Benzonia, Michigan

Township in Benzie County · population 2,734 (2020 Census)

Median home: $327,000
Household income: $72,500
Jan low / Jul high: 19° / 77°
Snow a year: 93 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 3
Median age: 58.6

Benzonia is a township of 2,734 people in Benzie County, Michigan. The median home is worth $327,000, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 94% of Michigan towns, better transit than 92% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 91% of Michigan towns.

Benzonia in our rankings:

How Benzonia 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 Benzonia is worth $327,000, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $72,500, which is more affordable than 4% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $839 a month. 90.4% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Benzonia	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$327,000	$193,900
Median rent	$839	$955
Median household income	$72,500	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	4.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	90.4%	86.8%
Median year built	1976	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	36.7%	—

Who lives in Benzonia

People	Benzonia	Typical Michigan town
Median age	58.6	43.7
Age 65 and over	37.7%	20.7%
Under 18	12.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	39.3%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	15.5%	10.4%
Veterans	5.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.7%	—
Work from home	11.1%	9.1%
Average commute	18.0 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	94.7%	88.8%

Weather in Benzonia

July highs average 77.4°F and January lows 18.5°F. About 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 93.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 138 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 Frankfort 2Ne station (4.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Benzonia since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1956 about 9.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 24 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 15, 1989.

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 6 times; the largest was 3.25 inches on October 3, 2006.

Severe weather in Benzie County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Benzie County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Benzie County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
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
January 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Benzie County

Benzie County had 4,882 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,619 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Benzonia itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.

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 Benzonia

Almira, MI
12.6 mi · 3,873 people · home $284,600
Green Lake, MI
17.8 mi · 6,703 people · home $289,300
Long Lake, MI
18.4 mi · 9,956 people · home $410,600
Garfield, MI
24.1 mi · 19,499 people · home $316,200
Blair, MI
25.0 mi · 8,994 people · home $275,200
Elmwood, MI
25.3 mi · 4,892 people · home $436,400
Traverse City, MI
26.0 mi · 15,678 people · home $415,400
Manistee, MI
26.4 mi · 4,022 people · home $193,900

Benzonia questions

Is Benzonia, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Benzonia scores better for retirees than 91% of Michigan towns and quieter than 91%. 37.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 58.6).

How much does a house cost in Benzonia?

The median owner-occupied home in Benzonia is valued at $327,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,500, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $839 a month.

What is the weather like in Benzonia?

July highs average 77.4°F and January lows 18.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.3 inches of precipitation a year and 93.0 inches of snow.

Does Benzonia get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Benzonia since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Benzonia's Census boundary (GEOID 2601907600). 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.