Benzie County Demographics

A map of Benzie County's Population by Race

Benzie County, Michigan has an estimated population of 18,310, a slight increase from the 17,970 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 91.4% White, 3.2% Multiracial, 2.5% Hispanic, 1.8% Native American/Other, 0.6% Black, and 0.5% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Benzie County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Benzie has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Michigan overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Benzie County, that probability was 14.5% in 2020 and 16.3% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Benzie County is ranked the 65th most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Benzie County was ranked the 65th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Benzie County's White Population

16,728 residents of Benzie County, or 91.4% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Benzie County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Benzie County ranks 20th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Benzie County's population has decreased from 92.4% to 91.4%.

Benzie County is more White than neighboring Manistee County (87.4% White), Leelanau County (89% White), Mason County (89.4% White), Grand Traverse County (90.5% White), and Wexford County (90.8% White).

Benzie County's Black Population

118 residents of Benzie County, or 0.6% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Benzie County is considerably lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Benzie County ranks 62nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's Black population has grown by an estimated 110.7%. Black residents' share of Benzie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.6%.

Benzie County is less Black than neighboring Manistee County (3.2% Black), Mason County (1% Black), Grand Traverse County (0.8% Black), and Wexford County (1.1% Black).

Benzie County's Asian Population

99 residents of Benzie County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Benzie County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Benzie County ranks 48th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 39.4%. Asian residents' share of Benzie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Benzie County is more Asian than neighboring Manistee County (0.4% Asian). Benzie County is less Asian than neighboring Grand Traverse County (0.7% Asian), and Wexford County (0.6% Asian).

Benzie County's Hispanic Population

457 residents of Benzie County, or 2.5% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Benzie County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Benzie County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 16.9%. Hispanic residents' share of Benzie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.5%.

Benzie County is less Hispanic than neighboring Manistee County (3.6% Hispanic), Leelanau County (4.3% Hispanic), Mason County (4.9% Hispanic), Grand Traverse County (3.4% Hispanic), and Wexford County (2.7% Hispanic).

Benzie County's Native American/Other Population

326 residents of Benzie County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Benzie County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Benzie County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 42.4%. Native American/Other residents' share of Benzie County's population has increased from 1.3% to 1.8%.

Benzie County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Manistee County (1.4% Native American/Other), Mason County (0.7% Native American/Other), Grand Traverse County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Wexford County (0.3% Native American/Other). Benzie County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Leelanau County (2.4% Native American/Other).

Benzie County's Multiracial Population

582 residents of Benzie County, or 3.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Benzie County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Benzie County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Benzie County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 7.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Benzie County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.2%.

Benzie County is less Multiracial than neighboring Manistee County (4% Multiracial), Mason County (3.7% Multiracial), Grand Traverse County (4.1% Multiracial), and Wexford County (4.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.