Watervliet is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the northeastern part of the county, the population was 1,669 at the 2020 census. Mostly a rural farming community. The city is surrounded by Watervliet Charter Township but is administered autonomously. “Watervliet” means “flowing water” in Dutch, coming from “water” and “vliet” "Vliet" is a Dutch word for a minor streaming water, though it may refer to a city canal or a river that connects such flows.

Official town website ↗

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

How Watervliet ranks

All →

#22Most new homes in MI #111Most affordable in MI #112Lowest property tax in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code49098

Area code269

Living in Watervliet

Housing in Watervliet

$245K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $245,000 in May 2026.

A strong seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market49

Sale-to-list101.6%

Sold in May5

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Watervliet

Safety Grade C

Watervliet reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 66% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Watervliet 5.2

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Watervliet 7.6

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

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

Health in Watervliet

Health Grade D

Healthier than 5% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

20worse than MI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 12 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 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

21.5%More older adults who have lost all their teethMI 10.2% · worse 12.8%More adults with COPDMI 8.1% · worse 10.5%More uninsured adultsMI 6.9% · worse

Care nearby

Corewell Health Watervliet HospitalWatervliet · 0.6 mi · ER

Intercare Benton HarborBenton Harbor · 10.8 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 Watervliet · CMS · HRSAHealth in Watervliet →

Natural hazards in Watervliet

Very low

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 18% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌪️ Tornadoes

8Does Watervliet flood?paid flood claims since 1979 3Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Watervliet MapWatervliet vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Watervliet →

Climate in Watervliet

Full climate →

Watervliet has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

35° / 21°Winter

58° / 37°Spring

81° / 60°Summer

62° / 43°Fall

How much snow does Watervliet 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 Watervliet →

Schools in Watervliet

All Watervliet schools →

School Grade C

The public schools Watervliet’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 68% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

DistrictWatervliet School DistrictSchools5

South Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–2 · 335 students North Elementary School B-Elementary · Grades 3–5 · 312 students Watervliet Middle School B-Middle · Grades 6–8 · 309 students Watervliet Senior High School B-High · Grades 9–12 · 360 students WAY Watervliet High School CHigh · Grades 9–12 · 90 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.