Paw Paw Township, MI

Township in Van Buren County, MI, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

6,910

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

37.1

years ∙ half population younger than 37.1, half older

Diversity Index

35.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.7%

foreign-born population

96.3%Native

3.7% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Paw Paw Township is a township in Van Buren County, Michigan, United States.

Location

Township in Van Buren County, MI, US

Co-ordinates

DEC42.199236° N, 85.941340° W

DMS42° 11′ 57.25″ N, 85° 56′ 28.82″ W

Population Density & area

197.4/sq mi (76.19/km²)

Total Area

37 sq mi (95.9 km²)

Land Area

35 sq mi (90.7 km²) · 94.6%

Water Area

2 sq mi (5.2 km²) · 5.4%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

51.9% male

Male 51.9%

Female 48.1%

males per 100 females

Paw Paw Township 107.8

Van Buren County 99.5

Michigan 98.2

Nativity

3.7%

foreign-born population

96.3%Native

3.7% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Paw Paw Township 3.7%

Van Buren County 4.6%

Michigan 7.2%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

37.1

years ∙ half population younger than 37.1, half older

Paw Paw Township

37.1

Van Buren County

41.2

Michigan

40.2

Dependency ratio

76.1

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Paw Paw Township 76.1

Van Buren County 74.9

Michigan 66.3

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	25%	22.9%	21.2%
Working age (18-64)	56.8%	57.2%	60.2%
Senior (65+)	18.2%	19.9%	18.6%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	76.1	74.9	66.3
Child dependency ratio	44	40.1	35.3
Old-age dependency ratio	32	34.8	31

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

79.4%

Black

2.6%

Asian

1.5%

Hispanic

10.6%

Other

5.9%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

35.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Paw Paw Township 35.5%

Van Buren County 37%

Michigan 45.2%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Paw Paw Township population

Racial and ethnic composition — Paw Paw Township vs Van Buren County vs Michigan. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Hispanic or Latino	10.6%	12.5%	5.9%
Mexican	9.1%	10.8%	4%
Puerto Rican	0.3%	0.5%	0.5%
Cuban	0.6%	0.2%	0.2%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.6%	1%	1.2%
Not Hispanic or Latino	89.4%	87.5%	94.1%
One race	84.2%	83.1%	89.6%
White	79.4%	78.2%	72.4%
Black or African American	2.6%	3.5%	13.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0%	0.4%	0.3%
Asian	1.5%	0.5%	3.4%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.7%	0.4%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	5.2%	4.4%	4.5%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

66.3% family

Family 66.3%

Non family 33.7%

% family households

Paw Paw Township 66.3%

Van Buren County 67.6%

Michigan 62.4%

Average household size

2.34

persons per household

Paw Paw Township

2.34

Van Buren County

2.44

Michigan

2.42

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Paw Paw Township population

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Total households	2,881	30,622	4,076,369
Average houshold size	2.34	2.44	2.42
Family households	1,911	20,691	2,545,621
Average family size	2.87	2.95	3.05
Married couple family	1,177	15,295	1,878,767
Other families	734	5,396	666,854
Male householder	247	1,779	199,150
Female householder	487	3,617	467,704
Non-family households	970	9,931	1,530,748
One-person households	880	8,294	1,250,418
Male householder	312	3,876	583,425
Senior (65+) living alone	67	1,447	188,594
Female householder	568	4,418	666,993
Senior (65+) living alone	334	2,797	349,637
Other living arrangements	90	1,637	280,330

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

3,444

housing units

Paw Paw Township 3,444

Van Buren County 37,405

Michigan 4,622,236

Occupancy status

83.7% occupied

Occupied 83.7%

Vacant 16.3%

vacancy rate

Paw Paw Township 16.3%

Van Buren County 18.1%

Michigan 11.8%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

70.8%

Single family houses

70.8%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

23.1%

Mobile homes

6.2%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1976

Half of houses were built before 1976, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

18.8%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

28.3%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

44.8%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	5.6	5.9	5.9
1–3 rooms	11.2%	7.6%	10.5%
4–6 rooms	57.5%	54.3%	51.9%
7+ rooms	31.3%	38.1%	37.6%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	3.3%	1.2%	1.6%
1 bedroom	8.4%	5.9%	8.9%
2 bedrooms	33.1%	23.4%	24.6%
3 bedrooms	34.4%	46.4%	43.5%
4+ bedrooms	20.7%	23.1%	21.4%
At a glance
Median year built	1976	1978	1972
Total housing units	3,444	37,405	4,622,236

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

67.7% owners

Renter-occupied 32.3%

Owner-occupied 67.7%

homeownership rate

Paw Paw Township 67.7%

Van Buren County 80.6%

Michigan 73.2%

Average household size

2.56

Owner-occupied

1.86

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Paw Paw Township 2.56

Van Buren County 2.52

Michigan 2.54

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Total occupied units	2,881	30,622	4,076,369
Year moved in
2020 or later	18.8%	17.7%	21%
2010 to 2019	42.8%	38.4%	39.5%
2000 to 2009	13.1%	17.9%	16%
1999 or earlier	25.4%	25.9%	23.4%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.3%	98%	98.4%
1.01 to 1.50	1.7%	1.6%	1.2%
1.51 or more	0%	0.4%	0.4%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.9%	5.7%	7%
1 vehicle	39.2%	31.9%	34.8%
2 vehicles	31.6%	38.9%	38.3%
3 or more vehicles	22.4%	23.4%	19.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	75.3%	77.2%	83.6%
Electricity	16.4%	12.1%	12.1%
Solar	0%	0%	0%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	2.9%	2.9%	0.8%
All other fuels	4.5%	7.1%	3%
No fuel used	1%	0.7%	0.5%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.6%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	0.6%	0.6%	0.7%
No telephone service available	0.6%	0.8%	0.7%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$197,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Paw Paw Township

$197,400

Van Buren County

$206,500

Michigan

$231,600

Housing Cost Burden

25.5%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

25.5%

Owners without a mortgage

12.6%

Renters

29%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Property value
Median Value	$197,400	$206,500	$231,600
Under $100,000	15.4%	18.4%	16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	35.3%	29.9%	24.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	27.1%	22.2%	23.4%
$300,000 - $500,000	14.6%	20.1%	24.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	6.3%	8.1%	9.2%
$1,000,000 and more	1.3%	1.2%	1.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	68.9%	58.6%	57.8%
Without a mortgage	31.1%	41.4%	42.2%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,365	$1,404	$1,569
Without a mortgage	$559	$570	$602
Gross rent
Median rent	$804	$870	$1,129

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

21%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Paw Paw Township 21%

Van Buren County 23%

Michigan 32.4%

Adults without a high school diploma

9.2%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Paw Paw Township 9.2%

Van Buren County 10.5%

Michigan 8%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

1,512

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

5.9%

K–12

83.2%

College / Undergraduate

10.1%

Graduate / Professional

0.8%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

15.1%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Paw Paw Township

15.1%

Van Buren County

21.1%

Michigan

41.1%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Total enrolled (age 3+)	1,512	16,318	2,312,914
Nursery / preschool	5.9%	6.5%	5.6%
K–12	83.2%	78.5%	67.9%
Kindergarten	13.4%	5.7%	5.2%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	28.3%	23.7%	19.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	14.8%	25.2%	20.8%
High School: Grades 9–12	26.7%	23.8%	22.2%
College or graduate school	10.9%	15%	26.5%
College, undergraduate	10.1%	12.6%	21.1%
Graduate, professional school	0.8%	2.4%	5.4%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	15.1%	21.1%	41.1%
School type
Public school	88.7%	91%	85.2%
Private school	11.3%	9%	14.8%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

4,797

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

3.7%

9th-12th, no diploma

5.5%

HS graduate

33.9%

Some college no degree

24%

Associates degree

11.9%

Bachelors degree

13.7%

Graduate or professional degree

7.3%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

48% · 52%

9th-12th, no diploma

64.9% · 35.1%

HS graduate

44.6% · 55.4%

Some college no degree

49% · 51%

Associates degree

31.8% · 68.2%

Bachelors degree

60.8% · 39.2%

Graduate or professional degree

48.7% · 51.3%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Population (25+)	4,797	52,835	7,008,507
Less than 9th grade	3.7%	4.3%	2.6%
9th–12th, no diploma	5.5%	6.2%	5.4%
High school diploma or GED	33.9%	33.3%	28%
Some college, no degree	24%	23.8%	21.9%
Associate's degree	11.9%	9.5%	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21%	23%	32.4%
Bachelor's degree	13.7%	14.6%	19.7%
Graduate or professional	7.3%	8.4%	12.7%
High School or higher	90.8%	89.6%	92.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,395

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$37,809

HS graduate

$35,761

Some college or associates

$49,167

Bachelors degree

$63,523

Graduate or professional degree

$66,083

Poverty Rate

1.8%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

11.7%

HS graduate

17.4%

Some college or associates

12.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

1.8%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Paw Paw Township	Van Buren County	Michigan
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,395	$47,211	$50,316
Less than high school graduate	$37,809	$32,222	$31,851
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$35,761	$39,846	$37,777
Some college or associate's degree	$49,167	$47,237	$44,844
Bachelor's degree	$63,523	$57,960	$66,893
Graduate or professional degree	$66,083	$73,285	$85,195
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	11.7%	29.6%	27.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	17.4%	14%	15.2%
Some college or associate's degree	12.2%	10.5%	10.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.8%	4.9%	4.2%

Insights for Paw Paw Township, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.