Okemos, Michigan

Okemos, Michigan
—  CDP  —
Welcome to Okemos, Michigan sign along northbound Okemos Road
Location of Okemos, Michigan
Coordinates: 42°43′20″N 84°25′39″W / 42.72222°N 84.4275°W / 42.72222; -84.4275Coordinates: 42°43′20″N 84°25′39″W / 42.72222°N 84.4275°W / 42.72222; -84.4275
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Ingham
Township	Meridian Charter Township
Area
- Total	16.9 sq mi (43.8 km2)
- Land	16.8 sq mi (43.5 km2)
- Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	840 ft (256 m)
Population (2010)
- Total	21,369
- Density	1,274.7/sq mi (492.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	48805, 48864
Area code(s)	517
FIPS code	26-60340[1]
GNIS feature ID	0633973[2]

Okemos ( /ˈoʊkɨməs/) is an unincorporated community in Meridian Charter Township, Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes and does not have any separate legal existence as a municipality. Local government is provided by the township. The population was 21,369 at the 2010 census.

The Okemos Public Schools includes Okemos and some immediate surrounding areas. The nickname of the school's sports teams is the Chiefs. Some have questioned the political correctness of the mascot despite the town being named after a Native American chieftain. The use of the image of the Chieftain head has been removed from most school-funded items, although several self-supporting sports teams still wear it.

The settlement of Hamilton was founded in 1839 by Freeman Bray as a trading point with the surrounding Ojibwa people and as a farming community. In 1859, one year following the death of Chief John Okemos (on whose treaty lands the community was built), the area was renamed Okemos to honor the Native American chief.

It was originally a farming community, but has been entirely absorbed as a Lansing suburb. The center of Okemos, referred to by many as "The Four Corners," is located at the intersection of Hamilton and Okemos Roads. The most notable business is the Meridian Mall (located on M-43 Grand River Avenue), which is northeast of The Four Corners. The American novelist James Hynes was born in Okemos in 1955.

Four Corners of Okemos, Michigan

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 16.9 square miles (44 km²), of which, 16.8 square miles (44 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.8%) is water.

The Red Cedar River runs through Okemos.

Chief Okemos sign at the Four Corners of Okemos, Michigan

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2010, there were 21,369 people, 8,824 households, and 5,416 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,274.7 per square mile (487.8/km²). There were 9,384 housing units at an average density of 554.9 per square mile (214.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.5% White, 14.4% Asian, 5.1% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the population.

There were 9,194 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $62,810, and the median income for a family was $88,459 (These figures had risen to $75,736 and $101,903 respectively as of a 2007 estimate^[3]). Males had a median income of $60,601 versus $41,393 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $33,401. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.

In 2011, CNN Money Magazine rated Okemos as the 12th-best city to live in for "the rich and single".^[4]

Notable residents

• Tom Welling: Best known for his portrayal of Clark Kent in the CW series Smallville.
• Doc Corbin Dart: Punk rock musician

Points of interest

• The Meridian Historical Village [2] and farmers market
• Ferguson Park [3], along the Red Cedar River on Okemos Road, is thought to be the meeting place where Chief Okemos and the war chiefs held their pow wows.^{[citation needed]} The park is part of the oldest settlement in the area along the plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing.^{[citation needed]}
• The Hamilton Building at 2060 Hamilton Road (near The Four Corners of Okemos), is the oldest commercial building in Okemos, and replaced the old Walker General Store, which was built in 1853. The Hamilton Building held its first ice cream social on June 11, 1904, and was built to house the International Order of Odd Fellows, a charity organization. The planks in the building are from the Walnut grove on which it sits. Along with Ferguson Park, it is also part of the oldest settlement in the area along the old plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing
• The Dr. James F. Smiley House built in 1870, is located near The Four Corners at 2142 Hamilton Road. Dr. Smiley was the town doctor. The porch was the last addition in 1930.
• Nancy Moore Park [4]
• Meridian Mall [5] whose motto is "Meridian Mall is the One, with a Million Square Feet of Fun!"
• Okemos Public Schools
• The Hope Borbas Okemos branch [6] of the Capital Area District Library

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Okemos, Michigan
3. ^ 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, United States Census Bureau
4. ^ [1]

External links

• Okemos Public Schools
• Meridian Mall