Rochester Hills, Michigan

Rochester Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States, in the northern outskirts of. As of the, the city had a population of 70,995. The main branch of the Rouge River rises in Rochester Hills in Oakland County.

Communities

 * Stoney Creek is a non-census designated village on the northeast end of the city on the border with Rochester.
 * Yates is on the boundary with Rochester and Shelby Township, Oakland County (42.67361°N, -83.09583°W); Elevation: 669 ft./204 m.).

History
Prior to European settlement, the area now known as Rochester Hills was inhabited by Native Americans, namely the. The Potawatomi depended on the area's abundant water sources, such as the and, to grow crops, fish, and travel.. They resided here until the 1807 Treaty of Detroit caused them, along with the, , and peoples, to cede their land in Southeast Michigan.

The first European settler was James Graham who arrived in 1817. Graham and his family reached the area by following trails created by the. Avon Township was organized in 1835. Rochester incorporated as a village within the township in 1869. The township adopted a charter in 1948 under the Home Rule Act. Also in 1948 a post office was established under the name of Brooklands for the area between Auburn Road and Hamlin Road just to the west of Dequindre Road.

In 1966, village residents voted to become the City of Rochester, effective in February 1967. As a result, Rochester residents no longer had to pay property taxes to the township, as it was now a separate municipality.

In 1967, Avon Township filed a petition to become a city. In January 1968, township voters approved the petition to move forward with seeking city status. Three proposed city charters were voted down by residents, the first in March 1969, the second in May 1970, and the third in September 1971. The city of Rochester then sought to annex all of the township, which was unanimously denied by the Michigan Boundary Commission. In 1972, petitions were filed to consolidate Avon Township and Rochester. In April 1974, the consolidation petition lost by 350 votes in the township, while passing by four votes in Rochester. In May 1974, Rochester's petition to annex 2.2 sqmi of Avon Township was approved by the Michigan Boundary Commission. The township became Avon Charter Township in August 1978. Court challenges to the 1974 annexation continued until November 1981, when the township was ordered to surrender the annexed property.

In May 1984, township voters approved a city charter. On November 20, 1984, Avon Township became the City of Rochester Hills. The name of the new city was put to a vote, with the other choice being "Avon Hills". The name "Rochester Hills" won by a landslide with voters, based on the area's historical ties to Rochester and the rolling hills that abound in the area. Township Supervisor Earl E. Borden became Rochester Hills' first mayor.

Geography
Rochester Hills is bordered to the north by Oakland Charter Township, to the south by the city of Troy, to the east by Shelby Township in Macomb County, and to the west by the city of Auburn Hills. Rochester Hills is also partially bordered by the city of Rochester to the east. According to the, the city has a total area of 32.91 sqmi, of which 32.82 sqmi is land and 0.09 sqmi is water. Elevations in the city range from 690 ft above sea level in the southeastern portion of the city to 1,010 ft in the northwestern section.

Demographics
As of the of 2010, there were 70,995 people, 27,578 households, and 19,308 families residing in the city. The was 2163.2 PD/sqmi. There were 29,494 housing units at an average density of 898.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 89.1% White, 2.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 27,578 households of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.08.

The median age in the city was 40.9 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.8% 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 Rochester Hills increased to almost 10% of the community's population, a 61% increase from the 2000 figure.