Benton, Michigan

Charter township in Berrien County · population 14,374 (2020 Census)

Median home: $148,700
Household income: $38,688
Jan low / Jul high: 20° / 82°
Snow a year: 78 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 14
Median age: 35.7

Benton is a charter township of 14,374 people in Berrien County, Michigan. The median home is worth $148,700, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more vibrant than 84% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 83% of Michigan towns, better transit than 81% of Michigan towns.

How Benton ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Benton is worth $148,700, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.8 times the median household income of $38,688, which is more affordable than 11% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $892 a month. 56.5% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Benton	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$148,700	$193,900
Median rent	$892	$955
Median household income	$38,688	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	3.8×	2.8×
Homeownership	56.5%	86.8%
Median year built	1964	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.5%	—

Who lives in Benton

People	Benton	Typical Michigan town
Median age	35.7	43.7
Age 65 and over	15.6%	20.7%
Under 18	26.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.8%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	33.1%	10.4%
Veterans	5.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.9%	—
Work from home	6.3%	9.1%
Average commute	18.3 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.6%	88.8%

Weather in Benton

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 20.3°F. About 35.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 77.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 127 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Benton Harbor Ap station (1.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Benton since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 5, 2010 about 8.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 24, 2010.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on July 2, 1997.

Severe weather in Berrien County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Berrien County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Berrien County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Berrien County

Berrien County had 60,626 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,009 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Benton itself the ACS puts it at 12.1%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Benton

Benton Heights, MI
1.1 mi · 3,652 people · home $97,700
Benton Harbor, MI
2.6 mi · 9,103 people · home $76,500
Fair Plain, MI
3.7 mi · 7,402 people · home $169,400
St. Joseph, MI
4.9 mi · 7,856 people · home $299,000
St. Joseph, MI
5.3 mi · 9,993 people · home $248,900
Hagar, MI
5.5 mi · 3,243 people · home $237,700
Bainbridge, MI
6.2 mi · 2,682 people · home $220,600
Royalton, MI
6.8 mi · 5,141 people · home $356,700

Benton questions

Is Benton, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Benton scores better for retirees than 2% of Michigan towns and quieter than 12%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.7).

How much does a house cost in Benton?

The median owner-occupied home in Benton is valued at $148,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $38,688, so homes cost about 3.8 times income. Median rent is $892 a month.

What is the weather like in Benton?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 20.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.0 inches of precipitation a year and 77.7 inches of snow.

Does Benton get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Benton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 5, 2010. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Benton's Census boundary (GEOID 2602107400). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.