Schoolcraft County, Michigan

Schoolcraft County is a county located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,047, making it Michigan's fourth-least populous county. The county seat is Manistique, which lies along the northern shore of Lake Michigan. The county is named in honor of Henry Schoolcraft, who explored the area with the expedition of Lewis Cass. The county was founded in 1843 and organized in 1876. The county is largely rural and forested, with much of its western portion within Hiawatha National Forest.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1884 sqmi, of which 1171 sqmi is land and 713 sqmi (38%) is water.

Major highways

 * – runs east and NE across south edge of county. Passes Cooks, Manistique, Gulliver, Parkington, Blaney Park.
 * – runs east–west across upper middle part of county. Passes Seney.
 * – enters county near NE corner. Runs south past Seney to intersection with US2 near Blaney Park.
 * – enters county near NW corner. Runs south and SE to intersection with US2 near Manistique.
 * – enters near SW corner of county. Runs east to intersection with US2 at Manistique.
 * – runs north from Cooks through Hiawatha National Forest.

Airport

 * Schoolcraft County Airport - 3 miles NE of Manistique. County-owned public-use (general aviation). Two paved runways.

Adjacent counties
By land


 * Delta County (west)
 * Alger County (northwest)
 * Luce County (northeast)
 * Mackinac County (southeast)

By water


 * Charlevoix County (southeast)
 * Leelanau County (south)

National protected areas

 * Hiawatha National Forest (part)
 * Seney National Wildlife Refuge

City

 * Manistique (county seat)

Civil townships

 * Doyle Township
 * Germfask Township
 * Hiawatha Township
 * Inwood Township
 * Manistique Township
 * Mueller Township
 * Seney Township
 * Thompson Township

Unincorporated communities

 * Blaney
 * Cooks
 * Germfask
 * Gulliver
 * Seney
 * Steuben
 * Thompson

Indian reservation

 * The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians occupies a very small plot of land in southern Manistique Township.

Former settlements

 * Little Harbor, Michigan

Demographics
The 2010 United States census indicated Schoolcraft County had a population of 8,485. Of its population in 2001, 87.6% of the population were White, 8.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Black or African American, 0.1% of some other race and 3.3% of two or more races. Among them, 0.8% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race); 16.2% were of German, 13.2% French, French Canadian or Cajun, 7.8% Swedish, 6.7% Irish, 5.3% Polish, 5.2% English and 5.1% American ancestry. By the 2020 census, its population was 8,047.

In 2010, there were 3,759 households, out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.72.

The county population contained 19.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 19.6% from 25 to 44, 33.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.3 years. The population was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

In 2010, the median income for a household in the county was $38,367, and the median income for a family was $49,561. The per capita income for the county was $21,134. About 11.7% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. The 2021 estimates determined the median household income was approximately $54,163.

Government
Schoolcraft County has been Republican-leaning from its start. Since 1876, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 69% of the elections (25 of 36 elections).

Schoolcraft County operates the County jail, Schoolcraft County Public Transit, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.

Historic places
The National Register of Historic Places listings in Schoolcraft County, Michigan are:
 * Ten Curves Road – Manistique River Bridge – Ten Curves Rd. over Manistique River in Gemfask Township (added December 17, 1999)
 * Manistique East Breakwater Light – at offshore end of east breakwater, approx. 1,800 ft. from shore (added September 6, 2005)
 * Manistique Pumping Station – on Deer St. (added October 26, 1981)
 * Seul Choix Pointe Light Station – County Rd. 431 in Gulliver (added July 17, 1984)
 * Ekdahl-Goudreau Site – west of Seul Choix Point (added November 16, 1978).