Sunset Elberta MI, 2007
Elberta’s story
171 years in pictures
Census counts: 639 in 1900, a peak of 850 in 1950, 329 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1956 on.
- 1855Elberta is settled
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Population
317
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Median home value
$268K
Census ACS
Household income
$114K
median
Median age
53.0
years
Jobs based here
19
A commuter town
Is Elberta a good place to live?
Elberta’s typical journey to work is 13 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Among 702 Michigan towns, just 8 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Elberta. Elberta’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest place to walk is Elbert Dunes South Natural Area, 63 acres with 1.6 miles of trail. Elberta has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Elberta stand out
Where Elberta beats most towns.
Small town
317 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Gilmore TownshipFrankfortCrystal Lake TownshipElberta
Nearby attractions
All 7 attractions →Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elberta. Close and well known come first.
5 mi National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore1.6M visitors a year
26 mi TheatreRamsdell Theatre13 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 Elberta: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elberta, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Elberta water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFridayTrash dayTown site
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 hereGilmore Township ClerkGilmore Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4962849628 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 Elberta.
Who lives here
45% of residents are 65 or older
Elberta has grown 2.3% since 2020, to 317 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. For Elberta, the midpoint age is 53 years. Among adults 25 and older, 36% have a four-year degree or more, against 32% across Michigan.
53median age · MI 40.2
| Elberta | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 26% | 29% |
ElbertaMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
28%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school28%
Some college20%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate20%
Women and men · all residents
45% women, 55% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.5 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Elberta | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 28.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.9% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 23% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.9% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.4% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: low risk in Elberta, mostly cold waves
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Elberta once, in 2026. Compared with nearly four fifths of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Expected losses in Elberta break down as 46% from cold waves and 45% from inland flooding.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Elberta’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Benzonia Township (15%), Traverse City (8%) and Joyfield Township (7%). Only 1% of working residents stay in Elberta for work; the rest commute out. The income of the median household for Elberta comes to $114,000. Half commute less than 23 miles.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Elberta1%
Benzonia Township15%
Traverse City8%
Joyfield Township7%
Homestead Township7%
23 mi
median commute distance
19
jobs based in Elberta
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Elberta is cooler than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
Elberta has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 77°, January nights drop to 17° and about 93 inches of snow falls in a winter.
93″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–30°
Spring34–51°
Summer58–75°
Fall42–56°
Oct 26
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Elberta is
The share of adults in Elberta who have diabetes: 14%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Elberta beats Michigan on 5 and trails on 4.
| Elberta | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
5 better23 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Elberta | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 8.9% |
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
1.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
In Elberta, 2.1% of the land is conserved
There are 2.6 miles of trail across 4 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Elberta: 4, covering 76 acres.
2.1%conserved
2.1%
conserved · 13 of 642 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 2.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elbert Dunes South Natural Area | 1.6 mi | 63 |
| 2. Historic Elberta Waterfront Park | 0.1 mi | 9 |
| 3. Dudley Penfold Memorial Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in Elberta sells for about $330K
Among households in Elberta, 96% are owner-occupiers.
$330Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elberta
17pages on Elberta
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Elberta; the nearest are
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City33.4 mi$5,860 in-state tuitionWest Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Scottville42.6 mi$4,470 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids74.5 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Elberta residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Elberta for work
Where Elberta’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
19jobs based in Elberta
1%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Elberta
Village in Michigan, United States
Elberta ( el-BER-tə) is a village in Benzie County, Michigan, United States. The population was 329 at the 2020 census. Located in Gilmore Township, Elberta overlooks Lake Michigan and lies across Betsie Lake from Frankfort. Elberta is part of Northern Michigan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 591 ft
- ZIP code
- 49628
Questions about Elberta
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elberta, MI a good place to live?
Elberta has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.