The following is a list ofcensus-designated places in Michigan. According to the United States Census Bureau, the U.S. state of Michigan has 159 census-designated places used for statistical purposes at the 2010 census. In the state of Michigan, CDPs are also categorized as unincorporated communities and do not hold any legal autonomy as an incorporated municipality. Their boundaries and population counts are for statistical purposes only, and CDPs fall under the jurisdiction of the township or townships in which they are located. CDPs can span multiple townships and counties and be part of a civil township or charter township but cannot contain boundaries within incorporated municipalities, such as villages or cities. Boundaries for a CDP may change between a census. There are no minimum population requirements for an area to be designated as a CDP. The smallest CDP by population is Pilgrim with a population of 11. The smallest CDP by land area is Ponshewaing at. Forest Hills is the largest CDP in terms of both land and population with 25,867 residents and an area of.
Former census-designated places
In some cases, a census-designated place may cease to exist and not be reported on an upcoming census. This may be a result of deletion, reclassification, or if the CDP becomes absorbed into an incorporated municipality. For the 2010 census, the United States Census Bureau removed 13 CDPs from Michigan. Of those, 11 were classified as minor civil divisions that were already conterminous with an organized township and did not require dual designations. For the 2010 census, the U.S. Census Bureau removed the CDP designation for any MCD that was coextensive with a designated CDP. In Michigan, these remaining townships included Bloomfield, Canton, Carrollton, Clinton, Grosse Ile, Harrison, Plymouth, Redford, Shelby, Waterford, and West Bloomfield. These townships are no longer classified as CDPs, and there are no municipalities in the state that carry the CDP designation. The K.I. Sawyer CDP, which was listed as the "military K. I. Sawyer AFB CDP" in 2000, was also deleted, but a small portion of the deleted CDP was reorganized and renamed as the "civilian K. I. Sawyer CDP" for the 2010 census. The Greater Galesburg CDP is the only one to have been completely dissolved and not reported in any form from the 2000 census to the 2010 census.
Current list
The following table lists all the census-designated places in Michigan according to data from the 2010 census. All information comes from 2010 census data, as well as listing population changes from the 2000 census. In the 2000 census, the state contained 98 CDPs. Of those listings, 12 were completely removed for the 2010 census, and 73 new census-designated places were created for a total of 159. Newly designated CDPs will be listed as having a population of zero at the 2000 census since they did not exist at the time. In the cases where a CDP spans multiple townships or counties, the township and county listed first contains the largest land area for the CDP. Three CDPs also serve as a county seat: Atlanta, Eagle River, and Mio. Being designated as a county seat, however, does not give any legal authority or autonomy to the CDP and is merely the location of the county's seat of government.
