Benton Harbor, MI

Census Place

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2023 Population

9,023

0.857% 1-year decline

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

33.2

1.19% 1-year decrease

2023 Poverty Rate

41.9%

5.11% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$29,652

11.5% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$75,500

17.8% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

3,272

5.54% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Benton Harbor, MI had a population of 9.02k people with a median age of 33.2 and a median household income of $29,652. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Benton Harbor, MI declined from 9,101 to 9,023, a −0.857% decrease and its median household income grew from $26,592 to $29,652, a 11.5% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Benton Harbor, MI are Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (80.2%), White (Non-Hispanic) (9.28%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.67%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2.21%), and Other (Hispanic) (2.02%).

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.

99.2% of the residents in Benton Harbor, MI are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Benton Harbor, MI was $75,500, and the homeownership rate was 36.5%.

Most people in Benton Harbor, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 18.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Benton Harbor, MI was 1 car per household.

United States Michigan Berrien County, MI Niles-Benton Harbor, MI Berrien County PUMA, MI

Population & Diversity

Benton Harbor, MI is home to a population of 9.02k people, from which 99.2% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.06% of Benton Harbor, MI residents were born outside of the country (96 people).

In 2023, there were 8.64 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.23k people) in Benton Harbor, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 837 White (Non-Hispanic) and 331 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.2%

2023 Citizenship

99.6%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.2% of Benton Harbor, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Benton Harbor, MI was 99.6%, 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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benton Harbor, MI

Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
7.23k ± 477
White (Non-Hispanic)
837 ± 327
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
331 ± 252

5.52%

Hispanic Population

498 people

5.52% of the people in Benton Harbor, MI are hispanic (498 people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Benton Harbor, MI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
79,402 ± 6,891 people
India
76,527 ± 6,766 people
Iraq
57,451 ± 5,868 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 79,402 Michigan residents, followed by India with 76,527 and Iraq with 57,451.

Foreign-Born Population

1.06%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

96 people

0.648%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

59 people

As of 2023, 1.06% of Benton Harbor, MI residents (96 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Benton Harbor, MI was 0.648%, 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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (1990s)
108 ± 120
Gulf War (2001-)
18 ± 31
Vietnam
5 ± 23

Benton Harbor, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (1990s), 6 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Benton Harbor, MI employs 3.27k people. The largest industries in Benton Harbor, MI are Health Care & Social Assistance (721 people), Manufacturing (542 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (459 people), and the highest paying industries are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($60,875), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($60,875), and Public Administration ($39,856).

Males in Michigan have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $58,244. The income inequality in Michigan (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

3.27k

2023 Value

± 467

−5.54%

1 Year decline

± 21.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton Harbor, MI declined at a rate of −5.54%, from 3.46k employees to 3.27k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benton Harbor, MI, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (569 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (463 people), and Production Occupations (358 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benton Harbor, MI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

3.27k

2023 Value

± 467

−5.54%

1 Year decline

± 21.3%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benton Harbor, MI declined at a rate of −5.54%, from 3.46k employees to 3.27k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benton Harbor, MI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (721 people), Manufacturing (542 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (459 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.

Median Earnings by Industry

$31,233

Median earning men ± $6,164

$22,750

Median earning women ± $5,339

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($53,438), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($40,156), and Manufacturing ($38,896).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($188,322), Manufacturing ($57,321), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($33,816).

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.

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

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Benton Harbor, MI. Showing the available data for Michigan.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.3%)
Democratic Party
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.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Michigan

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

Gary Peters

Senator from Michigan

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Elissa Slotkin

Senator from Michigan

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.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Michigan

Michigan is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Michigan have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.784% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.801% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (2.31M), Some college (1.92M), and Bachelors Degree (1.42M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Benton Harbor, MI was $75,500 in 2023, which is 0.249 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $64,100 to $75,500, a 17.8% increase. The homeownership rate in Benton Harbor, MI is 36.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Benton Harbor, MI have an average commute time of 18.3 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.

Median household income in Benton Harbor, MI is $29,652. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Benton Harbor, MI was Census Tract 25 with a value of $52,796, followed by Census Tract 5 and Census Tract 4, with respective values of $39,667 and $19,183.

Housing

Property

$75,500

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,481

$1,364

Median Property Taxes

±$304

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 - $1,499 range.

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

Rent vs Own

36.5%

Homeownership

2023

63.7%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 36.5% of the housing units in Benton Harbor, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 36.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 25
Census Tract 5
Census Tract 4

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Benton Harbor, MI was Census Tract 25 with a value of $52,796, followed by Census Tract 5 and Census Tract 4, with respective values of $39,667 and $19,183.

The following map shows all of the places in Benton Harbor, MI colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$29,652

Median Household Income

± $5,080

3.74k

Number of Households

± 520

In 2023, the median household income of the 3.74k households in Benton Harbor, MI grew to $29,652 from the previous year's value of $26,592.

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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Benton Harbor, MI is from Michigan.

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Michigan

0.468

2021 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2022, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.473% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (76.2%)
Carpooled (11.2%)
Worked At Home (7.64%)

In 2023, 76.2% of workers in Benton Harbor, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.2%) and those who worked at home (7.64%).

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.

Commute Time

18.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benton Harbor, MI have a shorter commute time (18.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.07% 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.

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.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

41.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benton Harbor, MI (3.75k out of 8.95k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 6 - 11 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 White and Two Or More.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.5% of the population of Benton Harbor, MI has health coverage, with 19.1% on employee plans, 61% on Medicaid, 5.69% on Medicare, 8.31% on non-group plans, and 0.435% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Berrien County, MI see 1234 patients per year on average, which represents a 2.68% decrease from the previous year (1268 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1720 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 359 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Berrien County, MI.

1,234 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Berrien County, MI

Primary care physicians in Berrien County, MI see an average of 1,234 patients per year. This represents a 2.68% decrease from the previous year (1,268 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Berrien County, MI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 30% under 18 years, 21.6% between 18 and 34 years, 39.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 8.57% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 45% were men and 55% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.49%

Uninsured

19.1%

Employer Coverage

61%

Medicaid

5.69%

Medicare

8.31%

Non-Group

0.435%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benton Harbor, MI declined by 26.3% from 7.45% to 5.49%.

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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