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Big small town

Living in Benton Harbor, MI

Benton Harbor is a big small town of 8,953 people in Berrien County, Michigan. It's about 22 miles from Niles, MI and 66 miles from Chicago, IL, the nearest major city. Summer highs average 82°F and winter highs 33°F, with about 78 inches of snow a year. The typical home is valued around $77k and rent runs about $851 a month.

8,953people
$77kTypical home
$851/moRent
82° / 33°Summer / winter
78"Snow
122Sunny days
135Rain/snow days

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Size & setting

  • Big small town of 8,953
  • Part of a metro area
  • About 2,040 people per sq mi
  • 66 mi to Chicago, IL
  • 22 mi to Niles, MI
  • 22 mi to the nearest town of 10k+

Money

  • Typical home $77k (≈$482/mo)
  • Median rent $851/mo
  • Median household income $31k
  • Property tax about 1.2% of value
  • 21.0% unemployment

Weather

  • Summer highs around 82°F
  • Winter highs around 33°F
  • Somewhat humid summers (dew point 62°F)
  • 122 sunny days a year (19 totally clear)
  • 243 cloudy days a year
  • 73 of 90 winter days are gray
  • 135 days a year with rain or snow
  • 78" of snow a year
  • 26 days a year with 1"+ of snow
  • Rarely hits 100°F
  • 15 nights a year below 10°F
  • Windier than most places

Safety

  • High violent crime (1770 per 100k)
  • Above-average property crime (2,428 per 100k)

People

  • Median age 33
  • 46% of households have kids
  • 11% are 65 or older
  • 9% have a college degree
  • Mixed community
  • 3% of residents are college students

Getting around & homes

  • Average commute 19 min
  • 4% walk or take transit to work
  • 29 mi to SBN airport
  • 71 mi to MDW (major hub)
  • 2 mi to the nearest Amtrak station
  • 74% single-family homes
  • Typical home built around 1956
  • 79% of homes have broadband

Outdoors

  • Flat, open land
  • Elevation 630 ft
  • 540 mi to the ocean
  • 3 mi to a big lake
  • 3 mi to the nearest trailhead
  • 34 mi to the nearest ski area
  • 11 mi to the nearest campground
  • 23 golf courses within 25 mi

Things to do

  • 159 sit-down restaurants within 25 mi
  • 10 bars within 25 mi
  • 17 coffee shops within 25 mi
  • No music venues & clubs within 25 mi
  • 26 museums within 25 mi
  • 3 breweries & distilleries within 25 mi
  • 13 mi to the nearest farmers market

Everyday

  • Schools in the bottom 38% of Michigan districts (reading)
  • 2 mi to the nearest grocery store
  • 4 mi to the nearest ER hospital
  • 4 mi to a 4–5★ hospital
  • 29 mi to the nearest vet
  • 2 mi to the nearest dog park
  • 8 congregations per 10k people
  • 11 mi to the nearest college

Politics

  • Berrien County: R+8 in 2024
  • Michigan: Purple — split almost evenly

Natural hazards

  • Very low hurricane risk
  • High tornado risk
  • Very low wildfire risk
  • Very low earthquake risk
  • Low flood risk
  • Very low drought risk
  • High winter storm risk
  • Low heat wave risk
  • Very low volcano risk

Places near Benton Harbor

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