Editing Pearl Beach, St. Clair County, Michigan

{{for|the community of Pearl Beach in [[Branch County, Michigan]]|Ovid Township, Branch County, Michigan}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Pearl Beach, Michigan
|settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]] (CDP) & [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Pearl Beach (St. Clair County), MI road signage.jpg
|imagesize                = 275
|image_caption            = Road signage along Pointe Tremble Road ([[M-29 (Michigan highway)|M-29]])
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map            = Michigan#USA
|pushpin_label_position = left<!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_label          = Pearl Beach
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location within the state of Michigan##Location within the United States
|pushpin_mapsize        = 
|image_map                = Pearl Beach CDP, MI location.png
|mapsize                  = 250
|map_caption              = Location within [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair County]]

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Michigan]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Michigan|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[Civil township|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        = [[Clay Township, Michigan|Clay]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         =

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref  = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_26.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 21, 2022}}</ref>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 14.63
|area_land_km2            = 12.43
|area_water_km2           = 2.18
|area_total_sq_mi         = 5.65
|area_land_sq_mi          = 4.80
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.84

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 4698
|population_density_km2   = 
|population_density_sq_mi = 978.75

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 176
|elevation_ft             = 577
|coordinates              = {{coord|42|37|26|N|82|35|24|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code|ZIP code(s)]]
|postal_code              = 48001 ([[Algonac, Michigan|Algonac]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 810|810]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 26-63200<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1624814,<ref name=GNIS>{{GNIS|1624814}}</ref> 2393181<ref>{{GNIS|2393181|Pearl Beach Census Designated Place}}</ref>
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_as_of = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_est = 
}}
'''Pearl Beach''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated community]] and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in [[St. Clair County, Michigan|St. Clair County]] in the U.S. state of [[Michigan]].  The population of the CDP was 4,698 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].  The community is located within [[Clay Township, Michigan|Clay Township]].

==History==
This area along the North Channel connecting Anchor Bay to the [[Saint Clair River]] was settled as early as 1796 when a dozen private land claims were made by the French.  A now-defunct post office began operating here under the name Pearlbeach on August 2, 1898.  Harry Bryant, who was an agent for the Detroit and St. Clair Railroad, served as the first postmaster.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=433}}

The [[Colony Tower Complex]] was built in Pearl Beach along the North Channel in 1925.  The site is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and is also a designated [[Michigan State Historic Preservation Office|Michigan State Historic Site]].

==Geography==
[[File:M-154 signage toward Harsens Island.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Looking east along [[M-29 (Michigan highway)|M-29]] toward the ferry service to [[Harsens Island]] and [[M-154 (Michigan highway)|M-154]]]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|5.65|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|4.80|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.84|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (14.87%) is water.<ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020"/>

The CDP consists of a narrow strip along the north side of the North Channel of the [[St. Clair River]] from the western border of [[Algonac, Michigan|Algonac]] to the easternmost point of land where the North Channel flows into Anchor Bay.  The community is served by [[Algonac Community Schools]] to the east in the city of [[Algonac, Michigan|Algonac]].<ref>{{cite web|last=St. Clair County RESA|url=https://www.sccresa.org/about-resa/local-school-districts|title=Local School Districts|date=2023|accessdate=July 18, 2023}}</ref>

The CDP also contains the unincorporated community of [[Pointe aux Tremble, Michigan|Pointe aux Tremble]], which was settled in 1904 as a station along the railway about {{convert|3.0|mi|km|1}} west of Algonac.{{sfn|Romig|1986|page=449}}<ref>{{GNIS|1624836|Pointe aux Tremble, Michigan}}</ref>  The St. John's Marsh State Wildlife Area is a {{convert|3060|acre|sqkm|1|adj=mid}} [[List of Michigan state game and wildlife areas|state wildlife area]] that has small portions within Pearl Beach.<ref>{{cite web|last=[[Michigan Department of Natural Resources]]|url=http://www.michigandnr.com/publications/pdfs/huntingwildlifehabitat/sga/St_Johns_Marsh_SWA_map.pdf|title=St. John's Marsh State Wildlife Area|date=May 2006|accessdate=August 11, 2023}}</ref>

===Ferry service===
*{{jct|extra=ferry}} Harsens Island Ferry Landing is located in the eastern portion of the Pearl Beach CDP.  The ferry service crosses the North Channel and connects to [[M-154 (Michigan highway)|M-154]] on [[Harsens Island]].

===Major highways===
*{{jct|state=MI|MI|29|name1=Pointe Tremble Road}} runs west–east through the community along the northern shores of the North Channel.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align= left
|1990= 3394
|2000= 3224
|2010= 2829
|2020= 4698
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 3,224 people, 1,395 households, and 980 families residing in the community.  The population density was {{convert|1,514.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 1,560 housing units at an average density of {{convert|732.9|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the community was 98.17% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.40% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.16% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.34% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.93% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.62% of the population.

There were 1,395 households, out of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the community, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 36.2% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.4 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.

The median income for a household in the community was $55,186, and the median income for a family was $68,583. Males had a median income of $58,542 versus $28,811 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the community was $32,320.  About 0.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
*{{cite book |first1=Walter |last1=Romig |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |type=Paperback  |orig-date= 1973 |date=October 1, 1986 |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |isbn = 978-0-8143-1838-6 |location=Detroit, Michigan| pages=433, 449}}

{{St. Clair County, Michigan}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Unincorporated communities in St. Clair County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in Michigan]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Michigan]]
[[Category:Census-designated places in St. Clair County, Michigan]]
[[Category:Michigan populated places on the St. Clair River]]
[[Category:Michigan populated places on Lake St. Clair]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1796]]