be seen around the County. As the area recovers, it is assumed that infrastructure will endure to make the County attractive for development, creating many improvements to the socioeconomic status of the people who continue to reside, and those that migrate to Genesee County.
Socio-Economic Projections Genesee County has experienced major fluctuations in population and employment over the past twenty years. This fluctuation is influenced by factors such as culture, education, income, location of housing, and many others that all have an impact on the quality of life an individual will experience. To help our local officials make informed decisions about the community they serve, the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission (GCMPC) has gathered the data appropriate to make projections on population and employment for the years up to 2045. There are many factors that can play a role in the fluctuation of population in the County, with employment opportunity being a strong characteristic to be considered. In turn, population and employment have a huge impact on the opportunity that residents of Genesee County have to create a positive, healthy and meaningful life.
Population in Genesee County The population of Genesee County is still recovering from the housing market crash that was experienced in the late 2000’s, followed by the national recession, often referred to as the Great Recession. Growth experienced earlier in the decade was halted, having a significant impact on the number of foreclosures, short sales, abandoned homes, and value of the housing in the area. By the year 2013, the housing market began to stabilize, and new residential development was starting back up throughout the County. There were many reasons why Genesee County was an attractive place for growth before the housing market crash, with housing infrastructure, such as neighborhood streets and utilities, being very significant. Many infrastructure projects were put into place in the early 2000’s, only to be abandoned when the recession hit. An example of this are the partially finished subdivisions that can
There are several factors that can influence the fluctuation in population within the County. One feature that has a large effect on the steady decrease of the population in Genesee County, is that since the 1980’s the City of Flint has lost roughly 19,000 residents each decade. Although Flint is not projected to grow in the coming decades, there are several other municipalities that are expected to rise in population, which will help in creating revenue flow and improved housing throughout the County. Another factor that has a significant impact on the decrease in population throughout the area is that average house-hold size is decreasing and is projected to continue decreasing in the future. Many municipalities that are stable, the City of Davison for example, will begin to lose population due to decreasing house-hold size. Source: 2045 LRTP Projections
Most of the municipalities in Genesee County will see a net increase in population from 2014 to the projected year of 2045. The map to the right shows the municipalities that will see a 5% or greater change in population during this period, including Thetford Township, City of Mt. Morris, Swartz Creek, Davison Township, Mundy Township, Grand
Blanc Township, Goodrich and Fenton Township. Overall, the Genesee County projections show that there will be a slight decrease in the total population of Genesee County by the year 2045. Employment in Genesee County Currently, there are 191,542 people employed across Genesee County, with the leading sectors of employment being services, retail trade, and government. The services sector of employment is the most populated, with more than three times as many individuals as any other sector. The infographic below shows Genesee County’s varying unemployment rate over time. The Great Recession had a severe impact on the number of residents that were unemployed during this time,
Socio-Economic Projections Page 1