Pomological Watercolor POM00003624, 1898
South Haven Township’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1853.
- 1869South Haven Township is settled
South Haven TownshipMI
A town of 4,138, settled in 1869.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nanamac47 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
4,138
2025 Census estimate · +2.1% since 2020
Median home value
$234K
Census ACS
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
56.9
years
Jobs based here
697
A commuter town
Is South Haven Township a good place to live?
The biggest place to walk is Van Buren State Park, 330 acres with 1.4 miles of trail. We don’t grade South Haven Township yet; the figures below are still real.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave South Haven Township for work
Where South Haven Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
697jobs based in South Haven Township
5%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to South Haven Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in South Haven Township, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy Cooperative19.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Haven Area Water & Sewer Authority1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have South Haven Township’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 hereSouth Haven Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4909049090 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 South Haven Township.
Who lives here
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, the median age in South Haven Township is higher
Population is up 2.1% in South Haven Township since 2020, to 4,138 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 17% of South Haven Township residents are under 18, where Michigan’s towns sit at 21% and U.S. towns at 22%. Michigan has 32% of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 24%. People 65 and older are 33% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (22% statewide).
56.9median age · MI 40.2
| South Haven Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 26% | 29% |
South Haven TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school32%
Some college26%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s14%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| South Haven Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.9% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.2% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.7% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,100, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools South Haven Township’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the South Haven Public Schools. 300 students attend South Haven Township’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Grove Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 300 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
South Haven Township has 0.5 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most people who work leave South Haven Township to do it: just 5% work in town. The town’s middle household income stands at $57,000, against $77,000 in Michigan’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. The mean commuting time for South Haven Township comes to 21 minutes. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs in South Haven Township dropped by 93, to 697.
5%work in town
| South Haven Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In South Haven Township5%
South Haven27%
Benton Township4%
Kalamazoo3%
Holland2%
20 mi
median commute distance
697
jobs based in South Haven Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazards
Low risk in South Haven Township, with inland flooding at the top
Compared with 76% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in South Haven Township is lower. Paid flood insurance claims here since 1983: one. FEMA puts 43% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 17% to hail.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1983
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
South Haven Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
South Haven Township’s typical July afternoon high stands at 81°F.
109″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–35°
Spring38–56°
Summer61–79°
Fall45–61°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Apr 17
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy South Haven Township is
In South Haven Township, 31% of adults feel lonely. CDC measures, 32 in all: South Haven Township beats Michigan on 2 and trails on 8. 14% of adults in the town have diabetes; 41% have high blood pressure.
| South Haven Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
2 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | South Haven Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81% | 77.6% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 89.2% | 87.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.1% | 10.2% |
Bronson South Haven Hospital
1.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 5.4% of South Haven Township
3.2 miles of trail wind through 7 parks and preserves. South Haven Township’s density of trails comes in at 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 7, covering 504 acres.
5.4%conserved
| South Haven Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
5.4%
conserved · 595 of 11,106 acres
3.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Van Buren State Park | 1.4 mi | 330 |
| 2. North Point Conservation Area | 0.3 mi | 16 |
| 3. Kal-Haven Trail State Park | 0.2 mi | 86 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about South Haven Township
18pages on South Haven Township
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of South Haven Township; the nearest are
Lake Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Benton Harbor19.6 mi$5,445 in-state tuitionWestern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Kalamazoo33.4 mi$15,252 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 South Haven Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
About South Haven Township
City in Michigan, United States
South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 3,964 at the 2020 census. Because of its position on Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Black River, South Haven has always been a port city. During settlement, major ship lines stopped there, both passenger and freight. In the early 1900s South Haven became a resort town, sometimes referred to as "The Catskills of the Midwest." South Haven is a major regional tourist draw because of its recreational harbor and beaches. It is the western terminus of the Kal-Haven Trail, popular with bicyclists and snowmobilers. Nearby are Van …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 3.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 614 ft
- ZIP code
- 49090
- Area code
- 269
South Haven Township’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with South Haven Township.
South HavenGeneva TownshipCovert TownshipSouth Haven Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Haven Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| South Haven | #664 | D | C− | D− | B− | C |
| Geneva Township | #621 | C− | B | — | C | C− |
| Covert Township | — | — | B | C | D | D− |
Covert Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Geneva Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. South Haven Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare South Haven Township with a neighbor →
Questions about South Haven Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Haven Township, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade South Haven Township yet; the figures below are still real.