Jackson

Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Michigan's first prison, Michigan State Prison (or Jackson State Prison), opened in Jackson in 1838 and remains in operation. In 1914 Macedonian immigrant Georgeodoroff founded his famous Coney Island hot dog restaurant in Jackson. The city was known as the "birthplace of the Republican Party" when politicians met in Jackson to argue against the expansion of slavery in 1854. The political party now formally recognizes its birthplace as being Ripon, Wisconsin. Jackson is the core city of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all ofJackson County and population of 160,248. In addition to Todoroff's, Jackson has several other restaurants that offer their own version of the Coney dog, or just "coney" Jackson's version is distinctly different from those featured in the Detroit coney dog restaurants, and is called "Coney Island" by local residents. It was named after President Andrew Jackson, who was born in the area in 1829 and died in 1894. The first official meeting of the group that called itself "Republican" was held in Jackson on July 6, 1854, and commemorated by a plaque in the city's Under the Oaks City Park, which has since been visited by numerous Republican presidents. More than 20 different brands of cars were once made in Jackson, including: Reeves, Jaxon and Jackson.

History

Jackson is one of the birthplaces of the Republican Party. Before Detroit began building cars on assembly lines in 1910, Jackson factories were making parts for cars and putting them together. The city was also an early site for the moped parts industry. In 1914 Macedonian immigrant George Todoroff founded the first "Coney Island restaurant" and created his famous Coney Island hot dog topping. The first official meeting of the group that called itself "Republican" was held in Jackson on July 6, 1854. A Michigan historical marker at what is now the northwest corner of Second and Franklin streets in Jackson commemorates an anti-slavery county convention held that day. A museum in Spring Arbor displays more than 60 antique and classic cars, including five one-and-onlys and 16 made in Jackson. The state's first state prison was built in 1838 on 60 acres donated for that purpose inside the city limits of Jackson. In 1934 a new prison was completed just north of Jackson's city limit in Jackson's Blackman Township in Blackman County. A modern, fully intact cell block at the prison is now operated as the Cooper Village Arts Tours of the original prison. In 2014 Todor off's Coney island celebrated its centenary. The restaurant was located directly in front of the railroad station on East Michigan Avenue and was open 24 hours. Over the course of 31 years, Todoroffs sold more than 17 million Coney Islands hot dogs. Today two Coney Islanders are located in a building near the train station. In addition, several area restaurants throughout the Jackson area offer their own version of the Coney.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.98 square miles (28.44 km²) of which 10.86 square miles is land and 0.12square miles (0.31km²) (1.09%) is water. The city is located on the Mississippi River, which runs through the center of the city. It is the only city in the state to have a population of more than 1,000 people. The population of the town was 1,071 at the 2010 census. The town's population is expected to rise to 1,200 by the end of the year. It has a population density of 1,081 per square mile (450 per km²). The city's population has declined from 1,091 in the early 1900s to about 1,100 in the mid-20th century. It was the first city to be annexed by the state of Mississippi in the 1920s, and the first to be incorporated into the state in the 1930s. The state's population peaked at 1,069 in the 1950s. It had a population peak of 2,077 in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the population fell to about 2,000. The current population is 1,051. The U.N. World Heritage Center is located in the city, and it is the largest city in Mississippi. It also has a national park, which was established in the late 1950s and was named after the town.

Economy

CMS Energy provides natural gas and electrical services to much of Michigan. Michigan Automotive Compressor, Inc. (MACI) is the largest manufacturer in Jackson County and its fourth-largest individual employer. Family-owned food manufacturer and distributor Dawn Foods has been based in Jackson since 1920. Jackson Flexible Products, just outside the city, has been one of North America's premier custom-molded rubber specialists since 1969. Jackson's state prison complex includes the first state prison building, which was expanded and became known as the largest walled prison in the world. Portions of the prison complex closed in 2007, including the Annex of the Charles Egeler Reception and Guidance Center Annex (RGC) and the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility (JMF) One of the closed cell blocks at JMF has been adapted and re-opened as the Cell Block 7 Prison Museum. The other facilities in the complex, including two in the old walled building, remain open: the G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility, the Cooper Street Correctional Facility and the Parnall Correctional Facility. The next two major employers are Henry Ford Health Systems (formerly Foote Hospital), and the Eaton Corporation. In February 2009 it began offering voluntary buyouts to its workers, in reaction to the slowing economy during the financial crisis. The company employs over 35 people, providing components for the aerospace, automotive and defense industries. The city is home to the Michigan State Police and the Michigan National Guard, which is based in the city.

Government

The city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents. Federally, Jackson is located in Michigan's 7th congressional district, represented by Republican Tim Walberg. The city is located on the shores of the Ypsilanti River, which flows into the Detroit River. It is in the state of Michigan, which is part of the Upper Peninsula and the Upper Great Lakes region of the Lower Peninsula. It has a population of 1.2 million people. The City of Jackson was founded in 1858 and was incorporated in 1881. It was the first city in Michigan to vote in a presidential election, in 1876. The first African-American mayor was elected in 1878, and the first black mayor in 1882. The current mayor is a Democrat, Mary Burke, who took office in 1994. The mayor is the son of a former mayor, who died in a car accident in 1998. The town has a history of racial and ethnic segregation. It also has a high percentage of African-Americans and a low percentage of whites. The U.S. Census estimates the city's population at 1.3 million people, or 1.4 percent of the state's population. The state's unemployment rate is 2.7 percent, the highest in the nation. It's in the 7th district, which includes the city of Detroit and parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and is home to the town of Port Huron and Port Washington.

Education

Jackson is served by Jackson Public Schools. The Jackson urbanized area is home to approximately 16 elementary public schools, as well as about 16 private or parochial schools. There is adult and higher education as well: Jackson College (formerly Jackson Community College), Baker College, Career Quest Learning Centers, and Spring Arbor University. An additional 15 higher education institutions are within one hour of Jackson County. The city has a large public middle school (The Middle School at Parkside). It has nine high schools: the public Jackson High School, East Jackson Secondary School (Public), Jackson County Western High School and Northwest High School. It also has the private DaVinci Institute (Charter), Jackson Preparatory and Early College (Charters), and Jackson Christian School (Non-Denom), and Lumen Christi Catholic School (Catholic) The city also has a small public high school (Vandercook Lake High School) and a small private high school. It has a number of smaller public high schools, such as T. A. Wilson Academy, Napoleon High School, and VandercookLake High School; and the private. high school, T.A. Wilson. Academy, which is located in the town of Napoleon, Mississippi. The town of Jackson has one of the largest concentrations of African-American population in the United States. The population of black people in Jackson County is about 1.3 million. The area has a population of about 2.4 million, the highest proportion of black residents in the U.S.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 33,534 people, 13,294 households, and 7,872 families residing in the city. There were 15,457 housing units at an average density of 1,422.0 per square mile (549.0/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 71.4% White, 20.4%. African American, 0.4. Native American, 1.7% Asian, 1,6% from other races, and 5.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3%. The median income for a household in theCity was $31,294, and the median income. for a family was $39,072. About 15.2% of families and 19.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% ofThose over. 65. The median age in the City was 32.2 years. The city has a population density of 3,085.0 inhabitants per squaremile (1,191.1/ km²). The city's median age is 31 years. It has a poverty rate of 19.9%. The city is located on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Statistical Classification (ACS), which shows that the city's population has been declining since the 1970s and 1980s. The ACS estimates the city to have a population of 36,316 people.

Places of worship

Jackson has a number of notable historic churches, several of which were established prior to the American Civil War. The First Baptist Church was established in 1839; the present building, a Romanesque Revival structure, was dedicated in March 1872. St. John's the Evangelist Church is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the city. Temple Beth Israel, a Reform synagogue founded in 1862 by German Jewish immigrants, is Jackson's only Eastern Orthodox church. Westwinds Community Church, a non-denominational, evangelical Christian church, was founded in 1865 in a blacksmith shop. The city is home to the only Orthodox Church, St. Demetrius Orthodox Church in Jackson, founded in 1958. It is also home to Jackson's first African-American church, Community Jackson African Methodist Episcopal Church, established in 1865. It was the first place of worship for African Americans in Jackson County. The first and only Catholic church is St. Mary Star of the Sea, which opened in 1881 as Jackson's second Catholic church. The only Orthodox church in Jackson was St. Michael's Orthodox Church of Jackson, which was opened in 1958 as the city's first Eastern Orthodox Church. The town's only Jewish church is Temple BethIsrael, founded by Jews from Germany and eastern Europe. It opened in 1862; it is the only Reform synagogue in Jackson; it has a congregation of about 1,000 people. It's also the only Roman Catholic Church in the town, with its first building built in 1857.

Transportation

Reynolds Field at Jackson County Airport is the main airport for the city. It hosted commercial service, primarily under the North Central Airlines banner, until 1984. Greyhound Lines provides service from the JATA station. There are four private taxicab companies operating in town. The Jackson Blues Festival is held here annually in June. The city is home to the Jackson College Flight School, a restaurant, bar, and car rental. The Michigan Central Railroad Jackson Depot on East Michigan Avenue is the nation's oldest train station in continuous active use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. In the Jackson area, US 127 runs concurrently with I-94 for approximately four miles (6.4 km) It is freeway from Jackson northerly past Lansing, while the freeway south of Jackson quickly transitions to a two-lane, uncontrolled access highway. US 127 is a northsouth highway providing access northeasterly toward Lansing and Clare and southerly into Ohio. M-50 enters Jackson from the northwest, and exits southeast of town, and M-60 enters from the southwest, ending at I- 94 west of the city, and ends downtown. The JATA operates ten routes Monday through Saturday out of a central station located downtown. In addition to the publicly funded JATA, there are fourprivate taxicabs operating in Jackson. There is no public library in Jackson, but there is a branch of the YMCA in the city's downtown area, which is open to the public.

Parks and recreation

The City of Jackson Parks and Recreation Department includes 26 parks, totaling 645 acres. Some of the parks include: Blackman Park, Bloomfield Park, Ella Sharp Park, Loomis Park, and The Cascades. The parks are located in the city of Jackson, but most of them are in Summit Township. The city also has a water park including two public water slides, a skateboard park with a public pool, and four inline hockey rink as well as four softball fields and a picnic shelter. There are some man-made ponds and wetlands with many types of water fowl. The urban fishery opened, stocked with blue gill and large mouth bass, accessible by wheelchair. The park also contains the Boos Recreation Center which hosts a variety of classes, events and workshops year-round. It has a full service community center part of the Howard Charles Woods Recreational Complex, a park in the Jackson city limits. It is also known to have one of the largest eastern bluebird trails, also known as the Dahlem Environmental Education Center. It also has two community recreation centers, including the Martin Luther King Center, which is the host to the annual Jackson Hot Air Jubilee in July. There is also a miniature golf course, a golf learning center, flower gardens, miles of hiking & biking trails, a basketball court, soccer fields, and a forest area. It consists of a golf course and a mini-golf learning center. It includes a driving range, a horseshoe court, and outdoor swimming pool.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan = 82. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 60. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Jackson = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 31,309 individuals with a median age of 33.4 age the population dropped by -7.71% in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,889 residents per square mile of area (1,115.4/km²). There are average 2.47 people per household in the 13,078 households with an average household income of $30,744 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 20.30% of the available work force and has dropped -9.03% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 1.64%. The number of physicians in Jackson per 100,000 population = 119.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Jackson = 30.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 37.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 128. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 174. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 15.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan which are owned by the occupant = 52.92%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 79 years with median home cost = $67,520 and home appreciation of -13.24%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.52 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,404 per student. There are 18.2 students for each teacher in the school, 1236 students for each Librarian and 826 students for each Counselor. 7.33% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 9.26% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 3.86% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).