Somerset 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 ...

Hillsdale County Hillsdale County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 45,746. The county seat is Hillsdale. Hillsdale County is the only county in Michigan to border both Indiana and Ohio. Due to an ...

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 ...

. The population was 4,532 at the 2020 census.

Communities

* Bakers was a station on the Detroit, Toledo and Milwaukee Railroad at . Storekeeper Don H. Elliott became its first postmaster on October 20, 1897. The office operated until December 14, 1903. *Jerome 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 ...

within the township at . The

FIPS place code The Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) of the United States are a set of publicly announced standards that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed for use in computer systems of non-military, American ...

is 41740. The ZIP Code is 49249. * Lake LeAnn 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 ...

within the township at , surrounding three freshwater lakes, the largest of which is Lake LeAnn. *Somerset is an unincorporated community within the township on

U.S. Highway 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) and I-94, but unlike most U.S. routes that ...

at . The

is 74540. The ZIP Code is 49281. *Somerset Center is an unincorporated community within the township on US 12 at . The

. The ZIP Code is 49282.

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 (6.05%) is water. The township contains numerous small lakes, as well as the Somerset State Game Area. The Grand River, which is the state's longest river, has its source within the township.

Major highways

* runs east–west through the northern portion of the township.

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 4,277 people, 1,687 households, and 1,312 families residing in the township. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 128.2 per square mile (49.5/km). There were 2,161 housing units at an average density of 64.8 per square mile (25.0/km). The racial makeup of the township was 97.90%

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 ...

, 0.37%

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 ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.16% 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 ...

, 0.44% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.87% from two or more races.

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 were 1.38% of the population. There were 1,687 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% 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, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.2% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.88. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $48,529, and the median income for a family was $51,278. Males had a median income of $43,973 versus $29,244 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 $22,462. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population 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 ...

, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The township is served by four separate public school districts. The western portion of the township is served by North Adams-Jerome Schools, while the eastern portion is served by Addison Community Schools in Lenawee County. A very small portion of the northern edge of the township surrounding parts of Lake LeAnn are served by Hanover-Horton Schools to the north in Jackson County. Another very small portion of the northeast corner of the township is served by Columbia School District in Jackson County.

Notable residents

George A. Smith George Albert Smith (June 26, 1817 – September 1, 1875) was an early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement. He served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

, state senator and representative

Images

File:Jerome, Michigan road signage.jpg, File:Somerset, Michigan (2022).jpg, File:Somerset Center, Michigan road signage.jpg, File:Lake LeAnn (Michigan).jpg,

References

External links

Somerset Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Hillsdale County, Michigan Townships in Michigan