• county
  • FIPS 26159
  • Largest town: South Haven

Van Buren County, Michigan

Van Buren County had 76,129 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 607.8 square miles of land. It ranks 26th of 83 in Michigan by population and 35th by land area.

Population
76,129
#26 of 83 in Michigan · #746 in US
Area
607.8 sq mi
#35 of 83 in Michigan · #1,598 in US
Density
125 / sq mi
#27 of 83 in Michigan · #771 in US
Median household income
$66,174
#25 of 83 in Michigan · #1,281 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

Van Buren County within Michigan. Pin: Lansing.

Measure from here

Tools and pages that start from Van Buren County

Van Buren County population, land area and income

Van Buren County had 76,129 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 607.8 square miles of land. It ranks 26th of 83 in Michigan by population and 35th by land area. That works out to 125.3 people per square mile, 1.3 times the US average of 96.3, and in the top quarter nationally.

The median county-equivalent in Michigan has 38,041 residents, so Van Buren County is 2.0 times that size.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $66,174 is above the national county median among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

76,129

3144th1st

746th of 3,144 (US)

Land area

608 sq mi

3144th1st

1598th of 3,144 (US)

Density

125.3 / sq mi

3144th1st

771st of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$66,174

3143rd1st

1281st of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Michigan (83)

Population

76,129

83rd1st

26th of 83 (MI)

Land area

608 sq mi

83rd1st

35th of 83 (MI)

Density

125.3 / sq mi

83rd1st

27th of 83 (MI)

Median household income

$66,174

83rd1st

25th of 83 (MI)

How Van Buren County's population changed since 2020

Van Buren County gained 563 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 0.7%. That ranks 44th of 83 in Michigan for growth. The median Michigan county changed by +0.9%, and the state as a whole by +0.7%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, Van Buren County recorded 3,404 births and 3,801 deaths, a natural change of -397. Net international migration added +491 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +460. The largest single component was international migration, which added 491 people.

75.6k202075.7k202175.7k202275.9k202376.1k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
3,404
Deaths
3,801
Net international migration
+491
Net domestic migration
+460
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+224

Where Van Buren County is

The Census internal point of Van Buren County is at 42.282200, -86.306100. It sits in UTM zone 16N. The map shades Michigan's 83 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with Van Buren County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Calhoun County: -0.3%Benzie County: +2.9%Newaygo County: +2.8%Antrim County: +4.6%Montcalm County: +4.0%Kalamazoo County: +1.1%Isabella County: +0.9%Ingham County: +1.9%Jackson County: +0.0%Kent County: +2.2%Oceana County: +1.1%Roscommon County: +2.0%Clare County: +1.8%Gladwin County: +2.5%Branch County: +2.9%Iosco County: +0.7%Bay County: -1.1%Shiawassee County: -0.0%Ionia County: -1.0%Otsego County: +3.8%Alcona County: +4.3%Missaukee County: +1.1%Crawford County: +4.7%Lapeer County: +0.7%Arenac County: +0.5%Gogebic County: -0.9%Marquette County: +2.2%Alpena County: +0.1%Lenawee County: -1.6%Berrien County: -1.1%Leelanau County: +2.5%Clinton County: +1.1%Alger County: -1.6%Gratiot County: -0.8%St. Joseph County: +0.4%Van Buren County: +0.7%Dickinson County: +0.3%Charlevoix County: +0.3%Sanilac County: -0.5%Wexford County: +2.3%Houghton County: +2.1%Saginaw County: -1.1%Kalkaska County: +3.8%Ottawa County: +3.1%Presque Isle County: +1.8%Eaton County: +0.3%Barry County: +2.3%Lake County: +7.5%Cheboygan County: +1.5%Wayne County: -1.0%Macomb County: +0.7%Oscoda County: +4.4%Emmet County: -0.5%Ontonagon County: +0.4%Schoolcraft County: +1.5%Monroe County: +0.7%Tuscola County: -1.0%Luce County: -1.3%Menominee County: -1.7%Mason County: +0.2%Muskegon County: +1.5%Baraga County: +0.3%Genesee County: -0.9%Grand Traverse County: +1.3%Washtenaw County: +0.5%Huron County: -1.9%Cass County: -0.0%Delta County: -0.5%Montmorency County: +7.2%Oakland County: +1.9%Chippewa County: -1.5%Keweenaw County: +5.0%Hillsdale County: -0.3%Manistee County: +1.8%Allegan County: +1.5%Mecosta County: +3.8%Iron County: +0.8%Osceola County: +2.5%St. Clair County: -0.1%Livingston County: +1.5%Ogemaw County: +1.0%Midland County: +0.6%Mackinac County: +3.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < -0.5%
  2. < +0.5%
  3. < +1.5%
  4. < +2.5%
  5. ≥ +2.5%
no data

Orange pin: Van Buren County internal point. Dark pin: Lansing.

Internal point

Decimal
42.282200, -86.306100
DMS
42°16'55.92"N 86°18'21.96"W
UTM
16N 557212.7E 4681342.4N
Geohash
dpd8s11zd
Plus code
86JM7MJV+VH

Towns in Van Buren County

8 incorporated places of 1,000+ people have residents in Van Buren County, 19,277 people together, or 25% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside Van Buren County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is South Haven with 4,012.

  1. 01South Haven (part)4,012
  2. 02Paw Paw3,408
  3. 03Mattawan2,869
  4. 04Hartford2,465
  5. 05Bangor1,976
  6. 06Lawton1,876
  7. 07Decatur1,660
  8. 08Lawrence1,011
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering Van Buren County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 6 neighbors for Van Buren County, including 1 across a state line. The most populous is Lake County, IL, with 718,604 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Lansing and the nearest big city

Lansing is 94.5 miles ENE of Van Buren County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is South Bend, IN (population 103,713), 41.9 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is Niles, MI (population 11,738), 31.1 miles away.

Van Buren County FIPS code

The FIPS code of Van Buren County is 26159: state code 26 for Michigan plus county code 159. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $66,174.

Questions people ask

What is the population of Van Buren County, Michigan?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 76,129. That is up 563 people (0.7%) from the July 2020 estimate of 75,566.

What is the FIPS code of Van Buren County?

26159. The first two digits (26) are Michigan; the last three (159) identify the county.

What is the largest town in Van Buren County?

South Haven, with 4,012 residents inside Van Buren County in 2024 (4,017 across all 2 counties it spans).

Which counties border Van Buren County?

6 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Lake County, IL; Kalamazoo County, MI; Berrien County, MI; Allegan County, MI; St. Joseph County, MI; Cass County, MI.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.