Belleville, Michigan

Belleville is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, United States. A western suburb of Detroit, Belleville is located roughly southwest of downtown Detroit, and southeast of Ann Arbor, and is completely surrounded by Van Buren Township. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,008.

Belleville Lake is the city's principal geographic feature, and the city was also home to the National Strawberry Festival until the COVID pandemic.

History

thumb|left|Welcome to Belleville sign, September 2012

The community was named in honor of landowner James Bell by adroitly choosing the French word for "beautiful town". The hamlet was platted in 1847 with the main thoroughfares still used today designated Main, Liberty, and High Street. About 1881, the Belleville depot on the Detroit line of the Wabash Railroad began serving travelers from across the region and the country.

Belleville was established as a village in 1905,

Belleville Lake was created by damming the Huron River when the French Landing Dam and Powerhouse was built in 1925 in neighboring Van Buren Township.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+Belleville city, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|3,448

|3,132

|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,822

|86.26%

|78.48%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |70.41%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|314

|551

|style='background: #ffffe6; |737

|7.86%

|13.81%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |18.39%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|13

|14

|style='background: #ffffe6; |12

|0.33%

|0.35%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%

|Asian alone (NH)

|45

|31

|style='background: #ffffe6; |36

|1.13%

|0.78%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.90%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0

|0.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00%

|Other race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5

|0.23%

|0.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.12%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|67

|104

|style='background: #ffffe6; |231

|1.68%

|2.61%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.76%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|101

|153

|style='background: #ffffe6; |165

|2.53%

|3.83%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4.12%

|Total

|3,997

|3,991

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,008

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Belleville had a population of 4,008. The median age was 43.4 years. 19.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 20.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,876 households, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.0% were married-couple households, 22.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 36.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 3,991 people, 1,755 households, and 1,005 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,965 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 80.6% White, 14.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.0% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population.

There were 1,755 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 42.7% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the city was 40 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,997 people, 1,842 households, and 1,022 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,931 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.54% White, 7.88% African American, 0.40% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.95% from other races, and 2.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.53% of the population.

There were 1,842 households, out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.8% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.5% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,196, and the median income for a family was $56,071. Males had a median income of $47,759 versus $30,145 for females. The per capita income for the city was $25,927. About 3.5% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 and over.

Arts and culture

Festivals

From 1977 through 2019, Belleville hosted an annual festival, called the National Strawberry Festival. The Strawberry Festival generated considerable media coverage. People from all over Wayne County came to celebrate Belleville's economic supporter, the strawberry.

Points of interest

In the 1930s, Belleville had a reputation as a resort community where the wealthy of Detroit maintained getaway estates. Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh once owned summer cottages on Belleville Lake, in the neighborhood of Harmony Lane.

Music

Techno music produced in the mid-to-late 1980s by Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson (collectively known as The Belleville Three), along with Eddie Fowlkes, Blake Baxter, James Pennington and others is viewed as the first wave of techno from Detroit.

Education

Belleville is in the Van Buren Public Schools district. Belleville High School, Owen Intermediate, and Edgemont Elementary are located within the city limits of Belleville.

Sister city

The city is twinned with Machynlleth, Wales.

Notable people

John Rodney McRae (1934-2005), suspected serial killer
Juan Atkins (born 1962), musician, member of The Belleville Three
Derrick May (born 1963), musician, member of The Belleville Three
Kevin Saunderson (born 1964), musician, member of The Belleville Three
Bryce Underwood (born 2007), American football quarterback

Gallery

File:Belleville Michigan - Belleville Area Museum.jpg|

File:Belleville, Michigan - Main Street Looking South.jpg|

File:Belleville, Michigan - 5 Points.jpg|

File:Belleville Michigan Edison Lake viewed from Doane's Landing.JPG|

File:Belleville High School, Belleville, MI.jpg|

</gallery>

References

External links

Belleville Community Web Portal