Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Buchanan gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $235K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the Niles metro’s $65K median household income. It grades B− overall, 368th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 75% of Michigan towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. On history, just 27 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. 11% of the land in Buchanan is conserved, against 4.4% in Michigan’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 81 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better.
Where Buchanan beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,702 in 1870, 4,300 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 5 maps from 1927 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Buchanan is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buchanan, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Buchanan.
Buchanan pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, sends many workers across the state line to South Bend and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
1.7 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Bakertown Fen, at 63 acres. At 0.7 miles per square mile, Buchanan’s trail density is where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. E B Clark Woods | 0.4 mi | 22 |
| 2. Bakertown Fen | — | 63 |
| 3. McCoy Creek Recreation Area | 0.2 mi | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $235K.
Its public schools are run by the Buchanan Community Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–7 | Grades 5–7 | 358 | B+ |
| Buchanan High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 561 | B+ |
| Moccasin Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades 2–4 | Grades 2–4 | 354 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 129 to 60 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Buchanan’s property crime rate is 12.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Buchanan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Buchanan since 1996.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 7,774 U.S. towns with household incomes like Buchanan’s, it is healthier than 60%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Buchanan tracks Michigan closely on all 32 CDC measures. 28% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Buchanan.
| Buchanan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 34% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Buchanan has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 18° and about 65 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
22% of working residents cross a state line to work, South Bend among the top destinations. Jobs based here grew from 1,107 in 2011 to 1,492.
Most working residents leave Buchanan for work: only 11% work in town. The average trip to work in Buchanan is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Buchanan grew to 1,492 in 2021, 385 more than in 2011.
| Buchanan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.1% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
58% of Buchanan households own their home. Typical home values rose 6.4% in the year to September 2026.
| Buchanan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $903 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buchanan. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
28 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
11 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
5 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
13 mi State parkWarren Dunes State Park
12 mi MuseumStudebaker National MuseumNotre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
7 within 15 miles of the center of Buchanan
About 4 of every 100 Buchanan residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
11.3% of the town is conserved land, across 10 parks and preserves.
6 places in Buchanan on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Buchanan.
City in Michigan, United States
Buchanan is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,300 at the 2020 census. The city is located at the southeast corner of Buchanan Township, about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Niles.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Buchanan grades B− overall, better than 54% of U.S. towns and #368 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C for health, C for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
4 notable people were born here, including Jackson Scholz and Harry Niles.
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