Reed City is a city 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 so ...

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 2,490 at the 2020 census. It is located in southwestern Osceola County and is the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

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 , of which is land and is water. The Hersey River flows through Reed City.

Demographics

2020 census

At the 2020

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 ...

there were 2,465 people. 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 .

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 2,425 people, 1,007 households, and 582 families living in the city. The

was . There were 1,136 housing units at an average density of . The racial make-up of the city was 94.8%

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 ...

, 1.7%

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 ...

, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races and 2.5% 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 2.2% of the population. There were 1,007 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.3% 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, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.2% were non-families. 38.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 36.1 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24, 25.1% were from 25 to 44, 21.4% were from 45 to 64 and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The sex make-up of the city was 44.9% male and 55.1% female.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 2,430 people, 999 households and 609 families living in the city. The

was . There were 1,090 housing units at an average density of . The racial make-up was 95.84%

, 1.07%

, 0.74% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 2.02% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.91% of the population. There were 999 households, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.2% were

living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.93. 25.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64 and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $30,756 and the median family income was $42,340. Males had a median income of $29,375 and females $25,263. 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 ...

was $15,889. About 10.9% of families and 17.9% 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 16.6% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The city is also at the crossroads of two US highways: * is a highway that goes by Reed City. It has a business route that goes through the city. * is the only highway that goes directly into Reed City. Most of the business of Reed City are along Bus. US 10. * is a freeway that junctions US 10 near Reed City. Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is the largest city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, United States. With a population of 198,917 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 200,117 in 2024, Grand Rapids is the List of municipalities ...

and

Petoskey, Michigan Petoskey ( ) is the largest city in and the county seat of Emmet County, Michigan, and is the largest settlement within the county. Petoskey has a population of 5,877 at the 2020 census, up from 5,670 at the 2010 census. Petoskey is part of N ...

. Two of the state's premier

rail trail A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...

s intersect in the city: * White Pine Trail * Pere Marquette Trail

Historical transportation

The

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...

ran trains from Grand Rapids to Cadillac, Petoskey and Mackinaw City on a route that includes land used now for the White Pine Trail, making stops in Reed City's union station. Immediate connections in Grand Rapids with sleepers to eastern Indiana and Cincinnati were part of the schedule. Reed City was the closest PRR station to Idlewild, a significant African-American resort until the 1960s. In the final years, service through the town was reduced to summer only. Passenger service ended between 1954 and 1955. The

Pere Marquette Railway The Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that operated in the Great Lakes (North America), Great Lakes region of the United States and southern parts of Ontario in Canada. It had trackage in the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and the Canadi ...

ran trains west from Reed City to Ludington and east to

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of ...

, on a route that is included in the above cited rail trail. At Saginaw the trains were timed to meet with separate Bay City-originating trains to Detroit. The PM's successor, the

Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...

, ended the Ludington to Saginaw trains in the latter months of 1949.

Notable people

* George Bennard, American composer and preacher best known for composing the hymn, " The Old Rugged Cross". Bennard retired to Reed City, where he died on October 10, 1958. * Harold Cronk, American writer and director * William C. Giese, member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

and educator, was born in Reed City on April 18, 1886.Biographical Sketch of William C. Giese, ''Wisconsin Blue Book 1954'', pg. 60 * Thomas D. Schall, U.S. representative from Minnesota's 10th congressional district (1915–1925) and U.S. senator from Minnesota (1925–1935), was born in Reed City on June 4, 1878.

References

External links

Reed City web site
{{Authority control Cities in Osceola County, Michigan County seats in Michigan