Escanaba, Michigan
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Escanaba is a city located in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,140. It is the county seat of Delta County6. There is also Escanaba Township, which is north of the city and is not adjacent to it, although a portion of the city's urban area extends into the township. Both are named for the Escanaba River that flows into the Little Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan just north of the city.
Escanaba is located on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The city is served by several highways:
- U.S. Highway 41 connects with Marquette 66 miles to the north and with Powers 24 miles west before turning south to Menominee.
- U.S. Highway 2 runs eastward to St. Ignace and the Mackinac Bridge 143 miles to the east. Along the way it passes through Gladstone, 9 miles east and, Manistique, 54 miles east. It runs west concurrent with US 41 till Powers, and from there 21 miles west to Iron Mountain.
- Michigan State Highway 35 runs northwest 51 miles through undeveloped areas to Gwinn. Going south, it provides a direct route along the shore of the Bay of Green Bay to Menominee 55 miles to the southwest.
Escanaba is home to Bay de Noc Community College.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 42.8 km² (16.5 mi²). 32.8 km² (12.7 mi²) of it is land and 10.0 km² (3.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 23.32% water.
History
Escanaba began as a port town in the mid-to-late 1800's. Located on Little Bay de Noc at the northern edge of Lake Michigan, Escanaba served as an important shipping point for lumber, copper, and iron ore to other Great Lakes ports, but especially south to Chicago. It continues as a port today for iron ore shipments, but the town's paper mill is now its largest employer.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 13,140 people, 5,800 households, and 3,294 families residing in the city. The population density is 400.7/km² (1,038.3/mi²). There are 6,258 housing units at an average density of 190.9/km² (494.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 95.66% White, 0.11% African American, 2.61% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. 0.66% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 5,800 households out of which 26.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% are married couples living together, 11.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% are non-families. 37.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 18.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,125, and the median income for a family is $36,995. Males have a median income of $32,310 versus $21,204 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,589. 13.8% of the population and 10.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.7% of those under the age of 18 and 9.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.