Newaygo ( ) is a rural city in Newaygo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,471 at the 2020 census.

thumb|A mural in downtown Newaygo

thumb|An archway in Newaygo

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. including the Muskegon River, which runs through the town and is often used for canoe trips, tubing, and fishing. The county is considered part of West Michigan.

Newaygo is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids.

Geographic features

The Muskegon River flows through the north side of the town beneath and a train bridge.

thumb|The Muskegon River flowing near Newaygo

thumb|Train bridge in Newaygo

Major highways

History

Newaygo's recorded history goes back to the 1600s and the French coureur des bois (independent trappers) and, later, fur company voyageurs that travelled by canoe via the Muskegon River. It was ostensibly named after Chief Nuwagon, an Ojibwe leader who signed the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, or for an Algonquian word meaning "much water". John Brooks came to harvest lumber in 1836, and was the town's first postmaster in 1847. Proximity to the river made it a center for floating logs to the mills in Muskegon during the lumber boom of the late 1800s.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Newaygo had a population of 2,471. The median age was 33.8 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 86.2 males age 18 and over.

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

There were 951 households in Newaygo, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.2% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 1,976 people, 786 households, and 502 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 892 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.6% White, 0.9% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.6% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population.

There were 786 households, of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 20.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.10.

The median age in the city was 32.4 years. 29.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 21.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census

Notable people

  • Ella H. Brockway Avann (born 1853), educator
  • Roy Bargy, composer and pianist
  • Joe Berger, lineman with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL
  • Jack Nitzsche, musician and arranger
  • Bertha Yerex Whitman, architect

Notes

  • City of Newaygo
  • Newaygo Area Chamber of Commerce