County outline
Where Berrien County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 35.9% of Berrien County’s measured area and water for 64.1%. Its combined area converts to 4,096 square kilometers or approximately 1,012,142 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 567.845 | 1,470.712 | 363,420.8 |
| Water | 1,013.627 | 2,625.282 | 648,721.3 |
| Total | 1,581.472 | 4,095.994 | 1,012,142.1 |
How Berrien County compares
By original Census land area, Berrien County ranks #42 of 83 in Michigan and #1799 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Berrien County
The Census Bureau estimates that 152,444 people lived in Berrien County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #464 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #16 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 154,526, the population has declined by 2,082 (−1.3%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 567.8 square miles of land, that is 268 people per square mile (104 per km²), placing Berrien County #550 nationally for density and #13 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 2.4 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 154,395 | 153,609 | 152,991 | 152,384 | 152,394 | 152,444 |
| Change | — | −786 | −618 | −607 | +10 | +50 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Berrien County
Berrien County is divided into 30 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Lincoln charter township, with 14,814 residents (9.7% of the county). The largest by land is Niles township, at 37.3 mi², or 6.6% of the county’s land. The county seat, St. Joseph charter township, has 9,703 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Watervliet city grew fastest since then (+3.8%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln charter township | 14,814 | −0.8% | 17.9 | 3.2% |
| Niles township | 14,304 | −0.7% | 37.3 | 6.6% |
| Benton charter township | 14,228 | −1.1% | 32.4 | 5.7% |
| Niles city | 11,665 | −2.7% | 5.151 | 0.9% |
| St. Joseph charter townshipCounty seat | 9,703 | −2.8% | 6.652 | 1.2% |
| Oronoko charter township | 9,074 | −1.7% | 32.3 | 5.7% |
| Benton Harbor city | 8,803 | −3.2% | 4.388 | 0.8% |
| St. Joseph cityCounty seat | 7,893 | −2.3% | 3.203 | 0.6% |
| Royalton township | 5,198 | +0.9% | 18.1 | 3.2% |
| Coloma charter township | 4,968 | −1.6% | 18 | 3.2% |
| Berrien township | 4,787 | −1.7% | 35.1 | 6.2% |
| Buchanan city | 4,143 | −3.5% | 2.522 | 0.4% |
| Buchanan township | 3,475 | +1.1% | 32.1 | 5.7% |
| Lake charter township | 3,348 | +0.8% | 18.6 | 3.3% |
| Hagar township | 3,173 | −2% | 18.4 | 3.2% |
Show the other 15 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watervliet township | 3,126 | +2.7% | 13.5 |
| Baroda township | 2,818 | −0.5% | 17.8 |
| Chikaming township | 2,752 | −0.8% | 21.9 |
| Bainbridge township | 2,625 | −2.1% | 34.9 |
| Bertrand township | 2,587 | −1% | 34.4 |
| New Buffalo township | 2,517 | +2.6% | 20 |
| Three Oaks township | 2,281 | −2% | 23.3 |
| Pipestone township | 2,127 | −2.1% | 35.5 |
| Bridgman city | 2,040 | −2.6% | 2.893 |
| Sodus township | 1,977 | −1.3% | 19.4 |
| Weesaw township | 1,811 | −1.2% | 35.4 |
| Watervliet city | 1,720 | +3.8% | 1.18 |
| New Buffalo city | 1,685 | −1.3% | 2.467 |
| Coloma city | 1,415 | −3.4% | 0.888 |
| Galien township | 1,387 | −1.8% | 22 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Berrien County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Berrien County is a central county of the Niles, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Berrien County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 567.8 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #346 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #294 by population. It belongs to the South Bend-Elkhart-Mishawaka, IN-MI Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
24 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Berrien County; 23 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
490224903849047490844908549098491014910249103491044910649107491114911349115491164911749119491204912549126491274912849129
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Berrien County
Berrien County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents, including 2 in Indiana. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Van Buren County (607.8 mi²) and the smallest is St. Joseph County (457.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Berrien County forms a block of 2,721.8 mi² of land, of which it holds 20.9%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Berrien | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Buren County | 607.8 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| LaPorte CountyIndiana | 598.3 | 1.1× larger | Compare |
| Cass County | 490.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| St. Joseph CountyIndiana | 457.8 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Berrien County compared with U.S. states?
Berrien County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.8 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 100 areas the size of Berrien County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.8 miles (38.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Berrien County?
Berrien County has more land than 1,423 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Berrien County at #425 nationally by total area, 1,374 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 64.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 62.9 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Berrien County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1798 | Valley County, Nebraska | 568.1 | Compare |
| #1799 | Berrien County, Michigan | 567.8 | This county |
| #1800 | Tuscarawas County, Ohio | 567.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 41.791382, -86.742543. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,470,711,027 m²; AWATER: 2,625,282,560 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Berrien County?
Berrien County, Michigan has 567.8 square miles (1,470.7 km²) of land and 1,013.6 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,581.5 square miles. It ranks #1799 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Berrien County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Berrien County ranks #42 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Berrien County?
Berrien County shares a land border with Cass County, Van Buren County, LaPorte County, Indiana, and St. Joseph County, Indiana.
What is the population of Berrien County?
The Census Bureau estimates Berrien County had 152,444 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #464 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 268 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Berrien County?
The county seat of Berrien County is St. Joseph.
What cities and towns are in Berrien County?
Berrien County has 30 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Lincoln charter township, Niles township, Benton charter township, Niles city, and St. Joseph charter township.
Is Berrien County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Niles, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Berrien County?
24 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Berrien County, and 23 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Berrien County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.8 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Berrien County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 363,421 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 1,012,142 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.