzie County, was left attached to Grand Traverse County. Benzie County was organized in its own right in 1869.

Etymology The name "Benzie" is derived from the French , "the river of sawbills", bec-scie ("bill-saw") being a type of ducks. Americans altered the pronunciation of the river's name, which became known as the "Betsie River". A similar alteration in pronunciation produced "Benzie".

Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (63%) is water. It is the smallest county in Michigan by land area.

Benzie County is located in the northwest of the Lower Peninsula, in the "little finger" position of the mitten-shaped peninsula and is considered to be part of the Northern Michigan region. Lake Michigan is to the west, Leelanau County and the Leelanau Peninsula are to the north. Grand Traverse County and Traverse City are to the east. Wexford County is to the southeast and Manistee County to the south. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore extends into the northwest portion of the county. Crystal Lake is a prominent physical feature of the area. The Platte River rises out of a lake district around Lake Ann in the northeast of the county and flows southwest and the northwest into Big Platte Lake before emptying into Lake Michigan at Platte River Point. The Betsie River rises in neighboring Grand Traverse County, flowing southwest across the southeast corner of the county into Manistee County, where it bends northwest until just south of Benzonia where it receives the outflow of Crystal Lake and then flows mostly west through Elberta and Frankfort and into Lake Michigan.

Portions of the Pere Marquette State Forest lie within the county and offer several trails including a route along the Betsie River and a trail near Lake Ann. There are state forest campgrounds at Platte River and Lake Ann. The Betsie River State Game Area is located just east of Elberta. of the Betsie River is a state-designated Natural River from Grass Lake, just west of the Grand Traverse County line, to its inlet into Lake Betsie just east of Elberta. The natural and scenic richness of the area has made it a host to a variety of conservation, education, and recreation programs, including Crystalaire, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and others.

Major highways enters the county from the south, passes through Benzonia and Beulah on the south end of Crystal Lake before turning to exit the county to the east. traverses the western edge of the county, providing a scenic drive along the shore of Lake Michigan. enters the county from the south, angling northwest, and merges with US 31 for a couple of miles until Benzonia where M-115 continues west to end in Frankfort. Previously, an additional highway, M-168, ran in the village of Elberta, serving the former Ann Arbor Railroad ferry docks. The route was handed back to local control in 2012.

Adjacent counties By land Leelanau County - north Grand Traverse County - east Manistee County - south Wexford County - adjacent at the southeast corner

By water Door County, Wisconsin - northwest across Lake Michigan Kewaunee County, Wisconsin - southwest across Lake Michigan

Communities

City Frankfort

Villages Benzonia Beulah (county seat) Elberta Honor Lake Ann Thompsonville

Civil townships

Almira Township Benzonia Township Blaine Township Colfax Township Crystal Lake Township Gilmore Township Homestead Township Inland Township Joyfield Township Lake Township Platte Township Weldon Township

Census-designated places Bendon Crystal Downs Country Club Crystal Mountain Hardwood Acres Maple Grove Nessen City Pilgrim

Other unincorporated communities

Aral Averytown Cedar Run Chimney Corners Resort Crystallia Edgewater Oberlin Platte River Wallin Weldon Watervale

Indian reservation The Grand Traverse Indian Reservation, which has territory in five counties, occupies a small area in southern Benzonia Township.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Benzie County, Michigan – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)10,89411,77015,27016,65816,59797.22%96.48%95.45%95.05%92.36%Black or African American alone (NH)36304371560.32%0.25%0.27%0.41%0.31%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1432362482441641.28%1.93%1.55%1.39%0.91%Asian alone (NH)13352544710.12%0.29%0.16%0.25%0.40%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census000xx0.00%0.00%0.00%Other race alone (NH)140113650.12%0.00%0.07%0.02%0.36%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census168203626xx1.05%1.16%3.48%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1051292333023910.94%1.06%1.46%1.72%2.18%Total11,20512,20015,99817,52517,970 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 17,970 and a median age of 50.6 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 27.2% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.3 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.1% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 1.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.7% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.2% of the population.

14.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 85.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 7,753 households in the county, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.9% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 12,099 housing units, of which 35.9% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 86.7% were owner-occupied and 13.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 22.3%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,Statistical profile of Benzie County, Michigan , United States Census Bureau, Census 2000 there were 15,998 people, 6,500 households, and 4,595 families residing in the county.

In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $37,350, and the median income for a family was $42,716. Males had a median income of $30,218 versus $21,730 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,524. About 4.7% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government For most of its history, Benzie County has primarily supported Republican presidential candidates, with the only times they failed to carry to the county prior to 1992 being in 1912 & 1964. Starting with the 1992 election, the county has become a Republican-leaning bellwether county, with 2012 and 2020 being the only two presidential elections it did not vote for the national winner from 1980 on as of 2024.

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 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.

Elected officials Prosecuting Attorney: Sara Swanson Sheriff: Kyle Rosa County Clerk: Tammy Bowers County Treasurer: Kelly Long Register of Deeds: Paula Eberhart Drain Commissioner: Edward Hoogterp County Surveyor: John Smendzuik Welcome to Benzie County, Michigan

(information as of September 2005)

Education

The Northwest Educational Services, based in Traverse City, services the students in the county along with those of Antrim, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau. The intermediate school district offers regional special education services, early education and English learner programs, and technical career pathways for students of its districts.

Benzie County is served by the following regular public school districts: - Text list

Benzie County Central Schools, which serves most of the county, including Benzonia, Beulah, Honor, Lake Ann, and Thompsonville Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools, which serves the west of the county, including Frankfort and Elberta Glen Lake Community Schools, which serves a small portion of Platte Township Traverse City Area Public Schools, which serves a small portion of Almira Township

Benzie County has one private school, the New Covenant Christian Academy (Christian).

See also List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Benzie County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places listings in Benzie County, Michigan USS Benzie County (LST-266) Benzie Central Schools Benzie Central High School

References

Benzie County, Michigan

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