Kent County, Michigan

Kent County is a in the  of. As of a 2007 census estimates, the population was 604,323. The is. It is named for New York jurist and legal scholar, who represented the in its dispute with  over the.

History
The, the largest river in Michigan, runs through the county. On its west bank are, remnants of the Indians who once lived there. The valley of the river served as an important center for the in the early 1800s. In 1831, it was set off from. In 1838, Grand Rapids incorporated as the county's first village. By the end of the century, stimulated by the construction of several, the area was a significant center for agriculture, , and manufacturing.

Kent County is the economic and manufacturing center of West Michigan, with the corporation based in the county. It is also the home of the, a significant cultural landmark of the Midwest. The county is a traditional stronghold for the, with a substantial conservative population. The area has strong religious ties, containing a substantial number of. The is located within the county.

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there were 574,335 people, 212,890 households, and 144,126 families residing in the county. The current estimated population is 604,323. The was 259/km² (671/sq mi). There were 224,000 housing units at an average density of 101/km² (262/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 83.13%, 8.93% or , 0.52% , 1.86% , 0.06% , 3.34% from , and 2.16% from two or more races. 7.00% of the population were or  of any race. 90.0% spoke and 6.0%  as their first language.

There were 212,890 households out of which 35.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.30% were living together, 11.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.30% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the county the population was spread out with 28.30% under the age of 18, 10.50% from 18 to 24, 31.20% from 25 to 44, 19.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 96.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $45,980, and the median income for a family was $54,770. Males had a median income of $39,878 versus $27,364 for females. The for the county was $21,629. 8.90% of the population and 6.30% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 10.20% are under the age of 18 and 7.50% are 65 or older.

Geography
According to the, the county has a total area of 2,259 (872 ). 2,217 km² (856 sq mi) of it is land and 41 km² (16 sq mi) of it (1.84%) is water.

Rivers
The flows through the county from its eastern border to the west, and after passing through Ottawa County, empties into  at. It has three in Kent County, listed in order of convergence:
 * , enters the county from the east, and joins the Grand from the north, in.
 * , enters the county from the south, and joins the Grand in.
 * , enters the county from the north, and joins the Grand in.

Trails
These and  trails run through the county:
 * , runs north/south the length of the county, passing through, and .  Lowell is the half-way point of the trail, and the national headquarters of the North Country Trail Association is located here.
 * , begins in and runs southeast through  and.
 * , begins in and runs northeast through, , , and.

Adjacent Counties

 * - north
 * - northeast
 * - northwest
 * - east
 * - west
 * - southwest
 * - southeast



Businesses
These corporations are headquartered in Kent County, in the following communities:
 * (formerly Amway), Ada
 * , Grand Rapids
 * , Walker
 * , Wyoming
 * , Walker
 * , Grand Rapids
 * , Sparta
 * , Cutlerville
 * , Grand Rapids
 * , Northview
 * , Rockford
 * , Kentwood

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

Kent County Elected Officials

 * : William A. Forsyth
 * : Lawrence Stelma (Republican)
 * /: Mary Hollinrake (Republican)
 * : Kenneth Parrish (Republican)
 * : Douglas Sporte (Republican)
 * County Commission or Board of Commissioners: 19 members, elected from districts (16 Republicans, 3 Democrats)
 * Circuit Court: 9 judges (non-partisan)
 * Probate Court: 3 judges (non-partisan)

(information as of February 2006)

Prominent Former Officials

 * , Clerk-Register in 1993-2000, now Michigan Secretary of State

Cities, villages, and unincorporated communities

 * , unincorporated community
 * , unincorporated community
 * , unincorporated community
 * , unincorporated community
 * , unincorporated community
 * , village
 * , unincorporated community
 * , unincorporated community
 * , village
 * , city
 * , unincorporated community
 * , city
 * , city
 * , city
 * , unincorporated community
 * , village
 * , city
 * , city
 * , city
 * , village
 * , village
 * , city
 * , city
 * , city
 * , village
 * , village
 * , city
 * , city

Townships


(* denotes status)