Benton Harbor, MI

Census Place

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2024 Population
8,953
US Senator
Gary Peters
Democratic Party
US Senator
Elissa Slotkin
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
32.8
1.2% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
40.1%
4.35% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$31,117
4.94% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$76,500
1.32% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
3,116
4.77% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Benton Harbor, MI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.1% of the residents in Benton Harbor, MI are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Benton Harbor, MI was $76,500, and the homeownership rate was 36.7%.

Most people in Benton Harbor, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Benton Harbor, MI was 1 car per household.

United StatesMichiganBerrien County, MINiles-Benton Harbor, MIBerrien County PUMA, MI

Population & Diversity

Benton Harbor, MI is home to a population of 8.95k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.24% of Benton Harbor, MI residents were born outside of the country (111 people).

In 2024, there were 9.77 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.3k people) in Benton Harbor, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 747 White (Non-Hispanic) and 323 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%
2024 Citizenship
99.2%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Benton Harbor, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Benton Harbor, MI was 99.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Benton Harbor, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benton Harbor, MI
  1. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    7.3k ± 454
  2. White (Non-Hispanic)
    747 ± 252
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    323 ± 245
5.82%
Hispanic Population
521 people

In 2024, there were 9.77 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.3k people) in Benton Harbor, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 747 White (Non-Hispanic) and 323 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

5.82% of the people in Benton Harbor, MI are hispanic (521 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Benton Harbor, MI as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    80,580 ± 6,941 people
  2. India
    77,204 ± 6,795 people
  3. Iraq
    54,457 ± 5,714 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 80,580 Michigan residents, followed by India with 77,204 and Iraq with 54,457.

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Foreign-Born Population

1.24%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
111 people
1.06%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
96 people

As of 2024, 1.24% of Benton Harbor, MI residents (111 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Benton Harbor, MI was 1.06%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Benton Harbor, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Gulf War (1990s)
    130 ± 132
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    30 ± 37
  3. Vietnam
    12 ± 27

Benton Harbor, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 4.33 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Benton Harbor, MI.

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Economy

The economy of Benton Harbor, MI employs 3.12k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Benton Harbor, MI were Health Care & Social Assistance (679 people), Manufacturing (534 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (500 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($42,143), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($41,591), and Manufacturing ($38,519).

Employment

Occupations

3.12k
2024 Value
± 442
−4.77%
1 Year decline
± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benton Harbor, MI declined at a rate of −4.77%, from 3.27k employees to 3.12k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benton Harbor, MI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (536 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (509 people), and Production Occupations (380 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benton Harbor, MI.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Michigan (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

3.12k
2024 Value
± 442
−4.77%
1 Year decline
± 21.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benton Harbor, MI declined at a rate of −4.77%, from 3.27k employees to 3.12k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benton Harbor, MI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (679 people), Manufacturing (534 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (500 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Benton Harbor, MI, though some of these residents may live in Benton Harbor, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$34,740
Median earning men ± $4,906
$23,017
Median earning women ± $6,482

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($55,469), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($44,355), and Manufacturing ($38,932).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($193,171), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($37,857), and Manufacturing ($35,652).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
Y-Axis
2.16%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.37M people employed in Michigan. This represents a 2.16% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 23.6%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Michigan.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing the state of Michigan. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Michigan is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Benton Harbor, MI. Showing the available data for Michigan.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (49.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (48.3%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.788%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Michigan for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Michigan

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
Gary Peters
Senator from Michigan2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Elissa Slotkin
Senator from Michigan1
Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing Michigan.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Michigan over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Benton Harbor, MI was $76,500 in 2024, which is 0.23 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $75,500 to $76,500, a 1.32% increase. The homeownership rate in Benton Harbor, MI is 36.7%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Benton Harbor, MI have an average commute time of 18.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Benton Harbor, MI is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$76,500
Median Property Value 2024
±$6,234
$1,329
Median Property Taxes
±$293

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Benton Harbor, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Benton Harbor, MI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

36.7%
Homeownership
2024
67.7%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 36.7% of the housing units in Benton Harbor, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 36.5%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Benton Harbor, MI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$31,117
Median Household Income
± $4,857
3.62k
Number of Households
± 526

In 2024, the median household income of the 3.62k households in Benton Harbor, MI grew to $31,117 from the previous year's value of $29,652.

The following chart displays the households in Benton Harbor, MI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Benton Harbor, MI is from Michigan.
0.462
2023 Wage GINI in Michigan
0.466
2022 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2023, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.92% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Michigan in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Michigan across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (79%)
  2. Carpooled (10%)
  3. Worked At Home (5.77%)

In 2024, 79% of workers in Benton Harbor, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10%) and those who worked at home (5.77%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

18.1 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benton Harbor, MI have a shorter commute time (18.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.6% of the workforce in Benton Harbor, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Benton Harbor, MI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

1 car
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Benton Harbor, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Benton Harbor, MI have 1 car.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

40.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benton Harbor, MI (3.55k out of 8.86k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 6 - 11, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Benton Harbor, MI is Black, followed by Two Or More and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Health

93.4% of the population of Benton Harbor, MI has health coverage, with 17.4% on employee plans, 60.6% on Medicaid, 6.41% on Medicare, 8.41% on non-group plans, and 0.629% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Michigan see 1,276 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,276 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1246 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 281 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 32.6% under 18 years, 19.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.9% were men and 55.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

6.57%
Uninsured
17.4%
Employer Coverage
60.6%
Medicaid
6.41%
Medicare
8.41%
Non-Group
0.629%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benton Harbor, MI grew by 19.6% from 5.49% to 6.57%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Benton Harbor, MI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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