Cost of living in Hartford, Michigan

Hartford, Michigan has about 2,458 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.

A typical home is worth about $108,700.

HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Van Buren County is $1,040 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in Hartford. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.

Michigan's prices sit at 96.2 when the U.S. average is 100. This place is not in a metro area with its own index, so this is the state number from BEA for 2024.

Michigan taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 6.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not Hartford's exact store tax.

Some places in Michigan add a local wage tax. In 2023 the state average was about 0.16% of income. That is not a Hartford bill.

In July 2026, a typical Michigan home paid 23.05¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not Hartford's bill.

EIA does not publish a Michigan gasoline price. For the week of October 12, 2026, the Midwest (PADD 2) all-grades price was $4.237 a gallon. At 12,000 miles a year and 25 mpg, the index counts that as $2,033.76 a year. Those miles are our standard, not a Census figure, and every town in Michigan shares this price.

Among 409 places we list in Michigan with a rent figure, 287 have higher typical rent than Hartford.