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LOCATION SERVICES
Roscommon County Economic Development
500 Lake Street
P.O. Box 98
Roscommon Lake, Michigan 48653
Contact: Dale LeGarie
Phone: 517/275-8306
FAX: 517/275-5675
County Seat: Roscommon
POPULATION
1970 Census 9892
1980 Census 16374
1990 Census 19776
Median Age (as of 1990) 44.9 years
LABOR FORCE
(1992 average)
Total Labor Force 8425
Employed 7550
Total Unemployment 875
Unemployment Rate 10.3%
3-Year Average 9.2%
PRINCIPAL ECONOMIC BASE EMPLOYERS
Firm Employees Product/Service
ITT Hancock Industries, Roscommon 180 Small stamping/auto parts
Roscommon Mfg., Roscommon 78 Universal joints
Nagle Industries, Roscommon 60 Automotive cables & assemblies
State of Michigan, Roscommon 50 Regional administrative office
Kirtland Community Coll., Roscommon 45 Higher education
Rahar, Houghton Lake 40 Metal stamping
Eckerly Tool & Mfg., Roscommon 38 Job shop
Scott's Wood Products, Roscommon 30 Wood pallets
MI Dept. Nat. Res., Houghton Lake 25 Government
Houghton Lake Block, Houghton Lake 21 Concrete blocks
EARNING LEVELS
Average Hourly Rate
Classification Minimum Maximum
Assembler - Light $5.36 $10.72
Cashier Checker $4.88 $12.05
Clerk, General Office $4.88 $9.38
Electrical - Maintenance $8.06 $12.05
Forklift Operator $5.36 $11.40
General Laborer $4.88 $11.40
Inspector, Industrial $4.88 $11.40
Machine Operator $4.88 $9.38
Tool & Die Maker $9.38 $14.07
Welder $6.37 $10.72
Source: Based on Consumers Power community survey, adjusted for inflation
to 1991 using Consumer Price Index.
DISTANCE TO:
Miles Kilometers
Chicago 300 482
Cleveland 360 579
Detroit 190 305
Indianapolis 460 740
Lansing 140 225
Toronto 340 547
TRANSPORTATION
Main Highways: I-75, M-18, M-55, US-27
Bus Lines: None
Truck Lines: 4
Rail Lines: Detroit & Mackinac
Ports: None
Airports: Traverse City (75 miles)
Airlines: Midstate, Simmons
CLIMATE
As reported by weather station at West Branch.
January Average Minimum: 9 F./-13 C. Average Maximum: 26 F./ -3 C.
July Average Minimum: 55 F./ 13 C. Average Maximum: 81 F./ 27 C.
Growing Season: 126 days
Days below 0 F or -18 C: 21 Average Annual Rainfall: 29 in./ 74 cm.
Days above 90 F or 32 C: 6 Average Annual Snowfall: 57 in./145 cm.
INDUSTRIAL SITES
(As of January 1993)
Community Sites Acres Hectares Industrial Parks
Denton Twp. 1 0 0 0
Roscommon 1 0 0 1
Roscommon Twp. 0 0 0 1
COUNTY TOTAL 2 0 0 2
Zero acres indicates less than half an acre or no information available.
CONSTRUCTION PERMITS
Residential Industrial Office Mercantile
Units Value Units Value Units Value Units Value
1991: 285 $12.59 1 $0.10 1 $0.13 1 $0.01
3-Year Average: 286 $12.32 1 $0.10 2 $0.13 2 $0.58
Values are reported in millions of dollars. A 3-year average value of 1 may
indicate no construction activity in one or more of the last three years.
NEW INCORPORATIONS
Incorporations in 1992: 41 State Median: 68
Incorporation Rate: 207 State Median: 183
Incorporation Rate = incorporations per 100,000 population.
PROPERTY TAX BASE
(As of 1992)
Agricultural Residential Industrial Commercial Other
1% 83% 0% 9% 7%
County Total State Equalized Value: $488,344,054.00
County Average Tax Millage Rate (in 1991): 42.23
UTILITIES
Electric Gas Telephone*
Houghton Lake Consumers MichCon GTE, D
Roscommon Consumers MichCon GTE, D
* D=digital switching; EA=equal access to interexchange carriers;
see Source List note.
WATER
Gallons Liters Pressure
Source Capacity Use Capacity Use (lbs./sq.in.)
Houghton Lake Wells
Roscommon Wells 3 3 12 11 35-65
Capacity and maximum use in hundreds of thousands of gallons/liters per day.
SEWER
Gallons Liters
Type Capacity Load Capacity Load
Houghton Lake Lagoons 0 0
Roscommon Sec. bio filter 2 1 6 3
Capacity and present load in hundreds of thousands of gallons/liters per day.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
1990 Master Public Library
Community Phone Number Population Zoning Plan (Volumes)
Houghton Lake yes no 25,022
Roscommon 517-275-5743 858 yes no 31,677
------- Fire Department ------- Police
Community Class. FT Paid PT/Volunt. (Full-Time) Solid Waste
Houghton Lake 9 1 44 Independent
Roscommon 8 24 2 Independent
County Sheriff Officers: 15 Licensed Landfills in County: 1
Other communities in Roscommon County (1990 population for incorporated
communities in parenthesis):
Au Sable Twp. (231), Backus Twp. (249), Denton Twp. (4290), Gerrish Twp.
(2421), Higgins Lake, Higgins Twp. (1685), Houghton Heights, Lake Twp. (1234),
Lyon Twp. (1037), Markey Twp. (1768), Nester Twp. (225), Prudenville, Richfield
Twp. (3413), Roscommon Twp. (3223), St. Helen
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES (1992-1993)
K-12 Instruc. High
Community School District Students Staff Schools
Houghton Lake Houghton Lake Comm 1948 87 1
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(As of Fall 1991)
Name and Location Enrollment
Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant (75 mi.) 17943
Kirtland Community College, Roscommon 1165
Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City (75 mi.) 4386
MEDICAL FACILITIES
Hospitals in County: 0 Total Beds: 0
Nearest Large Medical Center: Traverse City (75 miles)
Extended Care Facilities: 1 Total Beds: 49
Physicians (MDs and DOs) in County: 9
HOUSING AND CHURCHES
(Housing as of 1990)
Owner occupied: 6978 (81.9%) Median Home Value: $44,500.00
Renter occupied: 1538 (18.1%) Median Contract Rent: $248.00
Churches: Catholic: 8 Protestant: 17
Synagogues: 0 Nearest synagogue is in Traverse City (67 miles)
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
South Higgins Lake State Park; approximately 150 miles of snowmobile
trails; Tisdale Triangle pathway (11 groomed cross-country trails); Marl
Lake Trail (3 cross-country trails); 7 additional cross-country trails.
Kirtland Community College. Tip-Up Town U.S.A. Winter Festival, Houghton
Lake (January).
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
(As of 1989)
General Building Contractors 10
Metalworking Machinery 0
Commercial Printing 3
Advertising 0
Personnel Supply Services 0
Computer and Data Processing Services 0
Legal Services 7
Accounting, Auditing and Bookkeeping 3
Retail Establishments 205
Wholesale Establishments 22
Hotel/Motel Rooms (as of 1986): 689
Television Channels: 5 plus cable
Radio Stations: 2
Newspapers: Houghton Lake Reporter, Roscommon Herald News
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
(As of 1993) Offices
Main Office in County
Chemical Bank North Grayling 3
Heritage Federal Savings Bank Taylor 1
NBD Bank, NA Detroit 5
EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY
Earnings
Employment ($ millions)
1985 1990 1985 1990
Total Employment 5616 7346
Total Income $185.47 $265.16
Earnings by Place of Work $65.28 $102.43
Components by Type:
Wage and Salary 3912 5188 $49.09 $76.30
Proprietors 1704 2158 $11.80 $19.63
Farm 44 38 $0.08 $0.16
Nonfarm 1660 2120 $11.73 $19.47
Components by Industry:
Farm 45 39 $0.09 $0.18
Nonfarm 5571 7307 $65.19 $102.25
Private 4250 5785 $43.03 $69.66
Agric./For./Fish. 16 31 $0.27 $0.19
Mining 63 41 $1.48 $1.63
Construction 302 497 $4.64 $8.60
Manufacturing 330 412 $5.10 $6.64
Non-Durable Goods --- --- $0.44 $0.53
Durable Goods --- --- $4.66 $6.11
Transp. & Utilities 183 214 $4.36 $4.48
Wholesale Trade 37 65 $0.58 $1.47
Retail Trade 1493 2310 $12.56 $22.56
Fin./Ins./Real Est. 499 437 $2.55 $1.49
Services 1327 1778 $11.50 $22.60
Government 1321 1522 $22.16 $32.60
Federal 32 58 $0.84 $1.21
Military, Civilian 42 47 $0.21 $0.30
State and Local 1247 1417 $21.10 $31.09
Earnings by Place of Residence $68.25 $101.91
Zero values indicate confidential information or fewer than 10 employees
or less than $50,000.
Per Capita Income: 1985: $10,506.00 1990: $13,307.00
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