Benzie County, Michigan
Located in Michigan, Benzie County has a population of 18,310 residents and a median age of 50.8 years, making it the #1,976 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.7%. The median home value is $285,700, and the median household income is $74,834, which is 0% below the national median.
Demographics
Benzie County has a population of 18,310, making it the #1,976 most populous county in the US. The median age is 50.8 years, which is 30.6% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Benzie County is $74,834, ranking #852 out of 3,222 counties — 0.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 9.7% and unemployment stands at 3.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Benzie County is $285,700 (+1.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,026/mo and the homeownership rate is 87.8%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Benzie County, 36.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 9.4% above the national average, ranking #383 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Benzie County is 77.1 years. 14.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.8% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.9% of adults in Benzie County smoke , 35.0% are obese , and 22.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 18.9 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.4 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
14.1% of children in Benzie County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Benzie County is 85.1%. The mean commute time is 26.5 min, which is 3.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Benzie County voted Republican with a margin of 8.7%. The vote was 45% Dem / 53.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +0.4 toward Democrats .
Vote Share Over Time
About Benzie County, Michigan
Benzie County, Michigan has a total population of 18,310, making it the 1,976th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Benzie County is 50.8 years, which is 30.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Benzie County is $74,834, which ranks #852 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 0.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.1%.
The median home value in Benzie County is $285,700, 1.3% above the national median. Renters in Benzie County pay a median gross rent of $1,026 per month. The homeownership rate is 87.8%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Benzie County, 36.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.4% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.5 min.
Benzie County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.5%).
All data for Benzie County, Michigan comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.