Benzie County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Benzie County, Michigan has a population of 18,310 across 320 square miles, up 3.1 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $740.7 m in 2024, 474 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 25 7(a) approvals worth $5.1 m.
125 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Benzie County
How many people live in Benzie County
- Population18,310
- Households7,708
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$74,834
- Median age50.8
- Median gross rent$1,026 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$285,700
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher36.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over14,033
- Population under 183,094
- Share under 1816.9 percent
- Population 65 and over5,261
- Share 65 and over28.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 649,955
- Civilian labor force8,406
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.2 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties65th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1976th
Benzie County is the 65th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 28.7 percent against 16.9 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Benzie County
Is Benzie County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base3.08 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,967
- Births, 2024132
- Deaths, 2024222
- Natural change, 2024-90
- Net domestic migration, 2024117
- Net international migration, 202435
- Total net migration, 2024152
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024859
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents848th
The county has grown 3.08 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Benzie County
Where people moving to Benzie County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving657
- People arriving, from those returns1,153
- Adjusted gross income arriving$52.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$79,895
- Largest single originBenzie County Non-migrants (7,589 households)
- Largest single destination (7,589 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzie County Non-migrants | 7,589 | 14,354 | $580.3 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 184 | 305 | $14.9 m |
| Grand Traverse County | 172 | 303 | $8.8 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 158 | 289 | $19.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 59 | 111 | $5.4 m |
| Other flows - West | 53 | 97 | $4.3 m |
| Manistee County | 52 | 82 | $1.8 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 46 | 81 | $9.5 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Benzie County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Benzie County
What the Benzie County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$740.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$708.0 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.6 percent
- GDP change over five years45.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties65th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2087th
- GDP per resident$40,455
Output grew 4.6 percent in the latest year and 45.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Benzie County
Who employs people in Benzie County
- Covered employment, annual average4,882
- Establishments reporting483
- Average annual pay$45,619
- Average weekly wage$877
- Sector 72, employment1,225
- Sector 72, average annual pay$30,276
- Sector 44-45, employment600
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,992
- Sector 23, employment472
- Sector 23, average annual pay$62,547
- Sector 62, employment453
- Sector 62, average annual pay$64,805
- Sector 31-33, employment301
- Sector 52, employment199
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 72 | 1,225 | 64 | $30,276 |
| Sector 44-45 | 600 | 58 | $34,992 |
| Sector 23 | 472 | 83 | $62,547 |
| Sector 62 | 453 | 28 | $64,805 |
| Sector 31-33 | 301 | 19 | $57,311 |
| Sector 52 | 199 | 17 | $70,823 |
| Sector 81 | 158 | 40 | $30,059 |
| Sector 56 | 156 | 27 | $55,030 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 1,225 jobs, 25.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Benzie County
What businesses operate in Benzie County
- Establishments, all industries474
- Employment at those establishments3,659
- Annual payroll$161.1 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Benzie County
What is being built in Benzie County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024110
- Declared construction value permitted$34.9 m
- Single family units authorised110
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$317,643
- Units authorised per 1,000 households14.3
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Benzie County
How much SBA lending happens in Benzie County
- 7(a) approvals recorded25
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$5.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$203,180
- Median 7(a) approval$150,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$500,000
- Largest single approval$790,300
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)177
- Jobs per approval7.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active9
- Distinct industries receiving approvals17
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter21
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals8.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (4)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (12)
- 504 approvals recorded14
- 504 gross approval dollars$4.7 m
- Average 504 approval$333,714
- Median 504 approval$265,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval4.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.6
- Most active CDCGreat Lakes Commercial Finance (10)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals64.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.8 m
The average approval of $203,180 sits close to the median of $150,000, so lending here is fairly evenly sized rather than driven by a few large deals. Only 16.0 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benzie County
Do SBA loans in Benzie County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Exempt from disclosure18
- Status: Cancelled2
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benzie County
Which parts of Benzie County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending8
- Beulah, approvals7
- FRANKFORT, approvals5
- Lake Ann, approvals5
- THOMPSONVILLE, approvals3
- Midland, approvals2
- BENZONIA, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Beulah | 7 | $2,190,000 |
| FRANKFORT | 5 | $1,594,200 |
| Lake Ann | 5 | $343,000 |
| THOMPSONVILLE | 3 | $141,100 |
| Midland | 2 | $270,000 |
| BENZONIA | 1 | $20,000 |
| Honor | 1 | $365,000 |
| Pinconning | 1 | $156,200 |
Beulah accounts for 7 approvals against 5 in FRANKFORT. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Benzie County
How big is Benzie County
- Land area320 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties83rd of 83
- Width, east to west21.8 mi
- Height, north to south18.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land57
- Establishments per square mile1.48
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Benzie County
What hazards affect Benzie County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book7
- Of those, participating in the NFIP6
- NFIP participation rate85.7 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
The EPA places the county in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Benzie County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Benzie County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population18,310
- Households7,708
- Average household size2.38
- Median household income$74,834
- Median age50.8
Common questions
Benzie County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Benzie County, Michigan?
18,310, in 7,708 households, ranking 65th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Benzie County growing?
The population has grown 3.08 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 132 births against 222 deaths, with net migration of 152. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Benzie County?
$74,834. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $285,700, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,026 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Benzie County?
474 establishments, employing 3,659 people with an annual payroll of $161.1 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Benzie County?
Average annual pay is $45,619, or $877 a week, across 4,882 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Benzie County?
25 7(a) approvals totalling $5.1 m since FY2020, across 9 lenders, with a median approval of $150,000, plus 14 504 approvals worth $4.7 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Benzie County?
110 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $34.9 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Benzie County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Benzie County come from?
The largest single origin is Benzie County Non-migrants, with 7,589 households. Arriving households report an average income of $79,895 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Benzie County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Benzie County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.