Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Niles gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $213K, 3.3 years of the Niles metro’s $65K median household income. It grades C overall, 560th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 84% of the country, and the median household income is $51K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 7 places on the National Register. On history, just 39 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Niles, where Michigan’s towns sit at 8.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The biggest park or preserve is Riverfront Park South, at 66 acres.
Where Niles beats most towns.
Ring Lardner House
Census counts: 4,630 in 1870, 11,988 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1680 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Niles is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Niles. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
34 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
in town Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
9 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
19 mi State parkWarren Dunes State Park
11 mi MuseumStudebaker National MuseumNotre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Niles, 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 Niles.
Niles sends many workers across the state line to South Bend, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
Against the 6,265 U.S. towns with household incomes like Niles’s, it is less healthy than 62%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
41% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Niles. Niles beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Niles.
| Niles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Niles | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16% | 10.2% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.3% | 8.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.9% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Niles Community Schools. Three of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballard Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 516 | C+ |
| Niles Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 828 | B− |
| Eastside Connections SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 403 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 261 to 196 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Niles’ violent crime rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Niles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Niles.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Niles has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 18° and about 63 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
63% of Niles households own their home. Typical home values rose 7% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Niles is $855 a month.
| Niles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $855 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
31% of working residents cross a state line to work, South Bend among the top destinations. Niles has about as many jobs (4,464) as working residents, but only 583 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Niles for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2011, Niles has lost 1,253 jobs, to 4,464 in 2021. The top destinations are South Bend (12%), Mishawaka (6%) and Niles Township (6%).
| Niles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.1% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
0.2 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverfront Park South | — | 66 |
| 2. Plym Park | — | 16 |
| 3. Riverfront Park and Launch | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
8 within 15 miles of the center of Niles
About 2 of every 100 Niles residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
7 places in Niles on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Niles.
City in Michigan, United States
Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana state line city of South Bend. The population was 11,988 according to the 2020 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cities in the Niles-Benton Harbor metropolitan area, an area with 153,797 people.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Niles.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles | #560 | C | B+ | C− | B− | C− |
| Niles Township | #505 | C+ | B | — | B | C |
| Howard Township | #359 | B− | A− | — | B− | C |
Niles Township and Howard Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Niles with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Niles grades C overall, better than 26% of U.S. towns and #560 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
15 notable people were born here, including Ring Lardner and Horace Elgin Dodge.
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