A county is a local level of government created as a subdivision of a state by the state government or territorial government as a subdivision of a territory. There are 83 counties in Michigan and these counties are further subdivided into townships and contain other independent, self-governing municipalities such as cities, villages or charter townships. The site of a county's administration and courts is called the county seat. The distribution of power between the state government, county governments, and municipal governments is defined in the constitution of Michigan.
Government
Structure
Counties are usually governed by an elected board of supervisors such as a county commission. In some counties, there is a county executive. The board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has the legislative power to enact ordinances for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters like hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists. As for the day-to-day operations of the county government, they are sometimes overseen by a county manager or chief administrative officer who reports to the board, the executive, or both.
Scope of power
Counties in Michigan typically provide some measure of services which can include public utilities, libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder or clerk who collects vital statistics, holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of birth, death, marriage, and dissolution. In larger counties, other key county officials include the coroner-medical examiner, treasurer, assessor, auditor, controller, and district attorney. In many locations, the county sheriff is the principal law enforcement officer in the county.
In Michigan, unincorporated land is controlled by the township and not the respective county. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can incorporate as a city or village.
List of counties
| County | 2000 Population | Land area (mi²) | County seat | Year Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcona County | 11,719 | 674 | Harrisville | 1840 |
| Alger County | 9,862 | 918 | Munising | 1885 |
| Allegan County | 105,665 | 828 | Allegan | 1831 |
| Alpena County | 31,314 | 574 | Alpena | 1840 |
| Antrim County | 23,110 | 477 | Bellaire | 1840 |
| Arenac County | 17,269 | 367 | Standish | 1883 |
| Baraga County | 8,746 | 904 | L'Anse | 1875 |
| Barry County | 56,755 | 556 | Hastings | 1829 |
| Bay County | 110,157 | 444 | Bay City | 1857 |
| Benzie County | 15,998 | 321 | Beulah | 1863 |
| Berrien County | 162,453 | 571 | Saint Joseph | 1829 |
| Branch County | 45,787 | 507 | Coldwater | 1829 |
| Calhoun County | 137,985 | 709 | Marshall | 1829 |
| Cass County | 51,104 | 492 | Cassopolis | 1829 |
| Charlevoix County | 26,090 | 417 | Charlevoix | 1869 |
| Cheboygan County | 26,448 | 716 | Cheboygan | 1840 |
| Chippewa County | 38,543 | 1,561 | Sault Sainte Marie | 1826 |
| Clare County | 31,252 | 567 | Harrison | 1840 |
| Clinton County | 64,753 | 572 | Saint Johns | 1831 |
| Crawford County | 14,273 | 558 | Grayling | 1818 |
| Delta County | 38,520 | 1,170 | Escanaba | 1843 |
| Dickinson County | 27,472 | 766 | Iron Mountain | 1891 |
| Eaton County | 103,655 | 576 | Charlotte | 1837 |
| Emmet County | 31,437 | 468 | Petoskey | 1853 |
| Genesee County | 436,141 | 640 | Flint | 1835 |
| Gladwin County | 26,023 | 507 | Gladwin | 1855 |
| Gogebic County | 17,370 | 1,102 | Bessemer | 1881 |
| Grand Traverse County | 77,654 | 465 | Traverse City | 1851 |
| Gratiot County | 42,285 | 570 | Ithaca | 1855 |
| Hillsdale County | 46,527 | 599 | Hillsdale | 1835 |
| Houghton County | 36,016 | 1,012 | Houghton | 1845 |
| Huron County | 36,079 | 837 | Bad Axe | 1840 |
| Ingham County | 279,320 | 559 | Mason | 1838 |
| Ionia County | 61,518 | 573 | Ionia | 1837 |
| Iosco County | 27,339 | 549 | Tawas City | 1840 |
| Iron County | 13,138 | 1,166 | Crystal Falls | 1885 |
| Isabella County | 63,351 | 574 | Mount Pleasant | 1831 |
| Jackson County | 158,422 | 707 | Jackson | 1832 |
| Kalamazoo County | 238,603 | 562 | Kalamazoo | 1829 |
| Kalkaska County | 16,571 | 561 | Kalkaska | 1870 |
| Kent County | 574,335 | 856 | Grand Rapids | 1836 |
| Keweenaw County | 2,301 | 541 | Eagle River | 1861 |
| Lake County | 11,333 | 568 | Baldwin | 1870 |
| Lapeer County | 87,904 | 654 | Lapeer | 1837 |
| Leelanau County | 21,119 | 348 | Leland | 1863 |
| Lenawee County | 98,890 | 751 | Adrian | 1822 |
| Livingston County | 156,951 | 568 | Howell | 1836 |
| Luce County | 7,024 | 903 | Newberry | 1887 |
| Mackinac County | 11,943 | 1,022 | Saint Ignace | 1818 |
| Macomb County | 788,149 | 480 | Mount Clemens | 1818 |
| Manistee County | 24,527 | 544 | Manistee | 1855 |
| Marquette County | 64,634 | 1,821 | Marquette | 1843 |
| Mason County | 28,274 | 495 | Ludington | 1855 |
| Mecosta County | 40,553 | 556 | Big Rapids | 1859 |
| Menominee County | 25,326 | 1,044 | Menominee | 1863 |
| Midland County | 82,874 | 521 | Midland | 1850 |
| Missaukee County | 14,478 | 567 | Lake City | 1840 |
| Monroe County | 145,945 | 551 | Monroe | 1817 |
| Montcalm County | 61,266 | 708 | Stanton | 1831 |
| Montmorency County | 10,315 | 548 | Atlanta | 1881 |
| Muskegon County | 170,200 | 509 | Muskegon | 1859 |
| Newaygo County | 47,874 | 842 | White Cloud | 1840 |
| Oakland County | 1,194,156 | 873 | Pontiac | 1819 |
| Oceana County | 26,873 | 540 | Hart | 1831 |
| Ogemaw County | 21,645 | 564 | West Branch | 1875 |
| Ontonagon County | 7,818 | 1,312 | Ontonagon | 1843 |
| Osceola County | 23,197 | 566 | Reed City | 1869 |
| Oscoda County | 9,418 | 565 | Mio | 1840 |
| Otsego County | 23,301 | 515 | Gaylord | 1875 |
| Ottawa County | 238,314 | 566 | Grand Haven | 1837 |
| Presque Isle County | 14,411 | 660 | Rogers City | 1840 |
| Roscommon County | 25,469 | 521 | Roscommon | 1875 |
| Saginaw County | 210,039 | 809 | Saginaw | 1835 |
| Saint Clair County | 164,235 | 724 | Port Huron | 1820 |
| Saint Joseph County | 62,422 | 504 | Centreville | 1829 |
| Sanilac County | 44,547 | 964 | Sandusky | 1848 |
| Schoolcraft County | 8,903 | 1,178 | Manistique | 1843 |
| Shiawassee County | 71,687 | 539 | Corunna | 1822 |
| Tuscola County | 58,266 | 813 | Caro | 1840 |
| Van Buren County | 76,263 | 611 | Paw Paw | 1829 |
| Washtenaw County | 322,895 | 710 | Ann Arbor | 1826 |
| Wayne County | 2,061,162 | 614 | Detroit | 1796 |
| Wexford County | 30,484 | 566 | Cadillac | 1840 |