Warren, Michigan

Warren, Michigan
City
City of Warren
Fountains in Warren City Center, with farmer's market in background
Seal
Warren, Michigan Location in the United States
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Macomb
Incorporated	1957
Government
• Type	Council-Strong Mayor
• Mayor	James R. Fouts (R)
Area
• City	34.46 sq mi (89.25 km2)
• Land	34.38 sq mi (89.04 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation	627 ft (191 m)
Population (2010)
• City	134,056
• Estimate (2012)	134,141
• Rank	(US: 186th)
• Density	3,899.2/sq mi (1,505.5/km2)
• Metro	4,285,832 (US: 13th)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s)	586
FIPS code	26-84000
GNIS feature ID	1615781
Website	http://www.cityofwarren.org/

Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb. The city is home to a wide variety of businesses, including General Motors Technical Center, the United States Army Detroit Arsenal, home of the United States Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command and the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), the headquarters of Big Boy Restaurants International, and Asset Acceptance. The current mayor is James R. Fouts, who was elected to his first mayoral term in November 2007.

History

Beebe's Corners, the original settlement in what would become the city of Warren, was founded in 1830 at the corner of Mound Road and Chicago Road; its first resident was Charles Groesbeck. Beebe's Corners was a carriage stop between Detroit and Utica, and included a distillery, mill, tavern, and trading post. It was not until 1837 that the now-defunct Warren Township was organized around the settlement, first under the name Hickory, then renamed Aba in April 1838, and finally renamed Warren shortly thereafter. It was named for War of 1812 veteran, and frontier cleric, Rev. Abel Warren. However, when it was originally organized the township was named for Rev. Warren who was a Methodist Episcopal preacher who left his native New York in 1824 for Shelby Township. He went throughout the present-day Macomb, Lapeer, Oakland, and St. Clair Counties, baptizing, marrying, and burying pioneers of the area, as well as establishing congregations and preaching extensively. He was the first licensed preacher in the State of Michigan.

Another version of the source of the city's name claims it was "named for General Joseph Warren (1741–1775), who fell at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The settlement was formally incorporated as the Village of Warren from Warren Township on April 28, 1893 out of one square mile bound by 14 Mile Road and 13 Mile Road to the north and south, and in half-a-mile east and west of Mound Road. The small village grew slowly, and had a population of 582 in 1940 and 727 in 1950, while the larger surrounding township grew at a much quicker pace.

The Red Run and Bear Creek, just small creeks back in the 1800s, has blossomed into an open major inter-county stormdrain flowing thru Warren, into the Clinton River, and onwards to Lake St. Clair.

The Village of Warren and most of the surrounding Township of Warren incorporated as a city in 1957, less the city of Center Line, which had incorporated as a village from Warren Township in 1925 and as a city in 1936. Between 1950 and 1960, Warren's population soared from 42,653 to 89,426. This population explosion was fueled by the post-WWII Baby Boom and later, by white flight from its southern neighbor of Detroit in that decade. This change in population continued into the next decade when the city's population doubled again. As the community has matured, its population has begun to gradually decline.

Mayors

The following is a list of the previous mayors of the city. The current mayor is James Fouts. Mayoral elections are currently non-partisan.

Mayor	Start of Term	End of Term
Arthur Miller	1957	1961
Louis Kelsey	1961	1961
Bill Shaw	1961	1967
Ted Bates	1967	1981
James Randlett	1981	1985
Ronald Bonkowski	1985	1995
Mark Steenbergh	1995	2007
James Fouts	2007	Current

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.46 square miles (89.25 km²), of which 34.38 square miles (89.04 km²) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km²) is water. The city covers a six-mile-by-six mile (10 km x 10 km) square in the southwest corner of Macomb County in suburban Detroit (minus Center Line, which is a small city totally enclosed within Warren). Other cities bordering on Warren are Detroit, Hazel Park, Madison Heights, Sterling Heights, Fraser, Roseville, and Eastpointe.

Main highways

• I‑696 cuts east and west through the middle of Warren.
• M-53, which is Van Dyke Avenue (also known as the Earle Memorial Highway), leads into Van Dyke Freeway runs north and south and (roughly) bisects the city.
• M-97 also known as Groesbeck Highway named for former Governor Alex Groesbeck is near the eastern edge of Warren. It comes north from Detroit, and is a fast and wide diagonal connector to northern Macomb County.
• M-102 more commonly known as 8 Mile Road or more esoterically as Base Line Road is the city's south border.

Unnumbered roads

Mound Road is an important north-south artery in the city. East-west travel is mainly on the mile roads. Most notable are 8 Mile Road, which is on the southern border of Warren with Detroit; 11 Mile Road, which serves as a service drive for I-696, and 14 Mile Road, which is on the northern border of Warren with Sterling Heights.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	890		—
1910	2,346		163.6%
1920	6,780		189.0%
1930	24,024		254.3%
1940	23,658		−1.5%
1950	42,653		80.3%
1960	89,246		109.2%
1970	179,260		100.9%
1980	161,134		−10.1%
1990	144,864		−10.1%
2000	138,247		−4.6%
2010	134,056		−3.0%
Est. 2014	135,099		0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 2012 estimate

The remaining figures are from the 2000 census except when otherwise stated. The top six reported ancestries (people were allowed to report up to two ancestries, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) in Warren in 2000 were Polish (21.0%), German (20.4%), Irish (11.5%), Italian (10.6%), English (7.3%), and French (5.3%).

There were 55,551 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.

The city's age distribution was 22.9% under 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,626, and the median income for a family was $52,444. Males had a median income of $41,454 versus $28,368 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,407. 7.4% of the population and 5.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.5% were under the age of 18 and 5.8% were 65 or older.

There are a number of distinguishing characteristics about Warren which render it unique among American cities of its relative size. Warren was one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the country between 1940 and 1970, roughly doubling its population every 10 years. In 1940 the official population of Warren Township was 22,146; in 1950, it was 42,653; in 1960, after Warren Township had become the City of Warren, population had risen to 89,240; and by 1970 it had grown to 179,260.

Since 1970, Warren has been consistently one of the faster-declining cities in population in the country. The population declined by 10% during each of the next two decades (1980: 161,060; 1990: 144,864), and dropped by 4.6% between 1990 and 2000.

In 1970, whites made up 99.5% of the city's total population of 179,270; only 838 non-whites lived within the city limits. Racial integration came slowly to Warren in the ensuing two decades, with the white portion of the city dropping only gradually to 98.2% in 1980 and 97.3% as of 1990. At that point integration started to accelerate, with the white population declining to 91.3% in 2000 and reaching 78.4% as of the 2010 census.

Warren's population is currently one of the oldest among large cities in the United States. 16.1% of Warren's population was 65 or older at the last census, tied for fifth with Hollywood, Florida among cities with 100,000+ population, and in fact the highest-ranking city by this measure outside of Florida or Hawaii. Warren is ranked 1st in the nation for longevity of residence. Residents of Warren on average have lived in that community 35.5 years, compared to the national average of eight years for communities of 100,000+ population. Warren remains a population center for people of Polish, Lebanese, Ukrainian, Scots-Irish, Filipino, Maltese and Assyrian/Chaldean descent.

The post-1970 population change in Warren has been so pronounced that by 2000 there were 1,026 Filipinos in Warren as well as 1,145 Asian Indians in the city, and 1,559 American Indians. Many of the American Indians in Warren originated in the Southern United States with 429 Cherokee and 66 Lumbee. In fact the Lumbee were the third largest American Indian "tribe" in the city, with only the 193 Chippewa outnumbering them.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 134,056 people, 53,442 households, and 34,185 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,899.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,505.5/km²). There were 57,938 housing units at an average density of 1,685.2 per square mile (650.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.4% White, 13.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

There were 53,442 households of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.11.

The median age in the city was 39.4 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Between 2000 and 2010, the Asian population in Warren increased to almost 6,200, a 46% increase.

Economy

The General Motors Technical Center

Companies based in Warren include Big Boy Restaurants, Art Van and SRG Global.

Top employers

According to the city's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	General Motors	17,000
2	TACOM	6,500
3	Chrysler	4,200
4	St. John Macomb Hospital	1,320
5	Warren Consolidated Schools	1,221
6	Henry Ford Macomb Hospital	1,200
7	Art Van	1,190
8	Campbell-Ewald	900
9	Asset Acceptance	802
10	Noble Metal Processing	700

Government and infrastructure

Municipal government

The City of Warren established a Christian prayer station at city hall that is operated by the Pentecostal Tabernacle Church of Warren. Douglas Marshall requested establishing an atheist station and was denied by the city government. The American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Freedom from Religion Foundation jointly filed a complaint against the city. In 2015 there was a $100,000 judgment against the city government and mayor James R. Fouts for denying Marshall the right to establish his atheist station.

Federal representation

The United States Postal Service operates the Warren Post Office.

Neighborhoods

Southeast Warren (48089)

Southeast Warren consists of the Belangers Garden, Berkshire Manor, Piper Van Dyke, Warrendale, and the southern portion of Warren Woods. The neighborhood population in 2009 was 33,031. The neighborhood's racial makeup was 85.14% White, 5.50% African-American, 4.27% Asian, 0.38% Native American, and 3.80% of other races. 1.84% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The neighborhood's median household income in 2009 was $40,136. The per capita income was $18,301.

Much of Southeast Warren's residential architecture is based on the Bungalows built immediately after World War II. To the north of Stephens Road, many homes were built after 1960 in the brick ranch style. Besides the residential areas, Southeast Warren is also occupied by multiple industrial parks.

Shaw Park located in Southwest Warren.

Southwest Warren (48091)

Southwest Warren consists of the Beierman Farms and Fitzgerald neighborhoods. The neighborhood population in 2009 was 30,876. The neighborhood's racial makeup was 81.98% White, 7.9% African-American, 4.98% Asian, 0.48% Native American, and 4.23% of other races. 1.64% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The neighborhood's median household income in 2009 was $40,311. The per capita income was $19,787.

Northeast Warren (48090, 48093, 48088)

Northeast Warren consists of the Bear Creek, Bella Vista Estates, Downtown, Fairlane Estates, Lorraine, Northampton Square, the northern portion of Warren Woods, and the eastern portion of Warren Con neighborhoods. The neighborhood population in 2009 was 45,492. The neighborhood's racial makeup was 92.47% White, 2.93% African American, 2.78% Asian, 0.5% Native American and 3.75% of other races. 1.36% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The neighborhood's median household income in 2009 was $48,806. The per capita income was $27,914.

Northwest Warren/Warren Con. (48092)

Northwest Warren consists of the western portion of the Warren Con neighborhood. The neighborhood population in 2009 was 24,997. The neighborhood's racial makeup was 85.50% White, 4.58% African American, 6.57% Asian, 0.19% Native American and 3.50% of other races. 1.32% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The median household income in 2009 was $55,102. The per capita income was $25,334.

Education

Public schools

Warren Mott High School

Warren is served by six public school districts, including:

• Center Line Public Schools
• East Detroit Public Schools
• Fitzgerald Public Schools
• Van Dyke Public Schools
• Warren Consolidated Schools
• Warren Woods Public Schools

The Macomb Intermediate School District oversees the individual school districts.

Secondary schools serving Warren include:

• Warren Woods Tower High School
• Paul K. Cousino Sr. High School
• Lincoln High School
• Warren Mott High School
• Fitzgerald High School (Warren, Michigan)
• Center Line High School (Center Line)
• East Detroit High School (Eastpointe)

Charter schools:

• Michigan Collegiate

Private schools

• De La Salle Collegiate High School (all-boys')
• Regina High School (all-girls)

Postsecondary institutions

• The south campus of Macomb Community College
• Davenport University
• The Warren Center for Central Michigan University.
• Wayne State University's Advanced Technology Education Center.

Public libraries

Warren Public Library consists of one main library and three branches. The Civic Center Library is located on the ground floor of the city hall. The Arthur Miller Branch is inside the Warren Community Center. The other two branches are the Maybelle Burnette Branch and the Dorothy Busch Branch.

On July 1, 2010, the three branch libraries were closed. On August 3, the Library Millage was approved; as such, these branch libraries reopened later that August.

Health care

The headquarters of the St. John Providence Health System are in the St. John Providence Health Corporate Services Building in Warren.

Culture and recreation

The city recreation department supports a community center and a recreation center along with a system of 24 parks. The Warren Symphony Orchestra gives several concerts per season. In 2003 the city built a brand new Community Center where the old Warren High School was.

Universal Mall, an enclosed shopping mall, was built in the city in 1965. In 2009, it was demolished for a new outdoor shopping center.

The Italian American Cultural Society (IACS) had been located in Warren for a 20-year period. In 2004 it moved to its current location in Clinton Township. Its previous location was sold to a charter school in July 2004.

Crime

Warren
Crime rates (2003)
Crime type	Rate*
Homicide:	2.2
Forcible rape:	57.6
Robbery:	135.4
Aggravated assault:	373.7
Total violent crime:	568.9
Burglary:	549.4
Larceny-theft:	1,656.7
Arson:	46.8
Total property crime:	2,252.9
Notes * Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.
Source: 2003 FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement

The city has a low violent crime rate and a high property crime rate compared to other cities in Metro Detroit. The city's crime rate in 2003 was 91.4% of the national average. Larceny-theft was the most predominant crime, comprising 58.7% of the city's crime rate.

Since 2000, there have been thirty-five reported murders; five in 2001, three in 2003, six in 2004, five in both 2005 and 2006, seven in 2007, and four in 2008. Since 2000, the violent crime rate has dropped 16.2%.

The Warren Police Department serves as the main law enforcement agency in the city.

Historical markers

There are nine recognized Michigan historical markers in the city. They are:

• Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant which built a quarter of the Sherman tanks produced by the United States in World War II, and which produced M1 Abrams tank (along with a plant in Lima, Ohio) until 1996.
• Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery. Inventor Elijah McCoy is buried there, as noted on the historical marker. Former member of the band The Supremes Florence Ballard is also buried there.
• Erin - Warren Fractional District No. 2 School
• General Motors Technical Center
• Warren Truck Assembly, on location since 1938
• Governor Alexander Joseph Groesbeck
• John Theisen House
• Village of Warren
• Warren Township District No. 4 School
• Warren Union Cemetery

The tenth and eleventh markers are technically in Center Line, Michigan but are included because of their proximity (both in distance and in history) to Warren:

• St. Clement Catholic Church
• St. Clement Catholic Cemetery

Additionally, about two dozen markers have been placed around designated cites in the city by the Warren Historical and Genealogical Society.

Notable people

• Norm Augustinus, cult writer, comedian, actor. Attended McKinley Elementary in Warren. Augustinus featured Warren as the backdrop to his bestselling book, Cats & Dogs.
• Alex Avila, baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers.
• Bruiser Brody, professional wrestler, attended high school in Warren.
• Warren was home to rapper Eminem where he attended Lincoln High School.
• I See Stars, electronicore band formed in Warren.
• Denny Felsner, former NHL player born in Warren.
• Matt Hunwick, active NHL player born in Warren.
• Joe Kopicki, NBA player, born and raised in Warren
• John Smoltz, MLB pitcher.
• Matt Taormina, active NHL player, born in Warren.
• Doug Weight, retired NHL player born in Warren.
• Mitch Ryder, rock and roll singer

External links

• City of Warren official site
• Warren Public Library
• Rev. Abel Warren's Obituary as delivered by Rev. John Russell
• Warren, Michigan at DMOZ