Isabella County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 64,394.^[2] Its county seat is Mount Pleasant.^[3] The area was known as Ojibiway Besse, meaning "the place of the Ojibwa".^[4] Isabella County contains the Isabella Indian Reservation, on which members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation live.

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Isabella County
County
St. John's Episcopal Church in Mount Pleasant
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Michigan
Michigan's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°39′N 84°50′W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
Founded	1831 (created) 1859 (organized)[1]
Named for	Queen Isabella I of Castile
Seat	Mount Pleasant
Largest city	Mount Pleasant
Area
• Total	578 sq mi (1,500 km2)
• Land	573 sq mi (1,480 km2)
• Water	5.0 sq mi (13 km2)  0.9%
Population  (2020)
• Total	64,394
• Density	124/sq mi (48/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	2nd
Website	www.isabellacounty.org

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Isabella County was described by action of the Michigan Territory legislature in 1831, but for purposes of population, revenue, and judicial matters, it was assigned to nearby counties. Its area was partitioned from unorganized territory plus a portion of Mackinac, which had existed as a Territorial County since 1818.

The Michigan Territory was admitted to the Union as Michigan state in early 1837. By 1859, Isabella had sufficient settlement and interest in self-government that the state legislature authorized its organization.^[1] Based on a suggestion by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the U.S. Indian agent in this area, the county was named after Queen Isabella I of Castile, who with her husband Ferdinand commissioned Columbus's expedition to the New World.^[1][5]

Isabella County comprises the Mount Pleasant, Michigan micropolitan statistical area in Mid-Michigan. The county contains the Isabella Indian Reservation, which has a total area of 217.67 square miles (563.8 km²). It is the major land base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation. Part of the county seat of Mount Pleasant is located within the reservation.

According to the US Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 578 square miles (1,500 km²), of which 573 square miles (1,480 km²) are land and 5.0 square miles (13 km²) (0.9%) are water.^[6]

As of the 2000 United States Census,^[13] there were 63,351 people, 22,425 households, and 13,006 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile (42 people/km²). There were 24,528 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile (17/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.51% White, 2.75% Native American, 1.93% Black or African American, 1.40% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.68% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. 2.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.0% were of German, 10.1% English, 10.0% Irish, 7.5% American and 6.0% Polish ancestry, 95.9% spoke English and 1.6% Spanish as their first language.

There were 22,425 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.40% were married couples living together, 8.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.00% were non-families. 23.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.

The county population contained 20.30% under the age of 18, 29.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 17.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,262, and the median income for a family was $45,953. Males had a median income of $32,270 versus $24,180 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,242. 7.40% of families and 20.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.30% of those under age 18 and 7.80% of those age 65 or over.

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget and has limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

The Gratiot–Isabella Regional Education Service District, based in Ithaca, services the students in the county. The intermediate school district offers regional special education services, early education programs, and technical career pathways for students of its districts.^[15]

Isabella County is served by the following regular public school districts:^[16]

• Beal City Public Schools
• Mt. Pleasant City School District
• Shepherd Public Schools

The county also has the following independent charter districts:

• Flextech High School - Shepherd
• Renaissance Public School Academy

Isabella County has the following private schools:^[17]

• Sacred Heart Academy (Roman Catholic)
• Saginaw Chippewa Academy (Nonsectarian)
• St. Joseph the Worker School (Roman Catholic)
• White Pine Montessori Children's Center (Montessori method)

• List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Isabella County, Michigan
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Isabella County, Michigan