Recorded births doubled in 2023

For the first time in recent history, births were the only vital statistic which increased from 2022 to 2023 in Leelanau County.

According to the county clerk’s office, which is the register of county vital statistics, the total number of births, marriages, divorces and deaths recorded in 2023 was 458, down 3.5% from the previous year. This was fueled by a drop in three of four categories: marriages, divorces and deaths.

The largest drop, percentwise was in divorces which fell from 56 in 2022 to 50 last year. The highest number of divorces was in 1999, when 105 were counted. The lowest number of court-approved marriage splits in the county was 35 in 1984.