Benzonia Congregational Church, 2015
Benzonia’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2015.
- 1869Benzonia is settled
BenzoniaMI
A town of 566, settled in 1869.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
566
2025 Census estimate · +3.5% since 2020
Median home value
$209K
Census ACS
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
44.4
years
Jobs based here
148
Balanced
Is Benzonia a good place to live?
Benzonia’s July high is 80°F, where Michigan’s towns sit at 82°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Benzonia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
566 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BeulahBenzonia
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Benzonia. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore1.6M visitors a year
28 mi TheatreRamsdell Theatre8 mi MuseumMichigan Legacy Art ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: en:User:Grod028, Public domain · Ramsdell Theatre: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Benzonia: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benzonia, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Benzonia water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Benzonia’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBenzonia Township ClerkBenzonia Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4961649616 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Benzonia.
Natural hazards
Benzonia faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Benzonia, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Benzonia has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. At 15°F, Benzonia’s January low is against 16°F in Michigan’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns.
92″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–31°
Spring32–53°
Summer56–78°
Fall40–57°
Oct 20
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Benzonia
Most working residents leave Benzonia for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Benzonia grew to 148 in 2021, 52 more than in 2011. 14% of Benzonia residents live below the poverty line.
3%work in town
| Benzonia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Benzonia3%
Frankfort13%
Benzonia Township13%
Traverse City8%
Homestead Township7%
23 mi
median commute distance
148
jobs based in Benzonia
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
How healthy Benzonia is
Benzonia beats the Michigan average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Benzonia.
| Benzonia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 25% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Benzonia | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.2% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.7% | 8.9% |
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
7.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (38% statewide). Benzonia has grown 3.5% since 2020, to 566 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. The median age in Benzonia is 44.4 years.
44.4median age · MI 40.2
| Benzonia | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 44.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 26% | 29% |
BenzoniaMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school25%
Some college29%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
42% women, 58% men
About 137 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.8 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Benzonia | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.7% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.2% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
$268Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
Benzonia has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
0.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 720 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Benzonia Village Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
| 2. Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Benzonia
17pages on Benzonia
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Benzonia; the nearest are
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City27.2 mi$5,860 in-state tuitionWest Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Scottville43.6 mi$4,470 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids71.1 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Benzonia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Benzonia
Village in Michigan, United States
Benzonia ( ben-ZOH-nee-ə) is a village in Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 551 at the 2020 census, up from 497 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Benzonia Township at the southeast end of Crystal Lake on U.S. Highway 31 at the junction with M-115 west.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 817 ft
- ZIP code
- 49616
Questions about Benzonia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Benzonia, MI a good place to live?
Benzonia has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.