Population 153,288 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Berrien County
Household size in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The average household in Berrien County has 2.41 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.48 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the southwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.8 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.0 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.5 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Berrien County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.3, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 40.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the southwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.6% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 12.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Berrien County as they are nationally: 12.2%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in Michigan overall (10.7%). Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.6 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Berrien County
Renters in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.1% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.3% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.2% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Berrien County rent their homes (27.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than four in ten owners (44.6%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the southwest.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Berrien County: 13.1% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 1.9 points, in line with the national trend.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1963 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Berrien County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The median year built has moved up from 1963 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $665 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $744 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $810 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,052 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$387 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Berrien County runs $1,052 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $387 a month since 2006–10, up 58%, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 31.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest are in the west.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Berrien County
Bachelor's degrees in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.5% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.2% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 30.8% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.4 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Berrien County than nationally: 30.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 7.4 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the center and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.6% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 89.3% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Berrien County have finished high school (92.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Michigan. The share with a diploma is up 5.7 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Berrien County
| Period | Berrien County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.7% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Berrien County: 6.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Berrien County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County | 2.41 | 43.3 | 12.2% | 27.2% | 13.1% | 1967 | $1,052 | 30.8% | 92.3% | 6.2% |
| Cass County | 2.41 | 45.2 | 9.8% | 18.4% | 14.6% | 1971 | $959 | 21.1% | 89.4% | 5.2% |
| St. Joseph County | 2.59 | 40.0 | 9.5% | 23.9% | 12.0% | 1969 | $867 | 16.6% | 86.5% | 5.8% |
| Cook County | 2.58 | 39.4 | 12.3% | 42.3% | 8.4% | 1961 | $1,567 | 41.7% | 88.1% | 7.4% |
| Branch County | 2.66 | 41.3 | 11.0% | 22.3% | 16.2% | 1965 | $971 | 16.8% | 88.0% | 5.7% |
| DuPage County | 2.69 | 41.3 | 8.0% | 26.9% | 5.6% | 1978 | $1,826 | 52.0% | 92.9% | 4.9% |
| Hillsdale County | 2.48 | 43.9 | 10.1% | 18.0% | 16.0% | 1967 | $884 | 21.3% | 90.9% | 4.5% |
| Kane County | 2.88 | 39.6 | 11.3% | 24.0% | 4.4% | 1981 | $1,711 | 37.9% | 87.3% | 4.7% |
| DeKalb County | 2.52 | 35.4 | 12.9% | 38.6% | 6.0% | 1978 | $1,183 | 33.1% | 91.6% | 7.1% |
| Lenawee County | 2.45 | 42.9 | 11.1% | 20.4% | 10.3% | 1966 | $1,014 | 22.8% | 91.3% | 4.6% |
| Ogle County | 2.48 | 42.7 | 9.6% | 24.6% | 9.1% | 1973 | $946 | 24.3% | 91.2% | 4.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Kings County, CA · Madera County, CA · Sandoval County, NM · Cumberland County, NJ · Penobscot County, ME · Coconino County, AZ · Mesa County, CO · Santa Fe County, NM · St. Clair County, MI · Merrimack County, NH
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Berrien County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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