Richfield Township is a

civil township A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States that is subordinate to a county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England, New York, and Wisconsin to ref ...

of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 3,731.

Communities

*Artesia Beach is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

located on the southwest shores of Lake St. Helen on the township line with Higgins Township at . *Au Sable River Park is an unincorporated community located along the South Branch of the Au Sable River at . *Geels is an unincorporated community located in the northwest corner of the township at . Geels was founded along the

Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...

as a midway point between Roscommon and St. Helen. A post office opened on May 18, 1914 but is no longer in operation. *Maple Valley is an unincorporated community located along the township line with Backus Township at . Maple Valley began as a settlement in 1907. * St. Helen is an unincorporated community and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

located within the township.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (5.51%) is water. The majority of Lake St. Helen is located within Richfield Township. The Marsh Creek / Beaver Lake Flooding State Wildlife Management Area is also located within the township.

Major highways

* runs west–east through the central portion of the township. * runs concurrent with Interstate 75 through the township. * is a short county-designated highway within the township. * runs through the township. * M-76_1948

M-76 is a former state highway that was commissioned from 1919–1973. It has various local names but may still carry the Old M-76 name.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 4,139 people, 1,896 households, and 1,239 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 3,760 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 97.99%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.07%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.89% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.12% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 0.82% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. There were 1,896 households, out of which 19.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.65. In the township the population was spread out, with 19.3% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 25.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the township was $26,806, and the median income for a family was $32,241. Males had a median income of $31,000 versus $21,113 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the township was $17,282. 15.9% of the population and 10.4% of families were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. Out of the total population, 25.6% of those under the age of 18 and 7.7% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

References

Sources

External links

Official website
{{authority control Townships in Roscommon County, Michigan Townships in Michigan