Van Buren County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Van Buren County, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 71% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,795 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 69.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.10% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.5 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 30,622 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Van Buren County declined by 2.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 75,795 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Van Buren County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.9% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,719 19.4% -1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,699 19.4% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,843 20.9% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,207 20.1% +1.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Van Buren County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.9% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Van Buren County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Van Buren County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,304 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.76% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Van Buren County is about 6% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $177,987 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $870 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 80.6% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Van Buren County is about 17.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $870 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Van Buren County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 186 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.3 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.6 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 186 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,760 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,326 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,249 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Michigan:
Luce County (11.4 min), Dickinson County (12.2 min), Schoolcraft County (12.5 min).
Slowest:
Lapeer County (31.3 min), Lake County (31.1 min), Livingston County (28.6 min).
The average commute time in Van Buren County is 22 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Van Buren County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.4), Oakland County (0.4), Leelanau County (0.4).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.2), Oscoda County (0.2), Kalkaska County (0.2).
Health
Van Buren County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Van Buren County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.1% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.8), Ottawa County (0.8), Livingston County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clare County (0.8), Oscoda County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Van Buren County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Van Buren County, MI is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 75,795 residents against a local median of 153,288. Van Buren County, MI's commute, at 22.3 min, runs 20% above the 18.6 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 4.8 min on commute, so Van Buren County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Van Buren County, MI has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County, MI | 75,795 | $68,304 #4/6 | $177,987 #3/6 | 22.3 min #6/6 |
| Allegan County, MI | 121,456 | $83,773 | $166,666 | 22.2 min |
| Berrien County, MI | 153,288 | $65,853 | $278,301 | 17.4 min |
| Cass County, MI | 51,520 | $70,806 | $113,846 | 22.1 min |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 273,015 | $66,946 | $121,815 | 18.6 min |
| Ottawa County, MI | 301,203 | $90,732 | $259,210 | 18.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Van Buren County, Michigan.
What is the population of Van Buren County, Michigan?
About 75,795 people live in Van Buren County, Michigan, in 30,622 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Van Buren County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Van Buren County, Michigan has 70 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Van Buren County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($177,987 against $68,304), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $870 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Van Buren County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Van Buren County, Michigan is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Van Buren County, Michigan?
20.5% of adults in Van Buren County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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