Michigan Porch

Berrien County, Michigan

Use this county page to find the right government office or narrow down to a city or township. The service directory covers common county jobs; the local pages add property-tax context, school-district rate ranges, nearby places, and Porch Notes tied to each community.

County snapshot

Cities

8

Townships

22

School districts

19

Primary home (PRE) rates, for homes with Michigan's Principal Residence Exemption, range from 17.5749 mills to 46.6849 mills.

Other property, often called non-homestead, usually means rentals, vacation homes, and second homes. Those rates range from 29.8559 mills to 64.6849 mills.

Rate rows come from the official Michigan Treasury millage-rate reports . Data used: 2025 Michigan Treasury Total Property Tax Rates. Last reviewed July 12, 2026.

Use this carefully: Michigan Porch uses the statewide published rates as a planning aid. The local assessor or treasurer controls parcel-specific values, due dates, and special assessments.

County service directory

Find the office before you make the trip

Some questions stay with the city or township. Others move to the county, a health district, or a court. Start with the job you need done, then confirm hours, fees, and forms with the office.

Official Berrien County website

County websites are checked against the State of Michigan county website directory . State and court finders are used where one office or district can serve more than one county. Directory reviewed July 12, 2026. Office roles were checked against Michigan Vital Records, Michigan Treasury taxpayer resources, and State Tax Commission guidance.

Local pages

Places in Berrien County

Back to places

City

Benton Harbor

2 school districts available.

Open place page ->

City

Bridgman

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

City

Buchanan

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

City

Coloma

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

City

New Buffalo

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

City

Niles

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

City

Saint Joseph

2 school districts available.

Open place page ->

City

Watervliet

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

Township

Bainbridge Township

5 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Baroda Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Benton Township

2 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Berrien Township

4 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Bertrand Township

4 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Buchanan Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Chikaming Township

2 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Coloma Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Galien Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Hagar Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Lake Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Lincoln Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

New Buffalo Township

2 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Niles Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Oronoko Township

4 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Pipestone Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Royalton Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Saint Joseph Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Sodus Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Three Oaks Township

1 school district available.

Open place page ->

Township

Watervliet Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Township

Weesaw Township

3 school districts available.

Open place page ->

Porch Notes

Local notes from Berrien County

Stories, practical notes, and local details tied to places in this county.

Berrien County · History and culture

Bear Cave: a hiding place on the Underground Railroad

Near Buchanan, a rare tufa-rock cave above the St. Joseph River sheltered freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad — and a robber's loot hidden there in 1875 inspired the 1903 film The Great Train Robbery.

Read this note ->

Berrien County · History and culture

Before Bridgman was a beach town, it was a sawmill that kept burning down

Bridgman began in 1856 as Charlotteville, a lumber town whose sawmill burned three times; the lumber is long gone, but the dunes that drew Chicagoans in the 1920s became Weko Beach.

Read this note ->

Berrien County · History and culture

Blossomtime started with a sermon about fruit trees

The Blossomtime Festival began in 1906 when a Benton Harbor minister told his congregation to go look at the orchards in bloom; its Grand Floral Parade has crossed between Benton Harbor and St. Joseph since 1924.

Read this note ->

Berrien County · History and culture

Deer Forest: the petting zoo that 3.5 million people remember

From 1949 to 2014, generations of southwest Michigan kids fed deer and llamas at Coloma's Deer Forest and rode the train through Storybook Lane; the North Berrien museum keeps its relics.

Read this note ->

Berrien County · History and culture

Grand Beach: a resort community that became its own village

Grand Beach began as a planned resort on the Lake Michigan dunes, added cottages, golf, and the Golfmore Hotel, and incorporated as a village in 1934.

Read this note ->

Berrien County · Outdoors

Jean Klock Park: a beach given in a child's name

In 1917 a Benton Harbor newspaper publisher and his wife gave the city 90 acres of Lake Michigan dunes and beach in memory of their daughter, who died in infancy — deeded to the public forever.

Read this note ->
Browse all 39 Berrien County notes →

Next steps

What to check next in Berrien County

Start with a local page, then move into the Michigan rule or tool that matches the question in front of you.

Page feedback

See something wrong or unclear?

Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.

Send a note