Pentwater, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The population was 958 at the 2000 census
. The village is located within Pentwater Township
. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park
. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters. The entrance to the channel is notoriously shallow and for many years dictated the size of vessels that the village was able to accommodate.
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (20.25%) is water.
of 2000, there were 958 people, 463 households, and 301 families residing in the village. The population density
was 733.8 per square mile (282.4/km²). There were 904 housing units at an average density of 692.5 per square mile (266.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.60% White, 0.21% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races
, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 463 households out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.51.
In the village the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 15.1% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 30.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,542, and the median income for a family was $45,909. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $25,833 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $22,783. About 6.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Pentwater is home to the Pentwater Civic Band which plays concerts Thursday nights during the summer, beginning in late June, in the outdoor bandshell at the village green, a park and natural amphitheatre located downtown on the shore of Pentwater Lake. The Pentwater Civic Band plays mostly marches, polkas, fight songs, and oldies and is made up of locals and summer residents who bring their instruments and perform for the community. The venue is also regularly visited by the Scottville Clown Band. A local restaurant and nightclub, The Village Pub, also hosts weekly Tuesday night concerts which are open-mic to acoustic artists. These concerts typically feature bluegrass, country, or gospel and include such instruments as the dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, harmonica, and others. Pentwater's high school band, under the direction of Dan Root, has performed at Carnegie Hall in 2005, and in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 2003. Other restaurants and stores feature local musical groups and individual performers from throughout MI during the summer months.
Pentwater holds an annual Homecoming, which is usually the week of second Thursday of August. Homecoming festivities include a parade, fireworks, and sandcastle-building contest.
Pentwater is home to blues/rock band The Thirteen Colonies. They have played together since the summer of 2009. The band members are Steve Alvesteffer, Josh Cogle and Daniel Root. They are currently working on a new album which will be released in the spring of 2011.
Chicago-based progressive-rock band Pentwater (originally named "Pentwater River"), shortened its name after being confused with local country music bands. Guitarist Mike Konopka's family has had ties to the town for generations and relatives still reside there.
Oceana County, Michigan
-US highways:* US-31* US 31 Business Route is a spur serving downtown Hart.* US 31 Business Route loops through downtown Pentwater, returning to mainline US-31 at both ends.-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-20* M-120-Intercounty Highways:*B-15...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 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. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The population was 958 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The village is located within Pentwater Township
Pentwater Township, Michigan
Pentwater Township is a civil township of Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,513 at the 2000 census. The Village of Pentwater is located within the township.-Geography:...
. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park
Mears State Park
Mears State Park is a state park in Pentwater, Oceana County, Michigan. It is a sandy park directly on Lake Michigan, bordering a channel leading into Pentwater Lake. The park only covers but has swimming, camping, and picnicking areas and a one-mile hiking trail...
. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters. The entrance to the channel is notoriously shallow and for many years dictated the size of vessels that the village was able to accommodate.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The 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...
, the village has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), of which, 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (20.25%) is water.
Transportation
US-31U.S. Route 31U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
passes east of the villages and runs south toward MuskegonMuskegon, MichiganMuskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 38,401. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County...
and north toward LudingtonLudington, MichiganLudington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
.
BUS US 31 is a loop route through downtown Pentwater.
B-15 is an Intercounty Highway running southerly from Pentwater, closer to (but generally not within sight of) Lake Michigan.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A 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. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 958 people, 463 households, and 301 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 733.8 per square mile (282.4/km²). There were 904 housing units at an average density of 692.5 per square mile (266.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.60% White, 0.21% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, 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 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.15% of the population.
There were 463 households out of which 17.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.51.
In the village the population was spread out with 15.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 15.1% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 30.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $38,542, and the median income for a family was $45,909. Males had a median income of $40,750 versus $25,833 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $22,783. About 6.6% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
Local events
Pentwater's specialty is its location to Lake Michigan. The area is a tourist mecca in the summer, frequently visited by Chicagoans looking to get away. Pentwater has a number of bed and breakfasts, in addition to the more traditional motels: The Channel Inn, Pentwood Cabins, and The Pines Motel. On the outskirts of town there is a Best Western. Sportfishing is popular in the area, as is shopping. The village has a number of art galleries. The beach at Charles Mears State Park is often packed in the summer. The State campground is located next to the beach and is popular with families. The village hosts a juried art fair mid-July. Memorial Day in Pentwater is considered the beginning of the summer season, and there is a popular annual fishing contest.Pentwater is home to the Pentwater Civic Band which plays concerts Thursday nights during the summer, beginning in late June, in the outdoor bandshell at the village green, a park and natural amphitheatre located downtown on the shore of Pentwater Lake. The Pentwater Civic Band plays mostly marches, polkas, fight songs, and oldies and is made up of locals and summer residents who bring their instruments and perform for the community. The venue is also regularly visited by the Scottville Clown Band. A local restaurant and nightclub, The Village Pub, also hosts weekly Tuesday night concerts which are open-mic to acoustic artists. These concerts typically feature bluegrass, country, or gospel and include such instruments as the dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, harmonica, and others. Pentwater's high school band, under the direction of Dan Root, has performed at Carnegie Hall in 2005, and in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 2003. Other restaurants and stores feature local musical groups and individual performers from throughout MI during the summer months.
Pentwater holds an annual Homecoming, which is usually the week of second Thursday of August. Homecoming festivities include a parade, fireworks, and sandcastle-building contest.
Pentwater is home to blues/rock band The Thirteen Colonies. They have played together since the summer of 2009. The band members are Steve Alvesteffer, Josh Cogle and Daniel Root. They are currently working on a new album which will be released in the spring of 2011.
Chicago-based progressive-rock band Pentwater (originally named "Pentwater River"), shortened its name after being confused with local country music bands. Guitarist Mike Konopka's family has had ties to the town for generations and relatives still reside there.