Demographics

The city of Ithaca is the county seat of Gratiot County, ideally located on U.S. 127, one of the major transportation arteries of the state of Michigan.  The freeway provides fast and convenient transportation to all major metropolitan areas in the state.  Ithaca is a short drive from Lansing, Grand Rapids, Midland and Mt. Pleasant.

Ithaca is surrounded by Michigan's richest farm land.  Agriculture is a major economic factor in Gratiot County.  One of Michigan's largest vegetable farms is situated less than a mile from Ithaca.  The United States Department of Agriculture maintains offices in Ithaca.  The Gratiot County office for the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension Service is also in the city.  Agricultural research and advanced manufacturing are growing in Ithaca and the surrounding area.  Ithaca boasts two Michigan Certified Business Parks and two Michigan Tax-Free Renaissance Zones.

The topography of the Ithaca area is flat land surrounded by fertile farmland.  The area enjoys a moderate climate.  January is the coldest month, with an average winter temperature of 31 degrees, and the warmest summer month is July with an average temperature of 70 degrees.  The average precipitation is 30.78 inches.

As of the Census of 2000, there were 3,098 people, 1,211 households, and 817 families residing in the city. The population density was 759.9 per square mile (293.2/km²). There were 1,289 housing units at an average density of 316.2/sq mi (122.0/km²).

There were 1,211 households.  The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,045, and the median income for a family was $45,795. Males had a median income of $32,383 versus $21,604 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,291.