Housing data for Benton Harbor, MI
Benton Harbor, MI has an estimated 8,953 residents and 4,239 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Berrien County.
63.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $851 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−9.0%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 8,953 (±28)
- Housing units
- 4,239 (±258)
- Households that rent
- 63.3%
- Median gross rent
- $851
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −9.0%
What stands out in Benton Harbor
Households without a vehicle: 28.4% (±7.1 points) in Benton Harbor, higher than in Berrien County (8.0%).
Households that rent: 63.3% (±6.4 points) in Benton Harbor, higher than in Berrien County (27.2%).
Median home value: $76,500 (±$6,234) in Benton Harbor, lower than in Berrien County ($224,300).
Median real estate taxes: $911 (±$168) in Benton Harbor, lower than in Berrien County ($2,429).
- Commute and cars in Benton Harbor
- Renters and owners in Benton Harbor
- Home values in Benton Harbor
- Property taxes in Benton Harbor
Housing in Benton Harbor at a glance
- Median rent: $851 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $828 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 66.1% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 63.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $31,117 median household income
- Home values: $76,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $942 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $911 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 18.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.5% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 81.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 74.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 18.1 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −9.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.1% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Benton Harbor against Berrien County, its state and the nation
| Benton Harbor | Berrien County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,953 (±28) | 153,288 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,239 (±258) | 77,276 (±73) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 63.3% (±6.4 points) | 27.2% (±1.3 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $851 (±$111) | $942 (±$24) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $31,117 (±$4,857) | $65,425 (±$1,108) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $76,500 (±$6,234) | $224,300 (±$3,751) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $911 (±$168) | $2,429 (±$48) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 81.3% (±10.5 points) | 69.4% (±1.9 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 18.1 minutes (±3.3) | 21.2 minutes (±0.7) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 78.6% (±6.4 points) | 89.3% (±0.9 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 32.8 years (±4.5) | 42.7 years (±0.2) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Benton Harbor covers 4.4 square miles of land, about 2,040 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Benton Harbor has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 9,843 (±34) | 8,953 (±28) | −9.0% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 4,860 (±224) | 4,239 (±258) | −12.8% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $644 (±$42) | $851 (±$111) | +32.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $63,300 (±$8,686) | $76,500 (±$6,234) | +20.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $21,916 (±$3,128) | $31,117 (±$4,857) | +42.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $827 (±$36) | $942 (±$162) | +13.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $962 (±$132) | $911 (±$168) | −5.3% | Down after inflation |
| Households that rent | 63.4% (±4.4 points) | 63.3% (±6.4 points) | −0.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.1% (±1.3 points) | 3.9% (±2.2 points) | +2.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Berrien County
Benton Harbor has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Berrien County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Berrien County recorded 482 violent and 1,455 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Benton Harbor
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Heights | 1.8 mi | $612 | $97,700 | 51.8% |
| Fair Plain | 2.2 mi | $1,019 | $169,400 | 30.2% |
| St. Joseph | 2.3 mi | $1,081 | $299,000 | 42.0% |
| Benton Charter Township | 2.6 mi | $892 | $148,700 | 43.5% |
| St. Joseph Charter Township | 3.5 mi | $1,175 | $248,900 | 13.7% |
| Shoreham | 4.9 mi | $1,367 | $304,800 | 27.8% |
| Hagar Township | 6.6 mi | $886 | $237,700 | 23.3% |
| Royalton Township | 6.6 mi | $1,774 | $356,700 | 7.0% |
Places in Michigan most like Benton Harbor
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon Heights | $889 | $68,000 | $35,239 | 55.1% |
| Evart | $800 | $105,500 | $34,318 | 47.3% |
| Highland Park | $688 | $79,200 | $29,309 | 55.5% |
| Detroit | $1,074 | $83,900 | $39,938 | 49.7% |
| Grayling | $788 | $160,800 | $32,545 | 57.9% |
| Jackson | $898 | $103,200 | $44,558 | 45.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Benton Harbor, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $802 | $887 | $1,152 | $1,512 | $1,514 |
HUD income limits for Benton Harbor, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $19,400 | $32,300 | $51,650 |
| 2 people | $22,150 | $36,900 | $59,000 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $41,500 | $66,400 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $46,100 | $73,750 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $49,800 | $79,650 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $53,500 | $85,550 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $57,200 | $91,450 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $60,900 | $97,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Niles, MI MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $92,200.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Benton Harbor
What is the average rent in Benton Harbor, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Benton Harbor is $851 (±$111) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Benton Harbor?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Benton Harbor, MI is $444 (±$417) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Benton Harbor rent-burdened?
66.1% of renting households in Benton Harbor pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Benton Harbor?
Benton Harbor has an estimated 2,295 (±324) renting households, 63.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Benton Harbor?
The median household income in Benton Harbor is $31,117 (±$4,857) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Benton Harbor, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $76,500 (±$6,234) for owner-occupied homes in Benton Harbor (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Benton Harbor growing?
In Benton Harbor, the number of residents went from 9,843 in 2015–2019 to 8,953 in 2020–2024 (−9.0%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Benton Harbor city, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Niles, MI MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Niles, MI MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Benton Harbor city, Michigan (place:07520, in state:26).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .