Benzie County, MI

County

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2023 Population

18,177

0.659% 1-year growth

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

50.6

0.397% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

10.2%

2.59% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$72,603

1.79% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$254,400

4.43% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

8,045

0.199% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Benzie County, MI had a population of 18.2k people with a median age of 50.6 and a median household income of $72,603. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Benzie County, MI grew from 18,058 to 18,177, a 0.659% increase and its median household income grew from $71,327 to $72,603, a 1.79% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Benzie County, MI are White (Non-Hispanic) (91.6%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.08%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (1.25%), Other (Non-Hispanic) (0.836%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (0.627%).

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.

99.5% of the residents in Benzie County, MI are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Benzie County, MI was $254,400, and the homeownership rate was 87.8%.

Most people in Benzie County, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 24.8 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 18.2k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2023, 1.34% of Benzie County, MI residents were born outside of the country (244 people).

In 2023, there were 29.8 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (16.7k people) in Benzie County, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 559 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 228 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

99.3%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 99.5% of Benzie County, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Benzie County, MI was 99.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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 ± 198
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
559 ± 165
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
228 ± 56

2.42%

Hispanic Population

440 people

2.42% of the people in Benzie County, MI are hispanic (440 people).

The following chart shows the 7 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
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

1.34%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

244 people

1.66%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

299 people

As of 2023, 1.34% of Benzie County, MI residents (244 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 Benzie County, MI was 1.66%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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
598 ± 102
Gulf War (1990s)
220 ± 73
Gulf War (2001-)
201 ± 70

Benzie County, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.72 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Benzie County, MI employs 8.05k people. The largest industries in Benzie County, MI are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,275 people), Retail Trade (1,058 people), and Manufacturing (755 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($112,917), Wholesale Trade ($62,765), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($58,482).

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

8.05k

2023 Value

± 440

0.199%

1 Year growth

± 7.83%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benzie County, MI grew at a rate of 0.199%, from 8.03k employees to 8.05k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Benzie County, MI, are Management Occupations (955 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (908 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (738 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 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

8.05k

2023 Value

± 440

0.199%

1 Year growth

± 7.83%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Benzie County, MI grew at a rate of 0.199%, from 8.03k employees to 8.05k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Benzie County, MI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,275 people), Retail Trade (1,058 people), and Manufacturing (755 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

$44,748

Median earning men ± $3,495

$33,714

Median earning women ± $2,714

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Information ($87,750), Wholesale Trade ($64,567), and Public Administration ($62,750).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($44,159), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($42,926), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,679).

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.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or 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 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Benzie County, MI went to Donald J. Trump with 53.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.7%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.04%).

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

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (53.8%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (44.7%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.04%)
Libertarian Party

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Benzie County, MI for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

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 Benzie County, MI was $254,400 in 2023, which is 0.838 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $243,600 to $254,400, a 4.43% increase. The homeownership rate in Benzie County, MI is 87.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Benzie County, MI have an average commute time of 24.8 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.

Median household income in Benzie County, MI is $72,603. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Benzie County, MI was Census Tract 2 with a value of $74,878, followed by Census Tract 3 and Census Tract 4, with respective values of $68,750 and $66,793.

In 2023, 12.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.06%.

Housing

Property

$254,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$9,372

$6,557

Median Property Taxes

±$349

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 $800 - $1,499 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

2023

64.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 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 88.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Benzie County, 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 2
Census Tract 3
Census Tract 4

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Benzie County, MI was Census Tract 2 with a value of $74,878, followed by Census Tract 3 and Census Tract 4, with respective values of $68,750 and $66,793.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Benzie County, 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.

$72,603

Median Household Income

± $3,700

7.47k

Number of Households

± 381

In 2023, the median household income of the 7.47k households in Benzie County, MI grew to $72,603 from the previous year's value of $71,327.

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.

0.466

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 (78.4%)
Worked At Home (10.5%)
Carpooled (8.42%)

In 2023, 78.4% of workers in Benzie County, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.5%) and those who carpooled to work (8.42%).

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

24.8 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Benzie County, MI have a shorter commute time (24.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.58% 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 2023, 12.4% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.06%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Benzie County, MI (1.82k out of 17.9k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Males 45 - 54.

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

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 2023, 14.1% of the children was living in poverty in Benzie County, MI. From 2014 to 2023, 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.

Health

93.2% of the population of Benzie County, MI has health coverage, with 40.9% on employee plans, 13.1% on Medicaid, 21.8% on Medicare, 16.2% on non-group plans, and 1.26% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Benzie County, MI see 1785 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.45% increase from the previous year (1777 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1657 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 588 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,785 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Benzie County, MI

Primary care physicians in Benzie County, MI see an average of 1,785 patients per year. This represents a 0.45% increase from the previous year (1,777 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.1% under 18 years, 15.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.9% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.77%

Uninsured

40.9%

Employer Coverage

13.1%

Medicaid

21.8%

Medicare

16.2%

Non-Group

1.26%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Benzie County, MI grew by 1.24% from 6.69% to 6.77%.

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.