Alpine Township is a
civil townshipA civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of
Kent CountyKent County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids–Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census, the county had a population of 574,335. The 2008 Census estimate placed the county population at 605,213. The county seat is Grand Rapids...
in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The township became a
charter townshipA charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. In Michigan, as in other states with like systems , a township is an administrative division of a county, which is an administrative division of the state...
in 1979, but in 1996, the township de-chartered and returned to general law status. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 13,976. The township is located northwest of
Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
and is bordered by
Wright townshipWright Township is a civil township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,286 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Big Spring was a small settlement at on the northern boundary of the township between sections 3 and 4...
in
Ottawa CountyOttawa County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 238,314, with the Census Bureau placing the population at 260,364 in 2008. The county seat is Grand Haven.-Geography:According to the U.S...
to the west,
Sparta TownshipSparta Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,938 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.5 square miles , of which, 36.5 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square...
to the north,
Plainfield Charter TownshipPlainfield Charter Township is a charter township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2000 census, the population was 30,195 . The township forms part of the metro Grand Rapids area. It derives its name from the extinct lumbertown of Plainfield founded in 1838 by Andrew...
to the east, and the
City of WalkerWalker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,842 at the 2000 census. Before incorporating as a city, it was known as Walker Township...
to the south. The unincorporated community of
Alpine is located within the township at and is centered around a large commercial district along route
M-37M-37 is a north-south state highway route in the U.S. state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of I-94 in the southwest corner of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...
, which runs north-south along the eastern portion of the township.
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the township has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.2 km²), of which, 35.8 square miles (92.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.39%) is water.
Alpine Township is a
civil townshipA civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
of
Kent CountyKent County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Grand Rapids–Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the 2000 census, the county had a population of 574,335. The 2008 Census estimate placed the county population at 605,213. The county seat is Grand Rapids...
in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The township became a
charter townshipA charter township is a form of local government in the U.S. state of Michigan. In Michigan, as in other states with like systems , a township is an administrative division of a county, which is an administrative division of the state...
in 1979, but in 1996, the township de-chartered and returned to general law status. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 13,976. The township is located northwest of
Grand RapidsGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River and is approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800, making it the 114th largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Kent County,...
and is bordered by
Wright townshipWright Township is a civil township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,286 at the 2000 census.-Communities:*Big Spring was a small settlement at on the northern boundary of the township between sections 3 and 4...
in
Ottawa CountyOttawa County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 238,314, with the Census Bureau placing the population at 260,364 in 2008. The county seat is Grand Haven.-Geography:According to the U.S...
to the west,
Sparta TownshipSparta Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,938 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.5 square miles , of which, 36.5 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square...
to the north,
Plainfield Charter TownshipPlainfield Charter Township is a charter township of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the 2000 census, the population was 30,195 . The township forms part of the metro Grand Rapids area. It derives its name from the extinct lumbertown of Plainfield founded in 1838 by Andrew...
to the east, and the
City of WalkerWalker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,842 at the 2000 census. Before incorporating as a city, it was known as Walker Township...
to the south. The unincorporated community of
Alpine is located within the township at and is centered around a large commercial district along route
M-37M-37 is a north-south state highway route in the U.S. state of Michigan. The southern terminus is on the border between Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties at exit 92 of I-94 in the southwest corner of Battle Creek. The northern terminus is at the Mission Point Light on Old Mission Point in Grand...
, which runs north-south along the eastern portion of the township.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the township has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.2 km²), of which, 35.8 square miles (92.9 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.39%) is water. At in area, none of the original township land has been annexed by other municipalities.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 13,976 people, 5,550 households, and 3,468 families residing in the township. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 389.9 per square mile (150.5/km²). There were 5,830 housing units at an average density of 162.6/sq mi (62.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 89.55% White, 3.11% African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.85% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.55% of the population.
There were 5,550 households out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 24.2% 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 2.51 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $42,484, and the median income for a family was $50,068. Males had a median income of $37,143 versus $26,417 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the township was $20,412. About 6.9% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.