Acknowledgments

The Village only shows a decrease of 7.3% from the years 1990 to 2020.

TABLE 4 RACIAL DISTRIBUTION
Race	Village of Chesaning		Saginaw County
	#	%	#	%
White	2,524	98.3%	165,430	94.5%
Black	0	0.0%	36,849	17.4%
American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut	5	0.2%	915	0.5%
Asian or Pacific Islander	2	0.0008%	1,272	0.8%
Other	36	1.4%	7,480	4.2%
Hispanic origin (of any race)	77	—	13,186	—
Source: U.S. Census, 1990.

In the Village of Chesaning, population 2,567. the majority of persons were white (98.3%); 77 are Hispanic origin (of any race); 0 were Black; 5 were American Indian, Eskimo or Aluet; and 36 were of other race or origin(Table 4).

TABLE 5 SEX IN 1990
	#
Females	1,361
Males	1,206
Source: U.S. Census,1990.

In the Village of Chesaning females outnumber males by 155 people in 1990 (Table 5).

In 1990, the median age in Chesaning was 34.4 years. Of the total population of 2,567, 673 were the under the age of 18 (26.2%), 1,452 between the ages of 18 and 64 (56.5%), and 442 over 65 years old (17.2%) (Table 6).

TABLE 6 AGE DISTRIBUTION 1990
Age	Village of Chesaning		Saginaw County
	#	%	#	%
4 and younger	184	7.2%	16,428	7.8%
5 – 17	489	19.0%	43,149	20.4%
18 – 24	252	9.8%	21,289	10.0%
25 – 44	753	29.3%	64,381	30.4%
45 – 64	447	17.4%	41,096	19.4%
65 – 74	255	9.9%	14,705	6.9%
75 and older	187	7.3%	10,898	5.1%
Median	34.4	—	32.7	—
Total	2,567	100.0%	211,946	100.0%
Source: U.S. Census, 1990

The manufacturing side of the local economy, has been characterized by several small to mid-size industrial operations. However, this industrial base has been weakened by losses such as the closure of farmer Peet Packing Company and Hancor Incorporated.
In terms of estimated per capita income, Chesaning experienced an overall increase of 94% between 1969 and 1977: $2,814 and $5,458 respectively. Although these figures are slightly less than those for the county, the percentage increase was only one point less than the countywide increase. The 1980 per capita income was $7,037, a 29% increase from 1977. The median household income is $19,757 with all of Saginaw County at $19,726. There are 19 families below the poverty level. The following table illustrates income levels from the 1998 Saginaw Metropolitan Area Transportation Study.

Table10 Income and Poverty
	< $14,999	$15,000 - $34,999	$35,000 - $49,999	$50,000 - $74,999	>$75,000	Median Income	% Of Pop. Below Poverty
Village of Chesaning	346	319	175	131	40	22,788	15.2%
Source: Saginaw Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, Saginaw Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, June 1998

Table 10 indicates the majority of the population in the Village made less than $34,999 per year. The median income increased by $3,031. The percent of the population below poverty level in 1990 was 15.2%.

DOWNTOWN CHESANING
The downtown area of Chesaning offers a wide variety of shopping alternatives for area residents and visitors. Ample parking is available, but could be improved. A broad span of products and services are offered so that most shopping can be done in the Village. Architecture of the downtown area is typically midwest and is being advocated by recent store front remodeling. A streetscape project was completed in the mid 1990s, but Chesaning needs to identify in detail, the direction regarding historic preservation and continuity of design.

INDUSTRIAL SITES
Chesaning stands to grow industrially in the near future due to the ideal location from already established large cities. It lies within the triangle of Flint, Owosso and Saginaw. At one time its main resource, lumber, gave Chesaning its growth. After the forests were harvested, other industries came. These included the meat packers, grain mills, trailers and mobile homes, and the milk industry. Later the plastic drain tile and window frame factories came, and the milk industry moved out of town and the building was occupied a year later by a plastic foam packaging plant.
Chesaning offers its future industries the advantages of:

1. Gas and electric power

2. Proximity to railroad system.

3. Airport for quick delivery

4. Excellent labor mark

5. Class A highways for transportation

6. Land available for building

7. Easy access to sell parts to larger firms or factories in cities.

8. Banks and lending associations

9. Good schools and churches

10. Ample sewage and water supply
POTENTIAL INDUSTRIAL SITES
Chesaning Village contains more than adequate land zoned for industrial purposes. In addition, there are sites at the east side of the Village Airport on the NorthSouth runway that would be considered ideal for future light industrial development.

In 1991 the Village of Chesaning completed a report on the feasibility and need for an air industrial park. The existing airport is located south of Brady Road (M-57) and west of Fourth Street. The first leg of the proposed industrial park was to be located just south of the southerly dead-end of Fourth Street. This part of the industrial park would have extended to the east and west of the railroad tracks and north of Peet Road. The other section of the industrial park was to be located just west of the existing north-south runway of the airport and southeast of the Deer Creek Drain. Three needs that were listed in this report were: (1) The need for an improved and enlarged airport to serve Chesaning and the southwestern portion of Saginaw County; (2) The need to improve air transportation for the existing industrial entities in the area as well as to encourage new industrial businesses to the area; (3) The need to enhance the tourist attraction which the Village has been steadily building upon over the last several years. The plan also proposed improvements to the surrounding road network to improve traffic flow and access to this site. A phased industrial park design which will provide for at least twenty years of development was proposed. The 1991 plan did not list any proposed cost estimates for development of the industrial park.
RAIL TRANSPORTATION
Railroads in Michigan are projected to become more important in the future due to increased energy costs and a growing population. During the years 1973 thru 1975, energy supplies were in short supply, tonnages hauled by the nation's railroads reached an all time high.
Research has shown that railroads are one of the most fuel efficient modes of transportation for the movement of freight in the nation. The goods which are produced and consumed in the East Central Region of the State are, for the most part, rail oriented.
The rail lines in the Region are capable of moving increased tonnages in the future due to population growth and the shifting of freight to the energy efficient railroad mode. Branch lines, which the State is currently subsidizing, will be operated until they become selfsupporting due to the growth of population in the surrounding area. Traffic will continue to move back to rail due to energy considerations, or until other alternatives are developed for the efficient movement of freight.
Railroads are tied to the economic trends of the region, i.e. in good times railroads are used at an increased rate, in a recession railroads are used less. A recession caused by energy shortages, one would likely see the increased use of railroads.