COUNTY PROFILE - IRON, Michigan
LOCATION SERVICES
Bureau of Industrial Development
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, Michigan 49931-1295
Contact: Philip Musser, Manager
Phone: 906/487-2560
FAX: 906/487-2858
County Seat: Crystal Falls
POPULATION
1970 Census 13813
1980 Census 13635
1990 Census 13175
Median Age (as of 1990) 43.6 years
LABOR FORCE
(1992 average)
Total Labor Force 5525
Employed 4900
Total Unemployment 600
Unemployment Rate 10.9%
3-Year Average 10.1%
PRINCIPAL ECONOMIC BASE EMPLOYERS
Firm Employees Product/Service
AGA, Amasa 146 Wood flooring
Lakeshore, Iron River 117 Material handling equipment
Goodsell Molding, Crystal Falls 30 Gaskets, packing, seals
Dina Mia Kitchens, Iron River 26 Frozen pizza/foods/specialties
Magiglide, Crystal Falls 26 Millwork, wood doors
B & C Products, Crystal Falls 12 Electronic components
Meyer Provision, Iron River 12 Meat packing
Wenos Lumber, Iron River 12 Saw & planing mills
Ottawa Wood Products, Caspian 9 Wood products
EARNING LEVELS
Average Hourly Rate
Classification Minimum Maximum
Assembler - Light $5.80 $7.65
Clerk, General Office $6.02 $7.28
Electrical Technician $4.30 $8.83
Forklift Operator $7.48 $8.59
General Laborer $5.57 $8.38
Inspector $8.10 $9.07
Machine Operator $7.07 $8.13
Machinist $7.83 $10.80
Secretary $5.99 $7.89
Welder $7.11 $9.88
Source: Based on Bell Telephone Co. community survey, adjusted for
inflation to 1991 using Consumer Price Index.
DISTANCE TO:
Miles Kilometers
Chicago 350 563
Detroit 530 852
Lansing 470 756
Milwaukee 230 370
Minneapolis 295 474
Toronto 670 1078
TRANSPORTATION
Main Highways: M-69, M-73, M-189, US-2, US-141
Bus Lines: 3
Truck Lines: 2
Rail Lines: Escanaba & Lake Superior; Wisconsin Central
Ports: None
Airports: Iron Mountain (45 miles)
Airlines: Northwest Air Link
CLIMATE
As reported by weather station at Stambaugh.
January Average Minimum: 1 F./-17 C. Average Maximum: 22 F./ -6 C.
July Average Minimum: 52 F./ 11 C. Average Maximum: 79 F./ 26 C.
Growing Season: 84 days
Days below 0 F or -18 C: 41 Average Annual Rainfall: 32 in./ 81 cm.
Days above 90 F or 32 C: 4 Average Annual Snowfall: 78 in./198 cm.
INDUSTRIAL SITES
(As of January 1993)
Community Sites Acres Hectares Industrial Parks
Caspian 2 81 33 1
Crystal Falls 9 90 36 2
Crystal Falls Twp. 3 258 104 0
Gaastra 1 120 49 0
Hematite Twp. 2 181 73 0
Iron River 8 15 6 1
Iron River Twp. 2 52 21 0
Mastodon Twp. 2 800 324 0
COUNTY TOTAL 29 1597 646 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: 136 $7.74 1 $0.75 2 $0.27
3-Year Average: 83 $4.30 1 $0.32 0 $0.03 3 $0.14
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: 39 State Median: 68
Incorporation Rate: 296 State Median: 183
Incorporation Rate = incorporations per 100,000 population.
PROPERTY TAX BASE
(As of 1992)
Agricultural Residential Industrial Commercial Other
2% 52% 10% 7% 29%
County Total State Equalized Value: $190,487,778.00
County Average Tax Millage Rate (in 1991): 54.99
UTILITIES
Electric Gas Telephone*
Caspian U.P. Power MichCon Michigan Bell
Crystal Falls Local & Wisc. MichCon Michigan Bell
Iron River U.P. Power MichCon Michigan Bell
Stambaugh U.P. Power MichCon Michigan Bell
* 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.)
Caspian Wells 6 22 40-100
Crystal Falls Wells 16 10 60 38 60-140
Iron River Wells 4 13 46-100
Stambaugh Wells 8 28 45-125
Capacity and maximum use in hundreds of thousands of gallons/liters per day.
SEWER
Gallons Liters
Type Capacity Load Capacity Load
Caspian Mechanical 20 76
Crystal Falls 20 4 76 15
Iron River Secondary 5 4 19 15
Stambaugh Mechanical 20 76
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)
Caspian 906-265-2514 1031 yes no w/ Iron River
Crystal Falls 906-875-3212 1922 yes no 12,899
Iron River 906-265-4719 2095 yes no 9,038
Stambaugh 906-265-4213 1281 yes yes w/ Iron River
------- Fire Department ------- Police
Community Class. FT Paid PT/Volunt. (Full-Time) Solid Waste
Caspian 7 22 Municipal
Crystal Falls 7 4 21 5 Municipal
Iron River 7 38 5 Municipal
Stambaugh 7 17 Municipal
County Sheriff Officers: 8 Licensed Landfills in County: 0
Other communities in Iron County (1990 population for incorporated communities
in parenthesis):
Alpha (219), Amasa, Bates Twp. (966), Beechwood, Cambridge Junction, Crystal
Falls Twp. (1614), Gaastra (376), Gibbs City, Hematite Twp. (366), Iron River
Twp. (1398), Mansfield Twp. (248), Mastodon Twp. (654), Mineral Hills (200),
Stager, Stambaugh Twp. (1224), Triangle Ranch
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES (1992-1993)
K-12 Instruc. High
Community School District Students Staff Schools
Crystal Falls Forest Park 739 41 1
Stambaugh West Iron County 1420 64 1
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(As of Fall 1991)
Name and Location Enrollment
Bay de Noc Community College, Escanaba (100 mi.) 2255
Gogebic Community College, Ironwood (85 mi.) 1318
Michigan Technological University, Houghton (100 mi.) 6921
Northern Michigan University, Marquette (90 mi.) 8652
Suomi College, Hancock (100 mi.) 527
MEDICAL FACILITIES
Hospitals in County: 2 Total Beds: 71
Nearest Large Medical Center: Marquette (90 miles)
Extended Care Facilities: 3 Total Beds: 249
Physicians (MDs and DOs) in County: 13
HOUSING AND CHURCHES
(Housing as of 1990)
Owner occupied: 4532 (80.1%) Median Home Value: $30,100.00
Renter occupied: 1123 (19.9%) Median Contract Rent: $191.00
Churches: Catholic: 7 Protestant: 21
Synagogues: 0 Nearest synagogue is in Iron Mountain (30 miles)
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
Ski Brule/Ski Homestead (downhill and cross-country skiing); Iron Range
Snowmobile Trails (185 miles). Iron County Museum, Iron River. Ferrous
Frolics Music Festival, Caspian; Classic Bass Tournament, Iron River
(June); Upper Peninsula Bud Championship Rodeo, Iron River (July); Crystal
Falls Bass Festival (July); Iron County Fine Arts Show, Caspian (July).
COMMERCIAL SERVICES
(As of 1989)
General Building Contractors 5
Metalworking Machinery 1
Commercial Printing 2
Advertising 0
Personnel Supply Services 0
Computer and Data Processing Services 0
Legal Services 7
Accounting, Auditing and Bookkeeping 4
Retail Establishments 110
Wholesale Establishments 11
Hotel/Motel Rooms (as of 1986): 286
Television Channels: Cable, 20 channels
Radio Stations: 1
Newspapers: Iron Mountain Daily News; Iron River Reporter (weekly), Diamond
Drill (weekly)
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
(As of 1993) Offices
Main Office in County
First National Bank of Crystal Falls Crystal Falls 1
First of America Bank-Upper Peninsula, Marquette 2
MFC First National Bank Iron River 3
The Miners' State Bank of Iron River Iron River 1
EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS BY INDUSTRY
Earnings
Employment ($ millions)
1985 1990 1985 1990
Total Employment 4674 4965
Total Income $149.22 $192.30
Earnings by Place of Work $62.74 $86.16
Components by Type:
Wage and Salary 3617 3856 $46.43 $64.95
Proprietors 1057 1109 $11.54 $15.31
Farm 104 90 $1.24 $2.70
Nonfarm 953 1019 $10.29 $12.61
Components by Industry:
Farm 137 116 $1.53 $3.01
Nonfarm 4537 4849 $61.22 $83.15
Private 3595 3631 $45.62 $59.07
Agric./For./Fish. 47 27 $0.97 $0.10
Mining 12 24 $0.60 $0.96
Construction 313 319 $6.83 $10.35
Manufacturing 818 634 $12.13 $10.69
Non-Durable Goods --- --- $0.61 $0.62
Durable Goods --- --- $11.52 $10.07
Transp. & Utilities 129 157 $2.89 $4.02
Wholesale Trade 111 149 $1.55 $2.49
Retail Trade 970 1074 $8.58 $11.34
Fin./Ins./Real Est. 259 269 $2.17 $2.60
Services 936 978 $9.91 $16.53
Government 942 1218 $15.60 $24.08
Federal 68 74 $1.55 $1.86
Military, Civilian 32 30 $0.16 $0.19
State and Local 842 1114 $13.88 $22.03
Earnings by Place of Residence $73.73 $97.21
Zero values indicate confidential information or fewer than 10 employees
or less than $50,000.
Per Capita Income: 1985: $10,872.00 1990: $14,615.00
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