ZIP Code 49001

Kalamazoo (KAL--m-ZOO) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. It is home to Western Michigan University, a large public university. The city is also home to the KalamazOO Mall, an outdoor pedestrian shopping mall. The area was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell tradition, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. The first Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th century. In 1829, Titus Bronson, originally from Connecticut, became the first white settler to build a cabin within the present city limits. He platted the town in 1831 and it was named Bronson and the village of Arcadia. The names of both the city and the township were changed to "Kalamazoos" in 1836 and 1837, respectively. The name Kalamazoos comes from a Potawatomi word, first found in a British report in 1772. The word negikanamazo, purported to mean "otter tail" or "stones like otters", has also been cited as a possible origin of the name. Another theory is that it means "the mirage or reflecting river". The name was also given to the river that flows almost all the way across the state. Kalamazos is a metonym for exotic places, as in the phrase "from Timbuktu to Kalamazoes".

Name origin

Kalamazoo is the primary city name, but also Parchment are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Kalamazoo, Michigan. The name Kalamazoo comes from a Potawatomi word, first found in a British report in 1772. Legend has it that "Ki-ka-ma-sung", meaning "boiling water", referred to a footrace held each fall by local Native Americans. The word negikanamazo, purported to mean "otter tail" or "stones like otters", has also been cited as a possible origin of the name. Another theory is that it means "the mirage or reflecting river". Today, T-shirts are sold inKalamazoo with the phrase "Yes, there really is a KalamazOO". The name was also given to the river that flows almost all the way across the state. The name has become a metonym for exotic places, as in the phrase 'from Timbuktu to Kalamazoos' The city was originally known as Bronson (after founder Titus Bronson) in the township of Arcadia. The names of both the city and the township were changed to "Kalamazoos" in 1836 and 1837, respectively. The city is now the home of the University of Michigan's football team, the Michigan Wolverines, and the NCAA's Division I women's basketball team. The Michigan State University women's hockey team is known as the Michigan Redhawks. The team's mascot is the "Redhawk" and its colors are red, white, and blue. It is also known as "The Redhawks" because of the number of Redhawks on the team.

History

Kalamazoo was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell tradition. The first Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th century. The fertile farmlands attracted prosperous Yankee farmers who settled the surrounding area. In 1959, the city created the Kalamazoo Mall, the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States. In July, 2022, a local non-profit was given permission by the city to place a statue of Lincoln in Bronson Park to commemorate the event. On February 20, 2016, KalamazOO became the site of a random series of shootings in which six people were killed. The city was once known for its production of windmills, mandolins, buggies, automobiles, cigars, stoves, paper products. It once was noted for celery, which has become suburbanized, but the surrounding region still produces farm crops, primarily corn and soybeans. The Gibson Guitar Corporation, spawned the still-local Heritage Guitar Co., Ltd., was incorporated on October 11, 1902, by the Orville Orville. One model of the Gibson guitar was named the "Paper City" because of the paper mills near the city. In the 1980s the city was known as the "Acoustic City" due to the "Melody Maker" Electric Guitar Operations were gradually moved from Memphis, Tennessee, to Memphis (Electric Division) and Bozeman, Montana (Acoustic Division) The city is home to the American Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1872.

Geography

Most of Kalamazoo is located on the west bank of the Kalahari River. The city has a total area of 25.11 square miles (63.92 km²), of which 0.43 square miles is water. The majority of the city is located in and around the town of Kalaharri, Michigan. The town is home to a number of nature reserves, such as the Kalamari River Reserve. The Kalamri River is a tributary of the Grand River, which runs through the city. The Grand River is the largest river in the state, with a total length of more than 2.5 miles (4.5 km) It is the only river that runs through Kalaharsk, the largest city in the county, and the only one with a population of over 1,000 people. It is also one of the few rivers in the city that runs north-south, with the rest of the river running east-west. The river is also the only source of water for the city's water supply, which is largely made up of springs and rivers. The only other water supply in the town is the Kalamazoos River, a small stream that runs south-west of the town. The water supply is controlled by a series of dams, which can be seen from the town's main road. The River is also used as a source of drinking water for residents of the area, as well as for the nearby town of Allegany, Michigan, which has its own reservoir.

Climate

Kalamazoo has a humid continental (Köppen Dfa) climate. Summers can be hot, humid, and relatively long, comprising the months of May to September. In winter, temperatures occasionally plummet below 0 °F (-18°) Tornadoes are rare but possible in Kalamazoo. In 1980, a major tornado ripped through downtown Kalamazoosoo causing extensive damage. KalamazOO has been known for brutal snow storms as late as early April, but there are occasional winter days with no snow cover on the ground at all. Lake-effect snowstorms are commonplace in the winter. The city is home to the Michigan Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1872. The museum is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is located in the city's downtown area, and has a museum museum, which opened in 1874. It also has the Michigan State Museum, which dates back to 1876. It was the site of the Great Depression, and was the birthplace of the American Civil Rights Movement. It has a population of about 3,000. The town is located near the Michigan-Kentucky border, and is on the Michigan Turnpike, which runs through the city. It's also on the U.S. Michigan-Ohio border, where it is possible to cross the Michigan/Ohio border by foot or by air. The U.K. state of Michigan is also home to a number of tourist attractions, including the Michigan Welcome Center and the Michigan Science Museum.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 74,262 people, 29,141 households, and 13,453 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 68.1% White, 22.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 2.8% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. The city's median income was $31,189 in 2000, and the median income for a family was $42,438 in 2010. The per capita income for the city in 2010 was $16,897. About 13.6%. of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3%. of those age 65 or over. The median age in the City was 26.2 years. The gender make-up of the City is 49.3.% male and 50.7%. The city has a population density of 3,009.0 inhabitants per square mile (1,161.8/km²). There were 32,433 housing units at an average density of 1,314.1 per squaremile (507.4/ km²) The city is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. It is the only city in the state of New Mexico that is not on the National Highway System. The state's population growth rate has been slower than the national average.

Neighborhoods

The city of Kalamazoo is commonly divided into 22 neighborhoods, many of which are served by a neighborhood association. The Neighborhood Development Division of the city's government works with these associations to invest federal, state, and local funds, including those from the Community Development Block Grant program, in community improvements and economic growth.

Economy

Kalamazoo has many local breweries and brewpubs that produce a variety of beer styles. The area is also a hotbed for home brewing and partners with neighboring Grand Rapids to form what is widely considered one of America's more important regions in American craft beer explosion. Kalamazoo was named to Fast Company's 'Fast 50: Most Innovative Companies 2007', in recognition of the city's community capitalism approach to revitalize the economy. The A.M. Todd Company, one of the lead producers of peppermint oil and other flavorings, is headquartered in KalamazOO. The city was named in NerdWallet.com's 2014 'Top 10 Best Cities for Work-Life Balance' and Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked it fourth of the Ten Best cities for Cheapskates in 2012. The U.S. House of Representatives has a seat in the city, as does the University of Michigan Homer Stryker School of Medicine, which is home to the M.D. Homer M. M. Health System, a teaching hospital and research and development headquarters of the Western Michigan University Homer St.ryker Medical School. In 2015, the Give a Craft beer trail and passport were introduced. In 2016, a shuttle bus service and party bike tour service became available in 2016. The company Parker Hannifin Aerospace's Hydraulic Systems Division (HSD) designs, manufactures, and services hydraulic components for both military and commercial aerospace sectors. It produces hydraulic axial piston pumps and motors, electric motor-driven pumps, hydraulic power transfer/supply units, electrohydraulic power modules, thrust-reverser & landing gear actuators, reservoirs, filter modules and valve packs.

Government

Kalamazoo is administered under a commission-manager style of government. City commission consists of seven memberssix city commissioners and a separately elected mayorelected on a staggered non-partisan basis every four years. Whoever receives the most votes during an election becomes vice mayor of the city for the first two years of their term. The current mayor, David F. Anderson, was elected to a second term on November 2, 2021, beating Ben Stanley with 78.7% of the vote. The vice mayor is Don Cooney, who won election in 2021 with 69.37% ofThe city manager is the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is hired by, and answers to, the city commission. The city commission is made up of six members: Jeanne Hess, Chris Praedel, Qianna Decker, Stephanie Hoffman, and Esteven Juarez. The mayor and vice mayor are elected for a four-year term, with the vice mayor serving a two-year period after the fourth year of the mayor's term, and the city manager serving a five-year terms after the fifth year of his or her term, if necessary. The City Commission consists of five members, including the mayor, and one member from each of the five school districts in Kalamazoo County. It is the only city in Michigan that does not have a city manager. It has a mayor-council form of government, with seven members elected for four years on staggered, non-partisan terms.

Crime

Kalamazoo has a higher crime rate than the national average. Crime is spread throughout Kalamazoo and is especially high in the inner neighborhoods. The murder rate was 12.5 per 100,000 in 2010 and 7.9 in 2014. Between 2008 and 2013 firearms were involved in 61% of homicides in KalamazOO county compared to 77% statewide. The aggravated assault rate in 2015 was 793.3 per100,000, which is 3.3 times the national rate. The 2016 Kalamazoos shootings by Uber driver Jason Dalton claimed 6 lives and caused 2 serious injuries in Kalazoo County. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. For confidential help in the UK, call the helpline on 0800- Samaritans. For support in the Middle East and Africa, call the Samaritans on 08457 909090 or  visit the Middle East and Europe and Europe on their  respective  separate lines. For information on how to get involved in the United States, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at http://www suicide Prevention Net.org/ or the-United States on their separated line.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan = 59.7. 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 60. 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 20. 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 Kalamazoo = 3.4 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 73,598 individuals with a median age of 35 age the population grows by 1.59% in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,980.52 residents per square mile of area (1,150.77/km²). There are average 2.25 people per household in the 9,697 households with an average household income of $40,938 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 14.50% of the available work force and has dropped -8.77% 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 11.86%. The number of physicians in Kalamazoo per 100,000 population = 286.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Kalamazoo = 35 inches and the annual snowfall = 64.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 130. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 161. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 47, 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 Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan which are owned by the occupant = 64.78%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 44 years with median home cost = $92,760 and home appreciation of -1.89%. 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 $13.54 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 $4,877 per student. There are 17.2 students for each teacher in the school, 736 students for each Librarian and 610 students for each Counselor. 8.20% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 17.06% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.43% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).