Saint Joseph, colloquially known as Saint Joe, is a city in and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 7,856. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about 90 miles (140 km) east-northeast of Chicago. The city and adjacent Benton Harbor are known as the "Twin Cities".

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How St. Joseph ranks

All →

#6Highest graduation rate in MI #15Closest to a top hospital in MI #7Rent easiest to afford in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code49085

Area codeSign in to add

Living in St. Joseph

Housing in St. Joseph

$376K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $376,000 in May 2026.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market43

Sale-to-list98.7%

Sold in May15

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in St. Joseph

C⁺

Safety Grade C+

St. Joseph reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 65% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

St. Joseph 1.9

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

St. Joseph 13.7

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in St. Joseph

Full picture →

Most working residents leave St. Joseph for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Benton (20%), St. Joseph (7%) and Lincoln (5%). Half commute less than 5 miles.

Benton

20%

St. Joseph

Lincoln

Grand Rapids

16%Work in townlive and work in St. Joseph 5 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 6,090Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2021 · ACSWork & commute in St. Joseph →

Health in St. Joseph

A⁻

Health Grade A−

Healthier than 84% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

17better than MI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 15 are too close to call.

Conditions 5▲ 7 close Habits 2▲ 2 close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 3▲ 2 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.4%Fewer adults facing food insecurityMI 15.4% · better 6.3%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethMI 10.2% · better

Care nearby

Lakeland Hospital, St. JosephSt. Joseph · 0.8 mi · ER

Intercare Benton HarborBenton Harbor · 2.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for St. Joseph · CMS · HRSAHealth in St. Joseph →

Natural hazards in St. Joseph

Low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 28% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌪️ Tornadoes

5Does St. Joseph flood?paid flood claims since 1982 3Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to St. Joseph MapSt. Joseph vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in St. Joseph →

Climate in St. Joseph

Full climate →

St. Joseph has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

35° / 23°Winter

57° / 39°Spring

80° / 62°Summer

61° / 45°Fall

How much snow does St. Joseph get?About 78 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 17, with the last in spring around May 4.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.1° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in St. Joseph →

Schools in St. Joseph

All St. Joseph schools →

School Grade A

The public schools St. Joseph’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 93% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#58Best public schoolsof 490 in MI

DistrictSt. Joseph Public SchoolsSchools4

Lincoln School A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 423 students Trinity Lutheran SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 172 students St Joseph High School AHigh · Grades 9–12 · 933 students Our Lady of the Lake Catholic SchoolOther · Grades 6–12 · 129 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MI. Ratings are from neighbors.