Houghton 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 (United States), county, most often in the northern and midwestern parts of the country. The term town is used in New England town, Ne ...

Keweenaw County Keweenaw County (, ) is a county in the western Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 2,046, making it Michigan's least populous county. It is also the state's largest county by total ...

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 72 at the 2020 census. The township consists of a mainland portion of the

Keweenaw Peninsula The Keweenaw Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Part of the greater landmass of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula, the Keweenaw Peninsula projects about northeasterly into Lake Superior, forming Keweena ...

and the county seat of Eagle River, as well as the unpopulated northeast portion of

Isle Royale National Park Isle Royale National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States consisting of Isle Royale, along with more than 400 small adjacent islands and the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in Michigan. ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the township has a total area of , of which is land and (76.67%) is water. Due to its surrounding water boundaries, it ranks as the third-largest municipality by total area after McMillan Township and Eagle Harbor Township, although Houghton Township has the largest water boundaries of any municipalities in the state.

Major highways

* runs west–east through the central portion of the township. * enters the township concurrently with US 41 until it branches off to the north in Phoenix.

Communities

*Central is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

located within the township at . This settlement developed around the successful Central Mine, which began operating in 1854. A post office named Central Mine opened on December 8, 1871, in what was then part of Sherman Township, as seen in an 1873 map of Keweenaw County. The name changed to Centralmine on June 30, 1894, and was disestablished on September 15, 1904. The mine itself closed in 1894. *Eagle Nest is an unincorporated community located just southeast of Eagle River at . * Eagle River is an unincorporated community and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

located along Lake Superior at . It is also the county seat of Keweenaw County. * Phoenix is an unincorporated community located at the junction of

U.S. Route 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miam ...

and M-26 at . * Rock Harbor Lodge is a seasonal unincorporated community located on

Isle Royale Isle Royale (, ) is an Islands of the Great Lakes, island of the Great Lakes located in the northwest of Lake Superior and part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The island and the 450 surrounding smaller islands and waters make up Isle Royale Na ...

at . It is the main access point for visitors to the national park and is also the northernmost community in the state, although it is uninhabited during the colder months. * Vaughsville is an unincorporated community located in the western portion of the township along US 41 / M-27 at . The area was first settled by Joel Vaugh, who bought land here in 1849. He platted the village, but the settlement dwindled following his death in 1862.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 72 people, 41 households, and 27 families in the township. In 2020, the racial makeup of the township was 97.22%

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 ...

, and 2.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latinos of any race were 0.00% of the population.

2000 census

At the 2000 United States census, there were 204 people, 45 households, and 26 families in the township. 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 1.7 per square mile (0.6/km). There were 273 housing units at an average density of 2.2 per square mile (0.9/km). By the 2020 census, its population declined to 72. In 2000, the racial makeup of the township was 58.33%

, 36.76%

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 ...

, 0.98% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.98% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latinos of any race were 4.90% of the population. Among its population at the time, 16.5% were of Finnish, 10.6%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, 9.4% Irish, 8.8%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 6.5%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and 5.3% Norwegian ancestry. At the 2000 census, there were 45 households, out of which 13.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% 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, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 42.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.89 and the average family size was 2.54. The median income for a household in the township was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $21,875 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 township was $8,505. None of the families and 7.0% of the population were living 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 no under eighteens and 9.1% of those over 64. At the 2021

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, its median household income increased to $51,250.

Notes

References

External links

Houghton Township official website
{{authority control Townships in Michigan Townships in Keweenaw County, Michigan Houghton micropolitan area, Michigan Populated places established in 1861 1861 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Superior