City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Watervliet, MI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Watervliet — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

1,879
Residents
$57,477
Median income
$130,000
Median home
$1,113
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Watervliet, MI

Watervliet is a city in Michigan with a population of 1,879 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $57,477 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 11.0%. Typical homes in Watervliet are valued around $130,000, and the median resident age is 29.9 years. About 10.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 16 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Low Activity). FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1155.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Michigan registers 96.2 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,113 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $238 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

1,879 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Michigan

Median Household Income

$57,477 /yr

Poverty 11.0%

Cost of Living Index

96.2 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Watervliet compare to other US cities?

Where Watervliet sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 31% higher than other cities
Home value 21% pricier than other cities
Median rent 32% pricier than other cities
Safety 57% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Watervliet against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Watervliet, MI Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Watervliet, MI. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Watervliet, MI — median $57,477/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Watervliet, MI — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 10.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.0%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.8%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
1,879
Median Income
$57,477
Median Home Value
$130,000
Median Age
29.9
Poverty Rate
11.0%
Labor force participation
61.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
10.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1155.0
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
547.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
607.9
per 1,000 residents

Schools

Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
16
housing units authorized
Single-Family
16
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 3
2021 1
2022 9
2023 27
2024 16

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
82.1%
Carpool
15.0%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.0%
Work from Home
1.9%

Based on 788 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Michigan — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$238
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Michigan state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Michigan state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,113/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
49.6 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Watervliet, MI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Watervliet, MI — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Watervliet compares to nearby Michigan cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Watervliet) plus the nearest peer cities in Michigan, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

MI

Watervliet

57.48% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$57,477
Brackets
2
Selected

MI

Fennville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Selected

MI

Armada

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Selected

MI

South Rockwood

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$190
Brackets
2
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Watervliet, MI?

What is the population of Watervliet, MI? +

Watervliet, MI has a population of 1,879 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Watervliet, MI? +

The median household income in Watervliet is $57,477 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Watervliet? +

Watervliet has a cost of living index of 96.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Watervliet, MI safe? +

Watervliet has a total crime rate of 1155.0 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Watervliet, MI? +

The median home value in Watervliet is $130,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →