Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,126.
Watervliet Township grades C overall, 568th of 697 graded towns in Michigan, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Watervliet Township, above both the Michigan town median (8.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
Where Watervliet Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Watervliet Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 10.2% |
Where Watervliet Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Watervliet Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 179 in 1880, 1,669 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Watervliet Township, 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 Watervliet Township.
In Watervliet Township, 16% of adults have diabetes. Among adults locally, 19% report frequent physical distress.
| Watervliet Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Watervliet Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 13% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.1% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The national flood insurance program has paid 22 claims in Watervliet Township since 1979. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in just over four fifths of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 59% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 15% to cold waves.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Commuting out is the norm in Watervliet Township: 5% of working residents work locally. Since 2011, Watervliet Township has added 384 jobs, to 578 in 2021. The town’s median household income is $59,000. Half commute less than 16 miles.
| Watervliet Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
16% never finished high school. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Watervliet Township at 3,126 residents, up 2.7% since 2020. People 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (38% statewide). College graduates make up 23% of adults 25 and older, against 32% across Michigan.
| Watervliet Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 42.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 74% are women (MI 49%).
| Watervliet Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 4.3% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 16.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 19°; snowfall runs to about 78 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Just 130 of its 9,225 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Watervliet Township itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
Trails total 0.4 miles in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Watervliet Township: one, of 2 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Watervliet Township
About 3 of every 100 Watervliet Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Watervliet is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the northeastern part of the county, the population was 1,669 at the 2020 census. Mostly a rural farming community. The city is surrounded by Watervliet Charter Township but is administered autonomously. “Watervliet” means “flowing water” in Dutch, coming from “water” and “vliet” "Vliet" is a Dutch word for a minor streaming water, though it may refer to a city canal or a river that connects such flows.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Watervliet Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watervliet Township | #568 | C | B− | — | C+ | D |
| Coloma Township | #604 | C− | C+ | B | C | C |
| Hartford Township | #672 | D | B+ | — | C | D− |
Watervliet Township and Hartford Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Watervliet Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Watervliet Township grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #568 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.