RANK #704 / 1001 NAT · #33 / 36 MI · POP 75,795
1YR FORECAST: +0.8%
5YR OUTLOOK: +16%
South Haven, a notable town in Van Buren County, Michigan, offers Lake Michigan shoreline access, a walkable downtown, and various festivals. Located in southwest Michigan, Van Buren County is about an hour from Grand Rapids and South Bend, and just over two hours from Chicago. The county features 14 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 300 inland lakes, and two rivers, providing opportunities for water sports, fishing, and scenic views. The Kal-Haven Trail, a 33-mile path from South Haven to Kalamazoo, offers options for biking, walking, and snowmobiling.
Van Buren County offers a quality of life that blends small-town living with access to outdoor activities. Many families reside in the county, and residents tend to own their homes. Commute options include county-wide public transit, with dial-a-ride services in towns like Paw Paw and South Haven. Local schools include districts like Mattawan Consolidated School and South Haven Public Schools. The economy is supported by sectors such as agriculture, with the county ranking second in Michigan for grape acreage, and manufacturing. Recent economic developments include investments in manufacturing.
Van Buren County's data profile doesn't fit any single market profile cleanly — its housing, labor, and demographic signals pull in different directions (home prices +3.9% YoY, population +0.1%, wages +5.3%). About 414 U.S. counties show this kind of mixed-signal pattern.
See all 414 Idiosyncratic Markets counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Below-average climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 13.4x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: Homicide rates from CDC/NCHS vital-statistics mortality data — a multi-year average that stabilizes counts in smaller counties — compiled in the County Health Rankings 2025 release. Rates per 100,000 population; U.S. average ≈ 6.5. Grade reflects homicide rate relative to the national average. Learn more →
See where Van Buren County stands nationally: safest large counties in America · highest homicide-rate counties.
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Our Next Energy (ONE) Battery Manufacturing Campus
Our Next Energy (ONE)
|
$1,600M | Planned |
|
Project Cannoli Data Center
Google
|
$1,000M | Proposed |
|
Gypsum Peak Energy Storage
Vesper Energy
|
$100M | Planned |
|
Southwest Michigan Energy Center (Solar)
Shell
|
$100M | Planned |
|
Murch Solar Project
Heelstone Renewable Energy (associated with Amazon)
|
$85M | Under Construction |
|
Decatur Battery Storage
Unknown
|
$50M | Planned |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 29/100, Van Buren County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $68,114 combined with job growth of -0.1% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Housing in Van Buren County is roughly in line with national affordability norms. The median home costs $206,500 and the income-to-home-value ratio sits at 0.33, with rents averaging $870/month. Not a bargain, but not a stretch for most local earners either.
Population and employment in Van Buren County are both close to flat — population +0.1% YoY and jobs -0.1%. Home values shifted +3.9% over the past 12 months. A steady-state county, neither expanding quickly nor shrinking.
There's a moderate stream of newcomers. About 3.04% of residents moved from another state, which is above average and suggests Van Buren County has appeal as a relocation destination — though it's not among the highest-inflow counties nationally.