Lake City is a city in and the county seat of
Missaukee County in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
. As of the
2010 census, the city population was 836. Lake City is locally known as the "
Christmas Tree
A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern G ...
Capitol" because of the millions of Christmas trees produced annually.
History

The community's first settler, Daniel Reeder, built his cabin on Muskrat Lake, now
Lake Missaukee, in 1868. On January 22, 1872, Reeder was the name of post office open and the last name of its first postmaster, Daniel. The county selected Reeder by a one-vote margin as the county seat in 1873. The community became a station of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. The community was renamed on January 25, 1877 to Lake City. Lake City was incorporated as a village and platted in 1889. The village became a city in 1932.
[
Much of Missaukee County grew in the early 20th century because of the region's timber industry. The community continues to thrive because of local lumber mills.]
Geography
According to the United States 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
An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of , all land
Lake City derives its name from the numerous lakes within the vicinity, of which Lake Missaukee forms the western boundary of the city limits. Other large lakes nearby include Crooked Lake and Sapphire Lake.[
]
Climate
Education
Lake City is served by the Lake City Area Schools
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...
district. High school students are served by Lake City High School.
Transportation
*
*
Demographics
2010 census
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 836 people, 337 households, and 216 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was . There were 489 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.2% White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 1.2% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 1.7% Native American, 0.7% Asian, and 1.2% 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 2.9% of the population.
There were 337 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% 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 t ...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.9% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.89.
The median age in the city was 40.5 years. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 19.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.
2000 census
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 in ...
of 2000, there were 923 people, 381 households, and 238 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.72% White
White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 0.11% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.43% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.43% from other races, and 0.54% 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 1.63% of the population.
There were 381 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% 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 t ...
living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,864, and the median income for a family was $34,286. Males had a median income of $27,361 versus $19,044 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 city was $17,067. About 10.7% of families and 13.1% 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 13.7% of those under age 18 and 17.2% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
* Albert J. Engel, former politician
* Albert J. Engel Jr.
Albert Joseph Engel Jr. (March 21, 1924 – April 5, 2013) was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Education and career
Engel was born in Lake City, Michigan, the son of United States ...
, former judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:
* Eastern District of Kentucky
* Western District o ...
* Bruce Rendon
Bruce R. Rendon is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives, first elected in 2010 and re-elected to a second term in 2012. His district consists of Missaukee, Roscommon
Roscommon (; ) is the county town and the largest tow ...
, politician
* Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture.
Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as '' ...
, Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe award-winning actor, film and television star
* James Wieghart, former newspaper editor
References
Sources
*
External links
Lake City, Michigan - Pure Michigan
Lake City Area Chamber of Commerce
{{Michigan county seats
Cities in Missaukee County, Michigan
County seats in Michigan
1889 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1889