Berrien County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Berrien County, Michigan has a population of 153,288 across 568 square miles, down 1.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $9.72 bn in 2024, 3,561 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 149 7(a) approvals worth $76.0 m.
127 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Berrien County
How many people live in Berrien County
- Population153,288
- Households63,999
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$65,425
- Median age42.7
- Median gross rent$942 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$224,300
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income17.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over108,207
- Population under 1832,692
- Share under 1821.3 percent
- Population 65 and over32,703
- Share 65 and over21.3 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6487,893
- Civilian labor force74,765
- Unemployment rate6.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over62.0 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties16th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents454th
Berrien County is the 16th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.3 percent against 21.3 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Berrien County
Is Berrien County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.19 percent
- Census 2020 base population154,539
- Births, 20241,435
- Deaths, 20241,922
- Natural change, 2024-487
- Net domestic migration, 2024-267
- Net international migration, 2024806
- Total net migration, 2024539
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-1,644
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2263rd
The county has lost 1.19 percent of its population 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.
Berrien County
Where people moving to Berrien County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving3,355
- People arriving, from those returns5,946
- Adjusted gross income arriving$307.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$91,777
- Largest single originBerrien County Non-migrants (59,550 households)
- Largest single destination (59,550 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien County Non-migrants | 59,550 | 117,459 | $5.12 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,130 | 2,063 | $94.3 m |
| Other flows - South | 499 | 925 | $38.0 m |
| St. Joseph County | 378 | 628 | $30.3 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 328 | 584 | $27.5 m |
| Cass County | 309 | 580 | $13.1 m |
| Cook County | 288 | 519 | $77.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 236 | 398 | $12.7 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Berrien 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.
Berrien County
What the Berrien County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$9.72 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.49 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20242.4 percent
- GDP change over five years21.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among Michigan counties12th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents453rd
- GDP per resident$63,399
Output grew 2.4 percent in the latest year and 21.6 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.
Berrien County
Who employs people in Berrien County
- Covered employment, annual average60,626
- Establishments reporting4,096
- Average annual pay$57,009
- Average weekly wage$1,096
- Sector 31-33, employment11,601
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$83,266
- Sector 62, employment8,001
- Sector 62, average annual pay$57,662
- Sector 44-45, employment7,096
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$34,508
- Sector 72, employment6,789
- Sector 72, average annual pay$23,690
- Sector 56, employment3,037
- Sector 81, employment2,176
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 31-33 | 11,601 | 312 | $83,266 |
| Sector 62 | 8,001 | 587 | $57,662 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,096 | 498 | $34,508 |
| Sector 72 | 6,789 | 389 | $23,690 |
| Sector 56 | 3,037 | 192 | $48,646 |
| Sector 81 | 2,176 | 393 | $37,863 |
| Sector 52 | 2,013 | 180 | $84,874 |
| Sector 23 | 1,974 | 342 | $73,579 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 11,601 jobs, 19.1 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.
Berrien County
What businesses operate in Berrien County
- Establishments, all industries3,561
- Employment at those establishments52,794
- Annual payroll$2.84 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents23.2
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.
Berrien County
What is being built in Berrien County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024354
- Declared construction value permitted$139.2 m
- Single family units authorised339
- Multifamily units authorised15
- Multifamily share of units4.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$393,326
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.5
Multifamily is 4.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Berrien County
How much SBA lending happens in Berrien County
- 7(a) approvals recorded149
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$76.0 m
- Average 7(a) approval$509,880
- Median 7(a) approval$183,000
- 10th percentile approval$30,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,650,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,490
- Jobs per approval10.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active35
- Distinct industries receiving approvals73
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer20.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms30
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter106
- Franchise loans25
- Franchise share of approvals16.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (13)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (43)
- 504 approvals recorded51
- 504 gross approval dollars$33.4 m
- Average 504 approval$654,784
- Median 504 approval$384,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval18.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved27.7
- Most active CDCBusiness Development Corporation (BDC) (23)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals74.5 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$109.4 m
The average approval of $509,880 sits well above the median of $183,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 20.1 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.
Berrien County
Do SBA loans in Berrien County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded31
- Paid in full31
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Paid in full31
- Status: Exempt from disclosure101
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 31 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Berrien County
Which parts of Berrien County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending20
- SAINT JOSEPH, approvals34
- Niles, approvals27
- Benton Harbor, approvals24
- New Buffalo, approvals15
- STEVENSVILLE, approvals10
- BERRIEN SPRINGS, approvals7
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| SAINT JOSEPH | 34 | $15,948,500 |
| Niles | 27 | $12,405,900 |
| Benton Harbor | 24 | $14,140,300 |
| New Buffalo | 15 | $12,706,800 |
| STEVENSVILLE | 10 | $5,925,800 |
| BERRIEN SPRINGS | 7 | $732,300 |
| COLOMA | 5 | $2,775,000 |
| Bridgman | 5 | $1,168,400 |
SAINT JOSEPH accounts for 34 approvals against 27 in Niles. 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.
Berrien County
How big is Berrien County
- Land area568 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties42nd of 83
- Width, east to west31 mi
- Height, north to south33.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary2
- Residents per square mile of land270
- Establishments per square mile6.27
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.
Berrien County
What hazards affect Berrien County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book36
- Of those, participating in the NFIP33
- NFIP participation rate91.7 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 Berrien 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 Berrien County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population153,288
- Households63,999
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$65,425
- Median age42.7
Common questions
Berrien County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Berrien County, Michigan?
153,288, in 63,999 households, ranking 16th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Berrien County growing?
The population has fallen 1.19 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,435 births against 1,922 deaths, with net migration of 539. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Berrien County?
$65,425. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $224,300, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $942 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Berrien County?
3,561 establishments, employing 52,794 people with an annual payroll of $2.84 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Berrien County?
Average annual pay is $57,009, or $1,096 a week, across 60,626 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Berrien County?
149 7(a) approvals totalling $76.0 m since FY2020, across 35 lenders, with a median approval of $183,000, plus 51 504 approvals worth $33.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Berrien County get paid back?
Of the 31 loans that have reached a final outcome, 31 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Berrien County?
354 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $139.2 m. Multifamily was 4.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Berrien 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 Berrien County come from?
The largest single origin is Berrien County Non-migrants, with 59,550 households. Arriving households report an average income of $91,777 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 Berrien 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 Berrien 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.