Decatur is a village in Van Buren County,

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 ...

, United States. The population was 1,819 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Decatur Township.

History

Decatur Township and the Village of Decatur are named after Stephen Decatur, Jr., celebrated as a hero of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It be ...

. Decatur was founded in 1847 and incorporated as a village in 1861.

Churches

Decatur contains many denominations and is home to a variety of churches, including one of its oldest churches, Decatur First Reformed Church.

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. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

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 inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,819 people, 701 households, and 448 families living in the village. 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 . There were 781 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 87.6%

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 ...

, 2.7%

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 ...

, 1.2% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1%

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 ...

, 4.1% from other races, and 4.0% 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 9.4% of the population. There were 701 households, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.1% 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, 18.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age in the village was 34.6 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 23.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,838 people, 725 households, and 458 families living in the village. The

was 1,599.1 per square mile (617.1/km²). There were 792 housing units at an average density of 689.1 per square mile (265.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.65%

, 5.82%

, 1.41% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 1.85% from other races, and 2.99% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.08% of the population. There were 725 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.5% were

living together, 15.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09. In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $30,550, and the median income for a family was $36,417. Males had a median income of $27,566 versus $20,703 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 village was $14,098. About 18.2% of families and 20.9% 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 31.7% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Decatur is part of the Decatur Public Schools district. The district has one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school.

Notable people

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters ...

, an American actor and radio performer, best known as a

ventriloquist Ventriloquism, or ventriloquy, is a performance act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) creates the illusion that their voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered prop known as a "dummy". The act of ventriloquism is ve ...

. * Charles H. Mahoney, the first African American to serve as a delegate to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Villages in Van Buren County, Michigan Villages in Michigan 1859 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1859