Berrien County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Berrien County, Michigan has a population of 153,288, the 16th most populous county in Michigan. The median household income is $65,425 and the median home value is $224,300. The poverty rate is 15.1%.

Berrien County Quick Facts

Population 153,288

Median Household Income $65,42590% MOE ±$1,108

Median Home Value $224,30090% MOE ±$3,751

Poverty Rate 15.1%90% MOE ±1.2 pts

Unemployment Rate 6.2%90% MOE ±1.0 pts

Median Age 42.7 years90% MOE ±0.2 years

Homeownership Rate 72.8%90% MOE ±1.2 pts

Affordability Ratio 3.4x

Bachelor's Degree+ 30.9%90% MOE ±1.0 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 92.3%

Cities/Places 24

Population 153,288 16th of 83

Median Income $65,425 10% lower than state

Poverty Rate 15.1%

Unemployment 6.2%

How Berrien County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	154,133	153,288	-0.5%
Median household income	$62,514	$65,425	+4.7%
Median home value¹	$185,468	$224,300	+20.9%
Median gross rent	$914	$942	No clear change (+3.0%)

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Berrien

$65,425

$72,875

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Berrien

$224,300

$231,600

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 18.9%

$25K-$50K 20.6%

$50K-$100K 29.1%

$100K+ 31.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

5.5%

$10K-$15K

5.1%

$15K-$20K

4.0%

$20K-$25K

4.3%

$25K-$30K

3.8%

$30K-$35K

4.6%

$35K-$40K

4.8%

$40K-$45K

4.0%

$45K-$50K

3.4%

$50K-$60K

6.3%

$60K-$75K

10.7%

$75K-$100K

12.1%

$100K-$125K

9.2%

$125K-$150K

6.6%

$150K-$200K

7.3%

$200K+

8.2%

Employment

6.2% Unemployment Rate State: 5.7%|National: 5.2%

59.9% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 72.8%

Renter 27.2%

Affordability Index Affordable

3.4x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $942/mo 17.3% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

21.3%

18-34

19.5%

35-54

23.7%

55-74

26.8%

75+

8.7%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 45 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Berrien County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Niles	11,803	$51,376	17.8%	$135,100
Benton Harbor	8,953	$31,117	40.1%	$76,500
St. Joseph	7,986	$84,057	7.3%	$299,000
Fair Plain	7,330	$52,817	26.6%	$169,400
Buchanan	4,223	$56,163	7.1%	$154,300
Paw Paw Lake	3,889	$67,674	17.8%	$191,700
Benton Heights	3,078	$33,542	39.5%	$97,700
Watervliet	2,156	$61,167	15.9%	$137,500
Bridgman	2,077	$66,603	14.5%	$238,400
Berrien Springs	2,018	$65,134	13.4%	$159,900
Three Oaks	1,503	$66,985	9.1%	$215,700
Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert	1,459	$83,204	5.7%	$343,000
New Buffalo	1,338	$64,702	12.7%	$391,200
Shoreham	1,100	$113,750	2.5%	$304,800
Stevensville	1,095	$64,125	7.5%	$191,200
Coloma	1,074	$68,889	7.4%	$177,100
Baroda	859	$65,750	6.5%	$158,800
Lake Michigan Beach	823	$56,809	8.0%	$255,800
Eau Claire	576	$72,619	15.4%	$115,600
Millburg	568	$62,976	20.4%	$136,500
Galien	470	$45,221	21.5%	$138,100
New Troy	413	$56,776	34.2%	$167,600
Grand Beach	353	$83,750	4.8%	$1,110,300
Michiana	291	$167,500	4.8%	$790,000

Explore Michigan Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Berrien County is located in Michigan with a total population of 153,288. It is the 16th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 24 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Berrien County is 42.7 years. This is 6% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Berrien County is $65,425. This is 10% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 19% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.1%. This is 14% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 6.2%. This is 8% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $224,300. Housing costs are 3% lower than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 72.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Berrien County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 72.7% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 13.1%.

Education

30.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 5% lower than the state rate of 32.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 92.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Berrien County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Michigan and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Berrien County, Michigan?

Berrien County has a population of 153,288, making it the 16th most populous county in Michigan.

What is the median income in Berrien County?

The median household income in Berrien County is $65,425 with a poverty rate of 15.1%.

How many cities are in Berrien County, Michigan?

Berrien County contains 24 Census-designated places.