Ionia County, Michigan

Ionia County, Michigan
County
Ionia County Courthouse in Ionia
Ionia County Courthouse in Ionia
Official seal of Ionia County, Michigan
Seal
Map of Michigan highlighting Ionia County
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°56′N 85°04′W / 42.94°N 85.07°W / 42.94; -85.07
Country United States
State Michigan
FoundedMarch 2, 1831 (created)
1837 (organized)
Named forIonia
SeatIonia
Largest cityIonia
Area
 • Total
580 sq mi (1,500 km2)
 • Land571 sq mi (1,480 km2)
 • Water8.7 sq mi (23 km2)  1.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
66,804
 • Estimate 
(2025)
66,557 Decrease
 • Density117/sq mi (45.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district2nd
Websiteioniacounty.org

Ionia County (/aɪˈoʊnjə/ eye-OH-nyə) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 66,804. The county seat is Ionia. The Ionia County Courthouse was designed by Claire Allen, a prominent southern Michigan architect.

Ionia County is part of the Grand Rapids-Kentwood metropolitan statistical area.

History

The county is named for Ionia, a historic area of Greece.

Geography

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 580 square miles (1,500 km2), of which 571 square miles (1,480 km2) is land and 8.7 square miles (23 km2) (1.5%) is water.

Adjacent counties

Major highways

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18401,923—
18507,597295.1%
186016,682119.6%
187027,68165.9%
188033,87222.4%
189032,801−3.2%
190034,3294.7%
191033,550−2.3%
192033,087−1.4%
193035,0936.1%
194035,7101.8%
195038,1586.9%
196043,13213.0%
197045,8486.3%
198051,81513.0%
199057,02410.1%
200061,5187.9%
201063,9053.9%
202066,8044.5%
2025 (est.)66,557 Decrease−0.4%
US Decennial Census
1790–1960 1900–1990
1990–2000 2010–2018

Racial and ethnic composition

Ionia County, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980 Pop 1990 Pop 2000 Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 48,930 52,553 55,749 56,962 57,617 94.43% 92.16% 90.62% 89.14% 86.25%
Black or African American alone (NH) 1,610 2,954 2,759 2,962 3,210 3.11% 5.18% 4.48% 4.64% 4.81%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 188 212 286 230 246 0.36% 0.37% 0.46% 0.36% 0.37%
Asian alone (NH) 104 118 194 241 229 0.20% 0.21% 0.32% 0.38% 0.34%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x x 7 6 5 x x 0.01% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 76 11 32 27 121 0.15% 0.02% 0.05% 0.04% 0.18%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x x 780 686 2,012 x x 1.27% 1.07% 3.01%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 907 1,176 1,711 2,791 3,364 1.75% 2.06% 2.78% 4.37% 5.04%
Total 51,815 57,024 61,518 63,905 66,804 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 66,804. The median age was 39.3 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 124.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 129.0 males age 18 and over.

The racial makeup of the county was 88.2% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.6% from some other race, and 4.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.0% of the population.

39.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 61.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 23,108 households in the county, of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.5% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 24,638 housing units, of which 6.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 78.4% were owner-occupied and 21.6% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 61,518 people, 20,606 households, and 15,145 families residing in the county. The population density was 107 inhabitants per square mile (41/km2). There were 22,006 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile (15/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 91.96% White, 4.56% Black or African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.04% from other races, and 1.55% from two or more races. 2.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.0% were of German, 14.7% American, 11.6% English, 8.9% Irish and 5.3% Dutch ancestry. 96.3% spoke English and 2.6% Spanish as their first language.

There were 20,606 households, out of which 38.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.70% were married couples living together, 10.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 21.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.15.

The county's population spread included 26.90% under the age of 18, 11.50% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 20.50% from 45 to 64, and 10.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 115.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,074, and the median income for a family was $49,797. Males had a median income of $36,995 versus $25,443 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,451. About 6.80% of families and 8.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Ionia County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican Party nominee has carried the county vote in 82% of the elections (29 of 35 elections).

United States presidential election results for Ionia County, Michigan
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
1884 3,552 45.10% 3,814 48.43% 510 6.48%
1888 4,436 50.95% 3,779 43.41% 491 5.64%
1892 4,288 49.45% 3,779 43.58% 604 6.97%
1896 4,593 48.35% 4,757 50.08% 149 1.57%
1900 5,101 54.31% 4,055 43.18% 236 2.51%
1904 5,440 63.81% 2,729 32.01% 356 4.18%
1908 4,584 54.77% 3,232 38.61% 554 6.62%
1912 2,049 26.50% 2,757 35.66% 2,926 37.84%
1916 3,950 48.36% 3,911 47.88% 307 3.76%
1920 7,977 67.59% 3,395 28.77% 430 3.64%
1924 9,502 73.21% 2,821 21.74% 656 5.05%
1928 9,471 74.91% 3,089 24.43% 83 0.66%
1932 6,074 40.23% 8,695 57.58% 331 2.19%
1936 6,487 43.88% 7,140 48.30% 1,155 7.81%
1940 9,439 63.28% 5,399 36.20% 78 0.52%
1944 9,331 67.06% 4,437 31.89% 146 1.05%
1948 7,970 62.60% 4,450 34.95% 311 2.44%
1952 10,970 69.35% 4,722 29.85% 127 0.80%
1956 11,001 68.76% 4,952 30.95% 46 0.29%
1960 10,405 61.81% 6,377 37.88% 52 0.31%
1964 5,698 35.36% 10,362 64.31% 53 0.33%
1968 8,625 54.01% 6,055 37.92% 1,288 8.07%
1972 10,898 62.57% 6,240 35.83% 278 1.60%
1976 11,737 62.46% 6,820 36.29% 234 1.25%
1980 12,040 57.38% 7,039 33.55% 1,903 9.07%
1984 14,162 70.69% 5,735 28.62% 138 0.69%
1988 12,028 59.05% 8,160 40.06% 181 0.89%
1992 9,135 38.35% 8,370 35.14% 6,317 26.52%
1996 9,574 44.63% 9,261 43.17% 2,617 12.20%
2000 13,915 58.05% 9,481 39.55% 574 2.39%
2004 16,621 60.18% 10,647 38.55% 350 1.27%
2008 14,156 51.74% 12,565 45.93% 638 2.33%
2012 14,315 55.36% 11,018 42.61% 523 2.02%
2016 16,635 61.52% 8,352 30.89% 2,052 7.59%
2020 20,657 64.13% 10,901 33.84% 651 2.02%
2024 22,179 65.19% 11,338 33.33% 504 1.48%
United States Senate election results for Ionia County, Michigan1
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 21,241 63.31% 11,253 33.54% 1,059 3.16%
Michigan Gubernatorial election results for Ionia County
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2022 15,786 58.02% 10,845 39.86% 577 2.12%

The county government operates the jail, 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.

Elected officials

  • Prosecuting attorney: Kyle B. Butler
  • Sheriff: Charlie Noll
  • County clerk: Greg Geiger
  • County treasurer: Judith Clark
  • Register of deeds: Rhonda Lake
  • Drain commissioner: Robert Rose
  • County Commissioner District 1: David Hodges
  • County Commissioner District 2: Larry Tiejema
  • County Commissioner District 3: Karen Banks
  • County Commissioner District 4: Ally Cook
  • County Commissioner District 5: Scott Wirtz
  • County Commissioner District 6: Jack Shattuck
  • County Commissioner District 7: Georgia Sharp

(information as of February 2023)

Communities

Cities

Villages

Townships

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Education

K-12 school districts include:

Elementary school districts include:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ionia County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "QuickFacts: Ionia County, Michigan". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  3. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 165.
  5. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  7. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ "1980 Census of Population - General Social and Economic Characteristics - Michigan - Tables 15 and 16 – Race by Sex: 1980 and Tables 16 and 17 – Persons by Spanish Origin, Race, and Sex: 1980" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 24-59. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 11, 2025 – via Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Michigan: Table 3-5 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 37-179. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2026 – via Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Ionia County, Michigan". United States Census Bureau.
  14. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ionia County, Michigan". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ↑ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Ionia County, Michigan". United States Census Bureau.
  16. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  17. ↑ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  18. ↑ not an option in the 1980 Census
  19. ↑ not an option in the 1990 Census
  20. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  21. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  22. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  23. ↑ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  24. ↑ US Election Atlas
  25. ↑ The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 2,579 votes, while Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 170 votes, Prohibition candidate Eugene Chafin received 165 votes, and Socialist Labor candidate Arthur Reimer received 12 votes.
  26. ↑ "2024 Senate Election (Official Returns)". Commonwealth of Michigan by county. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Prosecuting Attorney". Ionia County. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Sheriff Charlie Noll". Ionia County. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  29. ↑ "County Clerk". Ionia County. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Treasurer's Office". Ionia County. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Register of Deeds". Ionia County. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  32. ↑ "Drain Commissioner". Ionia County. Archived from the original on October 25, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Board of Commissioners". Ionia County. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  34. 1 2 Geography Division (January 15, 2021). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Ionia County, MI (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 19, 2025. - Text list

42°56′N 85°04′W / 42.94°N 85.07°W / 42.94; -85.07