Van Buren County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26159 Republican

Located in Michigan, Van Buren County has a population of 75,795 residents and a median age of 41.2 years, making it the #749 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.3%. The median home value is $206,500, and the median household income is $68,114, which is 9% below the national median.

75,795
Population
#749 of 3,222
$68,114
Median Income
-9.4% #1,331 of 3,222
41.2 years
Median Age
+5.9% #1,745 of 3,222
14.3%
Poverty Rate
+13.6% #1,818 of 3,222

Demographics

Van Buren County has a population of 75,795, making it the #749 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.4%
Native Born
4.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Van Buren County is $68,114, ranking #1,331 out of 3,222 counties — 9.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.3% and unemployment stands at 4.2%.

Income#1,331
$68,114
-9.4%
vs nation
59th percentile
Per Capita#1,589
$35,009
-15.2%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poverty#1,818
14.3%
+13.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Unemployment#1,421
4.2%
-21.4%
vs nation
56th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Van Buren County is $206,500 (-26.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $870/mo and the homeownership rate is 80.6%.

Home Value#1,338
$206,500
-26.7%
vs nation
58th percentile
Rent#1,609
$870
-25.2%
vs nation
50th percentile
Homeownership#541
80.6%
+25.1%
vs nation
83th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Van Buren County, 23.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 31.8% below the national average, ranking #1,502 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
23.0% −31.8% vs nation
Rank #1,502 of 3,222
53th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Van Buren County is 75.5 years. 20.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,437
75.5
+0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,900
20.3%
+3.8%
vs nation
40th percentile
Diabetes#1,313
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#939
35.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,316
6.0
+6.3%
vs nation
26th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,524
4.4
-1.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Uninsured Rate#917
7.3%
-30.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,805
27.1%
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,833
15.0%
+4.1%
vs nation
42th percentile

Substance Use

20.3% of adults in Van Buren County smoke , 39.5% are obese , and 20.7% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 28.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,354
20.3%
+13.0%
vs nation
25th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,910
39.5%
+4.2%
vs nation
39th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,862
20.7%
+4.1%
vs nation
41th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,091
28.7
-11.4%
vs nation
48th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Van Buren County is 3.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 15.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#261
3.0
-62.1%
vs nation
83th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,024
16.7
-15.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#450
10.6
-40.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,009
15.3
-24.3%
vs nation
64th percentile

Families & Children

18.3% of children in Van Buren County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#135
4.3
-37.1%
vs nation
90th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,533
20.5
-6.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Child Poverty#1,640
18.3%
-3.6%
vs nation
48th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Van Buren County is 70.2%. The mean commute time is 26.6 min, which is 3.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.6 min −3.5% vs nation
Rank #1,551 of 3,222
52th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Van Buren County voted Republican with a margin of 15.2%. The vote was 41.7% Dem / 56.9% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +15.2%
41.7% 56.9%
Dem 41,162 votes Rep
2020 REP +12.3%
43% 55.3%
Dem 39,066 votes Rep
2016 REP +14.0%
39.9% 53.9%
Dem 33,213 votes Rep
2012 DEM +0.5%
49.7% 49.2%
Dem 32,798 votes Rep
2008 DEM +8.8%
53.5% 44.7%
Dem 34,766 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Van Buren County, Michigan

Van Buren County, Michigan has a total population of 75,795, making it the 749th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Van Buren County is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Van Buren County is $68,114, which ranks #1,331 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%.

The median home value in Van Buren County is $206,500, 26.7% below the national median. Renters in Van Buren County pay a median gross rent of $870 per month. The homeownership rate is 80.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Van Buren County, 23.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 31.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.6 min.

Van Buren County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 78.2% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).

All data for Van Buren 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.