South Haven Charter Township is a

charter township A charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. Townships in Michigan are organized governments. A charter township has been granted a charter, which allows it certain rights and responsibilities of home rule that ...

of Van Buren 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 the ...

. The population was 4,046 at the 2000 census. The city of South Haven is located to the northwest of the township. The city of South Haven has annexed portions of land that was once within the township boundaries, but is administratively autonomous. There are no other incorporated municipalities within the township. The area south of South Haven is considered to be a part of the city's urban area. Other settlements are in the unincorporated communities: *Maple Grove Corners is at . The elevation is 682 feet above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. *Crystal Beach is a development area on the shores of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

several miles south of South Haven and just north of Van Buren State Park. It is at . The FIPS place code is 19130.

Geography

The northern portion of the township is drained by the Black River, which has its mouth at South Haven. The southern portion is drained by Deerlick Creek and other unnamed creeks. Interstate 196/ U.S. Highway 31 (I-196/US 31) runs mostly north–south through the township, roughly parallel with the Lake Michigan shore and skirting the east side of South Haven. M-140 runs due north–south through the township into South Haven. M-43 runs southeast–northwest through Maple Grove Corners into South Haven. 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. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the township has a total area of 17.5 square miles (45.4 km²), all land.

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 incl ...

of 2000, there were 4,046 people, 1,645 households, and 1,092 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,890 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 82.11%

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 on ...

, 12.61%

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 ...

, 0.72% Native American, 0.42%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 1.93% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.34% of the population. There were 1,645 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% 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, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97. In the township the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the township was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $38,922. Males had a median income of $31,754 versus $22,363 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 $17,097. About 9.1% of families and 11.8% 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 t ...

, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

References

{{Authority control Townships in Van Buren County, Michigan Charter townships in Michigan Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan area