These Are The 10 Best Cities For Hippies In Michigan


We used science and data to determine which Michigan cities probably wear tie dye the most.

Swipe left for slideshow. Article continues below.

You might think that the whole hippie movement has faded away, but the truth is, there are plenty of hippies out there in Michigan.

While they aren’t necessarily in your face all the time with war protests and the next Woodstock isn’t being planned any time soon, we thought it would be fun to look at which cities in the Wolverine State where the most hippies would live.

And, after crunching the data, you know what? It was pretty spot on, we have to say.

How do you decide where the most hippies live? By the number of yoga studios, organic markets, and most importantly, where the liberals live in droves.

Using that criteria, it’s not hard to scrape the internet, run some scientific data on where hippies might live in Michigan, and then put out a list.

So, put on your tie dye shirt and your sandals as you go through this list with us.

After analyzing all cities with a decent amount of people in them, we came up with this list of the 10 best cities for hippies in Michigan:

  1. Highland Park (Photos)
  2. Plymouth (Photos)
  3. Huntington Woods (Photos)
  4. River Rouge (Photos)
  5. Northville (Photos)
  6. Clawson (Photos)
  7. Berkley (Photos)
  8. Beverly Hills (Photos)
  9. Ecorse (Photos)
  10. Grosse Pointe (Photos)

Read on below to see where your town ranked, young flower child.

And if you already knew these places were hippie heavens, check out the best places to live in Michigan or the safest places to live in Michigan.

How do you determine the most beatnik city in Michigan?

In order to rank the best cities for hippies in Michigan, we had to determine what criteria defines a hippie.

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the Google Places API, the Census’s 2010-2014 American Community Survey, and Voter Registration data, this is the criteria we used:

  • Number of yoga studios per capita
  • Number of organic markets per capita
  • Number of pet adoption centers per capita
  • Number of vegan restaurants per capita
  • Number of thrift stores per capita
  • Each city’s liberal voting population

Note: For the sake of getting reliable numbers, we counted places within a ~4.5 mile radius of a city’s center. The average city in America is about 18 square miles.

All of these results are listed in a per capita basis, meaning number of stores per person in a city. Additionally, we limited the analysis to non-CDPs that have over 5,000 people.

We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 147 in each category, where 1 was the most hippie.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a hippie index.

And finally, we crowned the city with the highest hippie index the ‘Best City for Hippies In Michigan.’ We’re lookin’ at you, Highland Park.

Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in hippie central. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the places in the state from hippiest to most square.

1. Highland Park

Highland Park, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.28
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.46
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.82
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.64
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.47
Highland Park is a city in Wayne County in the State of Michigan, within Metro Detroit. The population was 11,776 at the 2010 census. The city is completely surrounded by Detroit except for a small portion that touches the city of Hamtramck, which is also surrounded by Detroit.

2. Plymouth

Plymouth, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.55
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.66
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.0
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.66
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.22
Plymouth is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,132 at the 2010 census. The City of Plymouth is entirely surrounded by the Charter Township of Plymouth.

3. Huntington Woods

Huntington Woods, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 3.65
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.79
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.9
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.74
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 6.18

4. River Rouge

River Rouge, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 0.77
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.26
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.03
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.03
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.32
River Rouge is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan and an industrial Downriver suburb of Detroit. The population was 7,903 at the 2010 census. It is named after the River Rouge (from the French ‘rouge’ meaning red), which flows along the city’s northern border and into the Detroit River. The city includes the heavily industrialized Zug Island at the mouth of the River Rouge.

5. Northville

Northville, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.5
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 1.0
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.83
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 1.0
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.0
Northville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The area is a suburb of Metropolitan Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. Most of the city is in Oakland County and is surrounded by the city of Novi, while the other part is in Wayne County is surrounded by Northville Township. Northville is served by Northville Public Schools. The city is located 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Ann Arbor and 29 miles (47 km) northwest of Detroit.

6. Clawson

Clawson, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.09
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.67
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 1.17
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.67
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.93
Clawson is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the Detroit metropolitan area. At the 2010 census, its population was 11,825.

7. Berkley

Berkley, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.38
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.4
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.92
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.99
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.58
Berkley is a suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor in southeastern Oakland County, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the total population was 14,970.

8. Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 2.22
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.58
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.58
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.77
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 1.74
Beverly Hills is a village in Southfield Township, Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,267 making it by far the most populous village in the state.

9. Ecorse

Ecorse, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 0.32
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.53
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.53
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.43
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 2.02
Ecorse is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan, named for the Ecorse River. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.

10. Grosse Pointe

Grosse Pointe, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

Yoga Studios Per 1,000 People: 1.12
Organic Markets Per 1,000 People: 0.37
Pet Adoption Centers Per 1,000 People: 0.19
Vegan Restaurants Per 1,000 People: 0.56
Thrift Stores Per 1,000 People: 1.68
Grosse Pointe is a waterfront city adjacent to Detroit in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The municipality covers just over one square mile and had a population of 5,421 at the 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by Grosse Pointe Park, on the north by Detroit, on the east by Grosse Pointe Farms, and on the south by Lake Saint Clair. Grosse Pointe is about eight miles (13 km) east of downtown Detroit, accessible by Jefferson Avenue or several other cross streets. Grosse Pointe is one of five similarly named municipalities in northeastern Wayne County, and is often called ‘The City’ or Grosse Pointe City.

There You Have It — The Hippies Of Michigan

If you’re measuring the locations in Michigan where there are lots of liberals, and there are many options for vegan food, yoga and thrift stores, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious, here are the most square places in Michigan:

  1. Niles
  2. Sturgis
  3. Grand Rapids

For more Michigan reading , check out:

Detailed List Of The Hippiest Cities In Michigan

City Rank Population
Highland Park 1 10,951
Plymouth 2 9,029
Huntington Woods 3 6,310
River Rouge 4 7,761
Northville 5 6,001
Clawson 6 11,943
Berkley 7 15,136
Beverly Hills 8 10,368
Ecorse 9 9,401
Grosse Pointe 10 5,350
Hazel Park 11 16,532
Walled Lake 12 7,065
Farmington 13 10,472
Hamtramck 14 22,256
Ferndale 15 20,102
Birmingham 16 20,382
East Grand Rapids 17 10,999
Harper Woods 18 14,058
Riverview 19 12,347
Melvindale 20 10,584
Swartz Creek 21 5,664
Grosse Pointe Farms 22 9,371
Grand Blanc 23 8,147
Springfield 24 5,231
Fraser 25 14,544
Madison Heights 26 30,028
Allen Park 27 27,869
Oak Park 28 29,622
Grosse Pointe Woods 29 15,943
Brighton 30 7,562
St. Joseph 31 8,310
Zeeland 32 5,566
Center Line 33 8,279
Grosse Pointe Park 34 11,412
Rochester 35 12,872
Muskegon Heights 36 10,807
Benton Harbor 37 10,056
Petoskey 38 5,705
Wixom 39 13,640
Milford 40 6,325
Ypsilanti 41 19,844
Woodhaven 42 12,747
Trenton 43 18,635
Wayne 44 17,314
Royal Oak 45 58,382
Inkster 46 25,056
Sault Ste. Marie 47 14,121
Flushing 48 8,252
Kingsford 49 5,115
Southgate 50 29,710
Flat Rock 51 9,859
Ludington 52 8,061
Howell 53 9,543
Hudsonville 54 7,217
Davison 55 5,085
Houghton 56 7,897
Holly 57 6,142
East Lansing 58 48,611
Eastpointe 59 32,526
Chelsea 60 5,085
Grandville 61 15,613
Mount Clemens 62 16,345
Iron Mountain 63 7,593
Auburn Hills 64 21,639
Norton Shores 65 23,941
Port Huron 66 29,534
Marysville 67 9,842
Mount Pleasant 68 26,095
Wyandotte 69 25,470
Lincoln Park 70 37,648
Manistee 71 6,160
Rockford 72 5,876
Monroe 73 20,455
Roseville 74 47,408
Allegan 75 5,030
Burton 76 29,429
Grand Haven 77 10,687
Ishpeming 78 6,514
Dowagiac 79 5,822
Kentwood 80 49,736
Cadillac 81 10,306
Saline 82 9,000
Menominee 83 8,516
Richmond 84 5,806
Ann Arbor 85 115,985
Fenton 86 11,601
Holland 87 33,342
Big Rapids 88 10,543
St. Clair 89 5,428
Lapeer 90 8,801
Grand Ledge 91 7,779
Walker 92 24,015
Portage 93 47,137
South Lyon 94 11,514
Farmington Hills 95 80,682
Ironwood 96 5,237
Kalamazoo 97 75,190
Marquette 98 21,430
Novi 99 56,887
Romulus 100 23,721
Jackson 101 33,317
Muskegon 102 37,822
Saginaw 103 50,700
Taylor 104 62,331
St. Clair Shores 105 59,865
Alpena 106 10,336
Troy 107 82,106
Dearborn Heights 108 57,063
Westland 109 83,188
Southfield 110 72,480
Livonia 111 95,888
Southfield 112 72,480
St. Louis 113 7,347
Milan 114 5,724
Pontiac 115 59,658
New Baltimore 116 12,144
Lansing 117 114,382
Owosso 118 14,922
Marshall 119 7,054
Dearborn 120 96,739
Belding 121 5,764
Alma 122 9,289
Mason 123 8,266
Adrian 124 21,008
Greenville 125 8,434
Rochester Hills 126 72,195
Flint 127 100,569
Wyoming 128 73,434
Tecumseh 129 8,407
Eaton Rapids 130 5,221
Charlotte 131 9,053
Battle Creek 132 51,963
Detroit 133 695,437
Hillsdale 134 8,222
Midland 135 42,067
Escanaba 136 12,529
Sterling Heights 137 130,604
Coldwater 138 10,863
Warren 139 134,398
Ionia 140 11,388
Hastings 141 7,313
Three Rivers 142 7,765
Albion 143 8,416
St. Johns 144 7,933
Grand Rapids 145 190,739
Sturgis 146 10,923
Niles 147 11,479
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.