COUNTY PROFILE - TUSCOLA, Michigan

LOCATION SERVICES
 
Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation
1184 Cleaver Road, Suite 800
Caro, Michigan 48723
 
Contact:  James McLoskey
Phone:    517/673-2849
FAX:      517/673-2517
 
 
County Seat:  Caro
 
POPULATION
 
1970 Census                    48603
1980 Census                    56961
1990 Census                    55498
Median Age (as of 1990)          33. years
 
 
LABOR FORCE
(1992 average)
 
Total Labor Force            24600
Employed                     21825
Total Unemployment            2775
Unemployment Rate             11.2%
3-Year Average                11.4%
 
 
PRINCIPAL ECONOMIC BASE EMPLOYERS
 
Firm                                Employees         Product/Service
 
Caro Regional Center, Caro                574  Mental health services
Walbro, Cass City                         450  Fuel system components
Walbro, Caro                              350  Small carburetors
Grede Foundry, Vassar                     260  Iron moldings
Kaumagraph, Millington                    174  Specialty printing/painting
Means Industries, Vassar                  150  Metal stampings
Michigan Sugar, Caro                      122  Sugar products
DuLaur Products, Vassar                   121  Plastic painting
Plastech Mfg., Caro                       107  Injection molding
Vassar Fibercoating, Vassar                95  Auto trim
General Cable, Cass City                   85  Wire cable
Midwest Rotary Maniforms, Caro             75  Printed forms
Caro Mfg., Caro                            58  Plastic blow moldings
Peters Mfg., Vassar                        55  Pulleys for auto industry
Marlex Mfg., Caro                          39  Welding services
Kaiser VW Engineering, Millington          37  Truck repair kits
Engineered Tools, Caro                     35  Carbide cutting products
Dykhouse Pickle, Vassar                    30  Pickles and relish
Camp Tuscola, Caro                         28  Correctional facility
Gunnell, Millington                        25  Custom wheel chairs
Mayville Mfg., Mayville                    25  Timing gears
 
 
EARNING LEVELS
                                          Average Hourly Rate
Classification                           Minimum       Maximum
 
Assembler                                  $5.03         $7.65
Clerk, General Office                      $5.63         $8.43
Electronic Technician                     $12.00        $15.90
Forklift Operator                          $7.13         $8.86
General Laborer                            $5.51         $7.47
Inspector                                  $7.62         $9.38
Maintenance Mechanic                       $7.57         $9.77
Production Supervisor                     $10.33        $14.03
Secretary                                  $7.04         $9.00
Welder                                     $8.75        $10.57
 
Source:  Based on Michigan Bell retention survey, adjusted for inflation to
         1991 using Consumer Price Index.
 
 
DISTANCE TO:
                   Miles    Kilometers
Chicago             330         530
Cleveland           240         386
Detroit              90         144
Indianapolis        340         547
Lansing              90         144
Toronto             260         418
 
 
TRANSPORTATION
 
Main Highways:  M-15, M-24, M-25, M-46, M-81, M-138
Bus Lines:      1
Truck Lines:    5
Rail Lines:     C & O; Grand Trunk Western; Tuscola & Saginaw Bay
Ports:          None
Airports:       Tri-City, Saginaw (20 miles)
Airlines:       Freedom, Northwest, Simmons, United
 
 
CLIMATE
As reported by weather station at Caro.
 
January Average Minimum:   13 F./-11 C.    Average Maximum:   29 F./ -2 C.
July Average Minimum:      57 F./ 14 C.    Average Maximum:   84 F./ 29 C.
Growing Season:       122 days
Days below 0 F or -18 C:   14      Average Annual Rainfall:   28 in./ 71 cm.
Days above 90 F or 32 C:   15      Average Annual Snowfall:   37 in./ 94 cm.
 
 
INDUSTRIAL SITES
(As of January 1993)
 
Community                  Sites    Acres    Hectares    Industrial Parks
 
Almer Township                1         0           0              0
Caro                         20        83          34              1
Cass City                    12        60          24              1
Daytown Township              1         0           0              0
Elmwood Twp.                  1        30          12              0
Gagetown                      3         7           3              0
Koylton Township              1         0           0              0
Mayville                      2        20           8
Millington                   18        32          13              1
Millington Twp.              12        60          24              0
Unionville                    1        60          24              0
Vassar                       17        62          25              1
     COUNTY TOTAL            89       414         168              4
 
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:              126    $7.69    6    $0.54                 11    $2.96
3-Year Average:    108    $6.64    4    $0.20    3    $0.19   11    $1.49
 
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:     68          State Median:   68
Incorporation Rate:        123          State Median:  183
 
Incorporation Rate = incorporations per 100,000 population.
 
 
PROPERTY TAX BASE
(As of 1992)
 
Agricultural    Residential   Industrial    Commercial    Other
    33%             49%           1%            7%         10%
 
County Total State Equalized Value:             $667,588,954.00
County Average Tax Millage Rate (in 1991):                 52.1
 
 
UTILITIES
                   Electric           Gas                Telephone*
 
Caro               Detroit Edison     Consumers          Century
Cass City          Detroit Edison     S.E. Mich. Gas     GTE, D
Millington         Detroit Edison     Consumers          Wolverine
Vassar             Detroit Edison     Consumers          Michigan Bell, D,EA
 
* 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.)
 
Caro             Wells
Cass City        Wells
Millington       Wells            5                19
Vassar           Wells           27      14       102      53     50-60
 
Capacity and maximum use in hundreds of thousands of gallons/liters per day.
 
 
SEWER
                                            Gallons            Liters
                     Type               Capacity   Load    Capacity   Load
 
Caro
Cass City
Millington           Trcklng Fltr
Vassar               Trcklng Fltr             6       4         23      15
 
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)
 
Caro             517-673-2226        4054       yes    yes     36,731
Cass City        517-872-2911        2276       yes    yes     17,693
Millington       517-871-2702        1114       yes    yes     19,446
Vassar           517-823-8517        3866       yes    yes     27,868
 
 
                 ------- Fire Department -------    Police
Community        Class.    FT Paid    PT/Volunt.  (Full-Time)  Solid Waste
 
Caro              7                        23            7
Cass City         7            1           22            3
Millington        7                        24            3
Vassar            7           21                         6     Independent
 
 
County Sheriff Officers:    25      Licensed Landfills in County:    0
 
Other communities in Tuscola County (1990 population for incorporated
communities in parenthesis):
 
Akron (421), Akron Twp. (1609), Almer Twp. (2628), Arbela Twp. (3182), Bay
Park, Bradleyville, Colling, Columbia Twp. (1383), Dayton Twp. (1706), Deford,
Denmark Twp. (3369), Elkland Twp. (3430), Ellington Twp. (1215), Elmwood Twp.
(1260), Fairgrove (592), Fairgrove Twp. (1743), Fostoria, Fremont Twp. (3153),
Gagetown (337), Gilford Twp. (824), Henderson, Indianfields Twp. (6699),
Juniata Twp. (1666), Kingston (439), Kingston Twp. (1498), Koylton Twp. (1446),
Mayville (1010), Millington Twp. (4199), Novesta Twp. (1464), Quanicassee,
Reese (1414), Richville, Tuscola Twp. (2144), Unionville (590), Vassar (2559),
Watertown Twp. (2132), Watrousville, Wells Twp. (1528), Wilmot, Wisner Twp.
(795)
 
 
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES (1992-1993)
                                                  K-12    Instruc.     High
Community        School District                Students    Staff     Schools
 
Caro             Caro Community                    2209       114         1
Cass City        Cass City Public                  1573        68         1
Millington       Millington Comm                   1733        72         1
Vassar           Vassar Public                     1780        78         1
 
 
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(As of Fall 1991)
 
Name and Location                                               Enrollment
 
Alma College, Alma (50 mi.)                                           1224
C.S. Mott Community College, Flint (40 mi.)                          10858
Delta College, University Center (40 mi.)                            11190
Great Lakes Junior College, Saginaw                                   2244
Jordan College, Bad Axe                                               2090
Saginaw Valley State University, University Center (35 mi.)           6416
University of Michigan, Flint (40 mi.)                                6603
 
 
MEDICAL FACILITIES
 
Hospitals in County:           2     Total Beds:    115
Nearest Large Medical Center:  Saginaw (30 miles)
Extended Care Facilities:      3     Total Beds:    278
Physicians (MDs and DOs) in County:     37
 
 
HOUSING AND CHURCHES
(Housing as of 1990)
 
Owner occupied:    15817 (81.2%)     Median Home Value:   $46,000.00
Renter occupied:    3652 (18.8%)     Median Contract Rent:   $268.00
Churches:      Catholic:    5    Protestant:   66
Synagogues:    0   Nearest synagogue is in Saginaw (26 miles)
 
 
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
 
Vassar Golf/Country Club; Ber-Wa-Ga-Na Campgrounds. Pennywick Express; Tree
Farm, Watrousville; Caro Historical Museum.
 
 
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
(As of 1989)
 
General Building Contractors                   24
Metalworking Machinery                          3
Commercial Printing                             3
Advertising                                     1
Personnel Supply Services                       0
Computer and Data Processing Services           0
Legal Services                                  9
Accounting, Auditing and Bookkeeping            6
Retail Establishments                         290
Wholesale Establishments                       65
 
Hotel/Motel Rooms (as of 1986):               107
Television Channels:    5 plus cable
Radio Stations:         20
Newspapers:     Cass City Chronicle, Mayville Monitor, Pioneer Times (weekly),
                Saginaw News, Sebewaing Blade, Tuscola County Advertiser
 
 
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
(As of 1993)                                                       Offices
                                            Main Office           in County
 
American Home Bank                          Unionville                 2
Chemical Bank Bay Area                      Bay City                   5
Community Bank                              Caro                       2
First of America Bank-Mid Michigan, NA      Bay City                   4
Great Lakes Bancorp, A Federal Savings      Ann Arbor                  1
Heritage Federal Savings Bank               Taylor                     1
Kent City State Bank                        Kent City                  1
Mutual Savings Bank, F.S.B.                 Bay City                   1
NBD Bank, NA                                Detroit                    1
Second National Bank of Saginaw             Saginaw                    2
State Savings Bank of Caro                  Caro                       3
The Mayville State Bank                     Mayville                   2
Thumb National Bank and Trust Company       Pigeon                     1
 
EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY
                                                               Earnings
                                   Employment                ($ millions)
                                1985        1990            1985          1990
 
Total Employment                16757       18343
Total Income                                              $644.52       $811.27
 
Earnings by Place of Work                                 $251.32       $328.22
 
  Components by Type:
  Wage and Salary               11748       13166         $183.82       $235.75
  Proprietors                    5009        5177          $49.52        $70.19
    Farm                         1688        1454          $19.53        $28.36
    Nonfarm                      3321        3723          $29.99        $41.84
 
  Components by Industry:
  Farm                           2273        1918          $23.63        $32.42
  Nonfarm                       14484       16425         $227.69       $295.81
    Private                     11253       12902         $167.43       $210.31
      Agric./For./Fish.           142         196           $0.80         $1.61
      Mining                       23          22           $0.63         $0.54
      Construction                707         940          $10.45        $14.93
      Manufacturing              2109        2643          $49.32        $69.02
        Non-Durable Goods         ---         ---           $9.53        $12.87
        Durable Goods             ---         ---          $39.79        $56.15
      Transp. & Utilities         670         521          $19.40        $17.70
      Wholesale Trade             996         746          $22.51        $15.40
      Retail Trade               2649        3149          $23.42        $29.97
      Fin./Ins./Real Est.         924         818           $5.84         $5.21
      Services                   3033        3867          $35.07        $55.94
    Government                   3231        3523          $60.26        $85.50
      Federal                     153         159           $3.38         $4.22
      Military, Civilian          124         128           $0.63         $0.83
      State and Local            2954        3236          $56.24        $80.44
 
Earnings by Place of Residence                            $422.70       $522.73
 
Zero values indicate confidential information or fewer than 10 employees
or less than $50,000.
 
Per Capita Income:      1985:    $11,905.00      1990:    $14,585.00