Royalton 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 Berrien County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

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 ...

, a few miles southeast of the city of St. Joseph. The population was 4,766 at the 2010 census, up from 3,888 at the 2000 census. There are no incorporated municipalities in the township, but portions are considered to be part of the

Benton Harbor Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, of ...

/St. Joseph urban area. The unincorporated communities of Hollywood, Scottdale, Arden, and Buckhorn are within the township. Royalton Township was organized in 1835 and originally included portions of Lincoln Charter Township, Sodus Township, and St. Joseph Charter Township.

Geography

Lincoln Charter Township lies directly to the west. St. Joseph Charter Township is to the northwest. The St. Joseph River forms the eastern boundary of the township. Sodus Township lies across the river. Oronoko Charter Township lies to the south and Baroda Township to the southwest. M-139 runs northwest–southeast through the township.

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern term ...

and M-63 are accessible in the northwest of the township. 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 township has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.49%, is water.

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 3,888 people, 1,299 households, and 1,084 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 1,366 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 93.29%

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 ...

, 2.03%

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 ...

, 0.15% Native American, 2.44% Asian, 1.34% 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 0.75% 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 3.42% of the population. There were 1,299 households, out of which 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.8% 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 ...

living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.16. In the township the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males. The median income for a household in the township was $69,375, and the median income for a family was $76,295. Males had a median income of $50,833 versus $28,750 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 $26,926. About 7.6% of families and 9.4% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 27.5% of those age 65 or over.

Emergency services

Police protection in Royalton Township is provided by the Berrien County Sheriff's Department and

Michigan State Police The Michigan State Police (MSP) is the state police agency for the U.S. state of Michigan. The MSP is a full-service law enforcement agency, with its sworn members having full police powers statewide. The department was founded in 1917 as a wart ...

, although in the event of a priority dispatch, assistance is sometimes offered by nearby municipal police forces, including Lincoln Charter Township PD, Baroda/Lake Township PD, Saint Joseph Charter Township PD, and Berrien Springs/Oronoko Township PD, depending on circumstances of the call, location within the township, and availability of State or County police units. Emergency medical services are provided by Medic1 Community Ambulance Service. Fire protection is provided by Royalton Township Fire Department. This department offers full rescue and extrication capabilities, and took delivery in late 2007 of a new rescue/pumper apparatus, designated "1771", from Spencer Manufacturing of South Haven, Michigan.

References

External links

Royalton Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Berrien County, Michigan Townships in Michigan