Benzie County, MI

County

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2024 Population

18,310

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

50.8

0.395% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

9.66%

5.09% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$74,834

3.07% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$285,700

12.3% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

8,146

1.26% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Benzie County, 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.

99.4% of the residents in Benzie County, MI are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Benzie County, MI was $285,700, and the homeownership rate was 87.8%.

Most people in Benzie County, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Benzie County, MI was 2 cars per household.

Benzie County, MI borders Grand Traverse County, MI, Leelanau County, MI, Manistee County, MI, Wexford County, MI, Door County, WI, and Kewaunee County, WI.

United States Michigan Traverse City, MI

Population & Diversity

Benzie County, MI is home to a population of 18.3k people, from which 99.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.39% of Benzie County, MI residents were born outside of the country (254 people).

In 2024, there were 43.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.7k people) in Benzie County, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 383 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 199 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.4%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.4% of Benzie County, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Benzie County, MI was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Benzie County, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
16.7k ± 170
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
383 ± 64
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
199 ± 128

2.5%

Hispanic Population

457 people

2.5% of the people in Benzie County, MI are hispanic (457 people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
80,580 ± 6,941 people
India
77,204 ± 6,795 people
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.

Foreign-Born Population

1.39%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

254 people

1.34%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

244 people

As of 2024, 1.39% of Benzie County, MI residents (254 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 Benzie County, MI was 1.34%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
591 ± 94
Gulf War (2001-)
225 ± 71
Gulf War (1990s)
215 ± 69

Benzie County, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.63 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Benzie County, MI.

Economy

The economy of Benzie County, MI employs 8.15k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Benzie County, MI were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,223 people), Retail Trade (1,035 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (735 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($116,094), Wholesale Trade ($71,691), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($66,563).

Employment

Occupations

8.15k

2024 Value

± 437

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 7.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benzie County, MI grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 8.05k employees to 8.15k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benzie County, MI, are Management Occupations (952 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (925 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (780 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Benzie County, MI.

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.

Industries

Employment by Industries

8.15k

2024 Value

± 437

1.26%

1 Year growth

± 7.57%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Benzie County, MI grew at a rate of 1.26%, from 8.05k employees to 8.15k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benzie County, MI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,223 people), Retail Trade (1,035 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (735 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Benzie County, MI, though some of these residents may live in Benzie County, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$47,917

Median earning men ± $4,354

$35,923

Median earning women ± $2,069

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($75,306), Wholesale Trade ($72,609), and Manufacturing ($64,844).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Wholesale Trade ($59,750), Construction ($52,813), and Public Administration ($44,778).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

79
Construction
34
Other Services (except Public Administration)
33
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$34.6k
Accommodation and Food Services
$26.1k
Construction
$19.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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 Benzie County, 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Benzie County, MI was $285,700 in 2024, which is 0.859 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $254,400 to $285,700, a 12.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Benzie County, MI is 87.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Benzie County, MI have an average commute time of 24.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Benzie County, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.45%.

Housing

Property

$285,700

Median Property Value 2024

±$12,025

$6,764

Median Property Taxes

±$369

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 Benzie County, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

87.8%

Homeownership

2024

65.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 87.8% of the housing units in Benzie County, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 87.8%.

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

Equity

Household Income

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

$74,834

Median Household Income

± $3,104

7.71k

Number of Households

± 394

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.71k households in Benzie County, MI grew to $74,834 from the previous year's value of $72,603.

The following chart displays the households in Benzie County, 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Benzie County, 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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.6%)
Worked At Home (11.1%)
Carpooled (9.05%)

In 2024, 76.6% of workers in Benzie County, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.1%) and those who carpooled to work (9.05%).

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

24.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benzie County, MI have a shorter commute time (24.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.47% of the workforce in Benzie County, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Benzie County, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Benzie County, MI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.1% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.45%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

9.66% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benzie County, MI (1.74k out of 18k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Benzie County, MI is White, followed by Hispanic 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 14.1% of the children was living in poverty in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 6.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 126 in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 8.14 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

94.4% of the population of Benzie County, MI has health coverage, with 40.6% on employee plans, 13.1% on Medicaid, 22.8% on Medicare, 16.6% on non-group plans, and 1.32% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Benzie County, MI see 1,657 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,657 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1663 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 559 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,657 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Benzie County, MI

Primary care physicians in Benzie County, MI see an average of 1,657 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,657 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18% under 18 years, 15.3% between 18 and 34 years, 38.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.4% were men and 49.6% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.55%

Uninsured

40.6%

Employer Coverage

13.1%

Medicaid

22.8%

Medicare

16.6%

Non-Group

1.32%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benzie County, MI declined by 18% from 6.77% to 5.55%.

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