Bronson is a city in Branch County in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

. The population was 2,307 at the 2020 census. Incorporated as a city in 1934, Bronson is mostly surrounded by Bronson Township, but the two are administered autonomously.

History

A post office was established here under the name of Bronson's Prairie in 1830, with Jabez B. Bronson as post master. When the village was started it was first named York, but was renamed to Bronson by the Michigan legislature in 1837. The village was incorporated in 1866 and made a city in 1934. Bronson established a new City Charter in 1985. This charter established the Council-Manager form of government under which Bronson still operates.

Government

The City of Bronson is governed by a five-member City Council. Members are elected at large by city residents in odd-year elections to either two or four-year terms. The Council elect, from among their members, a mayor and vice-mayor. Alicia Cole became mayor in January 2014 following the death of Tom Rissman, who had held the position since 2003. Cole is Rissman's eldest daughter. Larry McConn is the vice-mayor. The City Council appoints a clerk/treasurer to oversee official records, voting, the collection of taxes, and the depositing of all city funds. Karen A. Smith was appointed to this role in 1983. Smith also holds the post of assessor for the city. Charles Lillis of the firm Biringer, Hutchinson, Lillis, Bappert & Angell, PC serves as city attorney- a post he has held since 2011.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , all land. The North Bronson Industrial Area Superfund Sites are a group of three

United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on De ...

Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...

sites: the former Bronson Reel Facility, the former L.A. Darling Facility, and the former Scott Fetzer Facility.North Bronson Industrial Area Superfund Sites
, Region 5 Cleanup Sites, U.S. EPA

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,349 people, 834 households, and 568 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 946 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.6% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 6.2% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 15.4% of the population. There were 834 households, of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.9% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.33. The median age in the city was 30.8 years. 31.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 11.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 2,421 people, 891 households, and 601 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 979 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.32%

, 0.58%

, 0.54% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 4.42% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 8.51% of the population. There were 891 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were

living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 27.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.26. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $32,035, and the median income for a family was $42,813. Males had a median income of $29,702 versus $22,406 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $17,023. About 9.4% of families and 12.7% 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 15.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Elizabeth Colwell, artist, born in Bronson

Sister cities

* Moryń,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

References

External links

City of Bronson official website
{{Authority control Cities in Branch County, Michigan Populated places established in 1828 1828 establishments in Michigan Territory Superfund sites in Michigan