Watervliet is a city in 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 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 ...

. Located in the northeastern part of the county, the population was 1,735 at the 2010 census, down from 1,843 at the 2000 census. Mostly a rural farming community, the name comes from the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

for "where the waters meet." The city is surrounded by Watervliet Charter Township but is administered autonomously.

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 t ...

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

History

In 1905 John Olsen and Maud Nelson moved here where they established a women's baseball team. Both of them had experience in the game. The "Cherokee Indian Baseball Team" set out in its

Pullman car In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars that were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company (founded by George Pullman) from 1867 to December 31, 1968. Other uses Pullman also refers to ra ...

in the same year complete with an electric light facility, a grand stand and a 12 by 1200 foot fence. Nelson who was born in Italy was on the team. She was billed by her husband, Olsen, as the undisputed women's champion pitcher of the world.

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 1,735 people, 677 households, and 448 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 752 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.3%

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, 1.0%

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 ...

, 0.8% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.0% 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 2.7% from two or more races.

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or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population. There were 677 households, of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.7% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% 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 3.11. The median age in the city was 35.8 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,843 people, 719 households, and 473 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 760 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.40%

, 0.33%

, 0.22% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.38% from

, and 1.19% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.09% of the population. There were 719 households, out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% 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 3.09. In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $38,681, and the median income for a family was $42,391. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $21,250 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 $16,691. About 3.8% of families and 6.9% 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 t ...

, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Watervliet is home to six schools and the Watervliet School District. The six schools are as follows: * Watervliet High School * South Elementary School * North Elementary School * Watervliet Middle School * St. Joseph Catholic School (Closed in 2015) * Grace Christian School

References

External links

*
Watervliet Public Schools Website
{{authority control Cities in Berrien County, Michigan Cities in Michigan