Consider yourself lucky if you call one of the best places to live in Michigan home. And rightfully so. Michigan has a ton of exceptional characteristics that are unique to the only state that borders five Great Lakes.
Crystal-clear lakes, lush pine forests, and friendly people aside, Michigan’s top places have a lot to offer.
We used Saturday Night Science to rank the best places in Michigan based on data from the Census, FBI, and Zillow. We considered factors like a strong job market, low crime rates, and plenty of things to do.
So, grab a cold Labatts, warm a pasty, and read on for more details on the top places to live in Michigan.
People in Michigan live 76.8 years on average — 29th in the nation; see how every state stacks up in our life expectancy by state ranking.
$190,150 median income · $537,208 median home · #1 best place in Michigan
Located in
Oakland County, MichiganComing in as The Mitten’s best city is Huntington Woods. Previously ranked first, Huntington Woods is also located just southeast of Detroit and the locals here would tell you that it has a lot to offer. With over 6,328 highly educated residents, the median income in The City of Homes is close to $190,150 and the median home price is $537,208.
The adventures are endless in Huntington Woods. One stop could lead you to learning about the natural world at the Cranbrook Institute of Science; and if you happen to be visiting between Labor Day and Thanksgiving, you could always pick up a snack and experience at Franklin Cider Mill.
Huntington Woods boasts a 10/10 overall SnackAbility. Come for a visit and stay for a while.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$116,239 median income · $314,815 median home · #2 best place in Michigan
Located in
Oakland County, MichiganWhere the MI-1 and Eleven Mile meet 25 minutes northeast of Detroit is the 2nd best place to live in Michigan. This must be a Michigan hot spot because it has the youngest population in the state and it’s one of the best cities for singles in The Mitten. If we know anything about today’s young people and millennials, they know where to find the best deals. They have chosen Berkley because it has a manageable cost of living, affordable homes, and low crime.
Yes, the cost of living here is lower than the national average and slightly higher than the state–1.1x in fact. Homes here are the 42nd lowest in the state–expect to pay $314,815 for a nice single family home. And, crime? There were only 56 recorded at the time of this report.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$177,412 median income · $587,951 median home · #3 best place in Michigan
Located in
Oakland County, Michigan“Beverly Hills, that’s where I want to be.” This might not be the Beverly Hills that Weezer sings about, but it’s definitely one of the nicest places in Michigan, so much so that it’s the 3rd best place in the state for 2026.
And this is because it has some of the highest home prices in the state. Now, don’t get it twisted, we’re not saying that a place can only be one of the best if it has fancy homes; generally speaking, however, higher home prices mean higher property taxes which trickles down to better schools and nicer amenities. So, when we looked at Beverly Hills SnackAbility scores, we were not surprised to find the city scored a 9.5/10 for education and an 8.5/10 for amenities. You will be happy to know that the unemployment rate here is the 7th best in the state at 1.6% and that the median income is $177,412/year–so, it is doable.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$166,610 median income · $664,184 median home · #4 best place in Michigan
Located in
Kent County, MichiganLocated just East of Grand Rapids is Michigan’s 4th best city — East Grand Rapids. While it is not the number one best city in Michigan for 2026, it has the 3rd highest household income at $166,610 making it also one of the richest places in The Great Lakes State. So, if you are an outdoor enthusiast, that nice income provides a little extra cash to experience the fun, outdoor things that East Grand rapids has to offer. Like, spending the day at Reeds Lake hiking and biking the trails or taking in one of the many yachting regattas at the Grand Rapids Yacht Club. However, if you have some time, a day trip to the Lake Michigan beaches in Grand Haven are a Pure Michigan experience.
The people in East Grand Rapids are great, but that’s not why this city is the 4th best. East Grand Rapids earned this rank because the job opportunities are endless, it has great schools, and the crime rate here is 58% below the national average.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$153,510 median income · $733,351 median home · #5 best place in Michigan
Located in
Oakland County, MichiganMoving into first as the #5 best city to live in Michigan is Birmingham. Located southeast of Detroit in Oakland County with over 21,763 residents, “This Walkable Community” has the best of both worlds-activities for the family and adults alike. Birmingham has much to offer throughout the seasons between attending farmer’s markets, enjoying a winter brew at Griffin Claw, or taking the family to check out the The Robot Garage, these are just a few of the many reasons Birmingham has moved into the top spot for best city in Michigan.
Birmingham also scored a 7.5/10 on overall SnackAbility with an emphasis on jobs, safety, and education.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$161,208 median income · $513,933 median home · #6 best place in Michigan
Located in
Wayne County, MichiganYes, Michigan is known as the “Wolverine State,” but you don’t have to worry, there are no longer any wolverines that reside here, but what is still a “thing” is the fact that Grosse Pointe Farms is one of the best places to live in the state. Matter of fact, it’s Michigan’s 6th best of the best.
To be one of the best, a city needs to protect its residents, provide an affordable cost of living for its residents, as well as provide job opportunities to keep its residents happy, healthy, and employed. And, folks, that’s just what Grosse Pointe Farms has done. The crime rate here is below the state average–there were only 107 crimes recorded at the time of this report. The unemployment rate is 1.9% and most residents make $161,208/year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$145,530 median income · $588,077 median home · #7 best place in Michigan
Located in
Wayne County, Michigan7th best place to live, Northville–we promise you won’t be disappointed, and here are a few of the reasons why: affordability, safety, and amenities. Northville is the perfect storm–it is close enough to Detroit to take advantage of the “big city’s” night-life, but far enough away to feel like you live in your own little slice of heaven. And that piece of heaven includes a crime rate below the national average and the 3rd best median home price in the state at $588,077.
It also includes some super cool things to do when you’re not busy making the city’s median income of $145,530/year: like, hiking and biking Maybury State Park in the summer or spending your winters taking your snowmobile for runs on some of the best trails in The Great Lake(s) State.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,145 median income · $471,425 median home · #8 best place in Michigan
Located in
Wayne County, MichiganMuch like Plymouth Rock, Michigan’s 8th best place to live Plymouth stands for freedom. However, in Plymouth’s case, it’s freedom from high prices and boredom. Yes, Plymouth scored a 7/10 on our SnackAbility scale and quality of life indicators like affordability, safety, and amenities were among the city’s best attributes.
Folks, the median home price here is the 12th best in the state–you can get a quality single family home for $471,425. To put the city’s crime rate in perspective, there were only 93 crimes reported at the time we pulled Plymouth’s numbers making this small town of 9,214 residents one of the safest in the state. And when it’s time to blow off some steam from the work week, Kellogg Park and the https://plymouthhistory.org/”>Plymouth History Museum should do the trick.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$111,750 median income · $486,537 median home · #9 best place in Michigan
Located in
Oakland County, MichiganRanking at number 9 on our list of the best places to live in Michigan is Rochester, a suburb quietly building resident wealth. The numbers speak for themselves here with $111,750 median household incomes paired with 9th ranked home values.
Unemployment sits at 2.5%. Honestly, that matters when you’re shopping for suburbs where the schools work well for families, and your kids won’t lack weekend activities.
Rochester parks and recreation anchors family weekends throughout the year in this quiet, affluent community.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$124,111 median income · $502,195 median home · #10 best place in Michigan
Located in
Wayne County, MichiganOn the Michigan Mitten, Grosse Pointe Park is located where the thumb meets the hand and this must be a good spot as this city is the 10th best place to live in the state. It’s also one of the oldest counties in the state, so they’ve had plenty of time to perfect an affordable cost of living and a safe environment for its residents and anyone looking to move to this Detroit suburb. Currently the city holds the 8th best median home price at $502,195 and the people here make a lot of money–like a median income of $124,111/year. This salary helps to offset the slightly higher than the national average cost of living. Just know that if you choose Grosse Pointe Park as your forever home, living expenses like groceries and transportation will be slightly higher–(maybe it’s time to think about dusting off the ‘ol bike….)
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Michigan’s statewide median.
Michigan statewide median: $72,875
Michigan statewide median: $259,857
Michigan statewide median: 5.7%
On the map
Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Michigan
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Michigan
Before we even started to collect data on the best places to live in Michigan, we had to answer a tough question: Is it fair to pit cities with populations over 100,000 against places with a population of 18?
We firmly decided no, that just isn’t fair.
So, to create our ranking, we broke the best places to live into three tiers:
- Cities — Populations over 5,000
- Towns — Populations between 1,000 and 5,000
- Small Towns — Populations below 1,000
We then decided no matter how much anyone loves their town, the best cities to live in Michigan have more of everything, and therefore, you need over 5,000 people to truly be ‘the best.’
Now that we had our set of the best possible cities, it was time to rank them using Saturday Night Science.
We ranked each place in Michigan across a number of criteria from one to 150, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, crowning the city posting the lowest overall score, the “Best Place To Live In Michigan.”
The criteria we looked to determine the best places were:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Unemployment Rate
- Commute Time
- Crime
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty rates
Sources of criteria include the New Census Data, FBI Crime Data, and Zillow. We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking Michigan’s best places to live.
If your city or town isn’t among the top 10, jump down to the bottom of the post to see a detailed chart of the best places in Michigan. Otherwise, buckle up for a ride down good living lane with Huntington Woods at the end of the cul-de-sac.
The full plate
Best Places To Live In Michigan Table
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Best Score | Population | Unemployment Rate | Home Value | Median Income | Rent | Total Crime /100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntington Woods | 11.30 | 6,328 | 0.9% | $537,208 | $190,150 | 332 | |
| 2 | Berkley | 19.15 | 15,149 | 2.2% | $314,815 | $116,239 | 370 | |
| 3 | Beverly Hills | 19.75 | 10,524 | 1.6% | $587,951 | $177,412 | 532 | |
| 4 | East Grand Rapids | 21.00 | 11,445 | 3.2% | $664,184 | $166,610 | 1,145 | |
| 5 | Birmingham | 21.50 | 21,763 | 4.4% | $733,351 | $153,510 | 685 | |
| 6 | Grosse Pointe Farms | 24.10 | 9,904 | 1.9% | $513,933 | $161,208 | 1,080 | |
| 7 | Northville | 25.90 | 6,069 | 2.1% | $588,077 | $145,530 | 610 | |
| 8 | Plymouth | 26.00 | 9,214 | 2.3% | $471,425 | $112,145 | 1,009 | |
| 9 | Rochester | 26.95 | 12,934 | 2.5% | $486,537 | $111,750 | 394 | |
| 10 | Grosse Pointe Park | 33.10 | 11,319 | 3.3% | $502,195 | $124,111 | 1,537 | |
| 11 | Grosse Pointe | 33.20 | 5,541 | 4.3% | $469,116 | $158,853 | 2,021 | |
| 12 | Royal Oak | 33.55 | 57,950 | 3.5% | $331,359 | $101,109 | 915 | |
| 13 | South Lyon | 34.70 | 11,950 | 3.7% | $467,292 | $92,467 | 351 | |
| 14 | Farmington | 35.60 | 11,504 | 3.9% | $327,491 | $97,750 | 435 | |
| 15 | Clawson | 39.00 | 11,374 | 4.9% | $286,026 | $88,636 | 739 | |
| 16 | Grosse Pointe Woods | 39.25 | 16,094 | 5.8% | $349,101 | $126,395 | 1,541 | |
| 17 | Rochester Hills | 39.25 | 77,089 | 4.1% | $465,253 | $120,694 | 615 | |
| 18 | Frankenmuth | 43.85 | 5,157 | 4.7% | $315,291 | $85,433 | 892 | |
| 19 | Milford | 44.10 | 6,487 | 2.1% | $481,467 | $105,713 | 863 | |
| 20 | Petoskey | 44.70 | 5,856 | 1.6% | $472,426 | $74,196 | 683 | |
| 21 | New Baltimore | 44.80 | 12,072 | 4.2% | $354,733 | $106,033 | 439 | |
| 22 | Trenton | 45.15 | 18,125 | 3.3% | $239,684 | $82,212 | 563 | |
| 23 | Zeeland | 45.65 | 5,665 | 2.9% | $382,237 | $52,628 | 635 | |
| 24 | Novi | 46.65 | 66,717 | 4.3% | $467,223 | $110,723 | 751 | |
| 25 | Troy | 47.30 | 87,898 | 4.4% | $457,480 | $120,045 | 1,385 | |
| 26 | Chelsea | 48.70 | 5,426 | 4.9% | $411,817 | $72,098 | 921 | |
| 27 | Rockford | 50.40 | 6,218 | 6.2% | $450,322 | $107,121 | 885 | |
| 28 | Ann Arbor | 50.55 | 122,036 | 3.9% | $523,391 | $82,212 | 1,952 | |
| 29 | St. Clair | 51.20 | 5,585 | 0.8% | $311,688 | $69,688 | 555 | |
| 30 | Livonia | 51.30 | 93,851 | 4.6% | $309,576 | $98,460 | 1,448 | |
| 31 | Grand Ledge | 52.00 | 7,804 | 4.6% | $296,333 | $68,980 | 705 | |
| 32 | St. Johns | 52.10 | 7,715 | 4.1% | $286,182 | $68,728 | 687 | |
| 33 | Brighton | 52.20 | 7,688 | 2.9% | $432,666 | $80,682 | 1,418 | |
| 34 | Hudsonville | 52.20 | 7,769 | 5.4% | $417,204 | $91,280 | 1,137 | |
| 35 | St. Joseph | 52.20 | 7,986 | 2.0% | $328,307 | $84,057 | 1,903 | |
| 36 | Walled Lake | 52.30 | 7,299 | 4.0% | $242,300 | $72,055 | 945 | |
| 37 | Farmington Hills | 52.60 | 83,515 | 5.2% | $387,308 | $104,836 | 865 | |
| 38 | Saline | 53.25 | 9,006 | 6.3% | $465,110 | $88,346 | 1,221 | |
| 39 | Grand Haven | 53.40 | 10,996 | 1.8% | $391,797 | $60,669 | 1,137 | |
| 40 | Ferndale | 54.95 | 19,190 | 3.7% | $250,328 | $94,640 | 1,720 | |
| 41 | Midland | 56.30 | 42,724 | 4.1% | $247,417 | $73,325 | 777 | |
| 42 | Mason | 56.50 | 8,249 | 2.9% | $275,133 | $79,117 | 921 | |
| 43 | Riverview | 56.75 | 12,186 | 2.3% | $242,241 | $73,468 | 1,108 | |
| 44 | Grandville | 60.00 | 16,356 | 1.6% | $353,731 | $78,442 | 3,919 | |
| 45 | Flushing | 60.20 | 8,284 | 6.7% | $235,733 | $80,025 | 628 | |
| 46 | Holland | 60.25 | 34,423 | 2.5% | $364,546 | $75,865 | 1,624 | |
| 47 | Walker | 60.50 | 25,386 | 2.9% | $352,818 | $76,360 | 2,659 | |
| 48 | Marquette | 61.30 | 21,325 | 4.3% | $323,189 | $55,613 | 694 | |
| 49 | Milan | 61.35 | 5,987 | 5.8% | $303,662 | $96,949 | 869 | |
| 50 | Holly | 61.75 | 5,964 | 4.2% | $320,381 | $64,305 | 637 | |
| 51 | Norton Shores | 62.10 | 25,041 | 4.8% | $287,720 | $76,579 | 2,073 | |
| 52 | Howell | 62.80 | 10,021 | 3.2% | $377,375 | $60,449 | 748 | |
| 53 | St. Clair Shores | 62.80 | 58,140 | 4.4% | $227,950 | $73,500 | 1,230 | |
| 54 | Allen Park | 63.15 | 27,925 | 4.8% | $206,256 | $81,655 | 1,937 | |
| 55 | Marysville | 64.30 | 9,925 | 3.4% | $227,854 | $66,901 | 665 | |
| 56 | Grand Blanc | 64.45 | 7,987 | 2.5% | $285,257 | $68,052 | 889 | |
| 57 | Wyandotte | 65.20 | 24,489 | 3.5% | $186,227 | $71,987 | 1,033 | |
| 58 | Portage | 65.90 | 49,259 | 4.3% | $292,450 | $83,212 | 3,262 | |
| 59 | Wixom | 67.35 | 17,295 | 3.4% | $384,492 | $65,485 | 1,139 | |
| 60 | Ludington | 67.60 | 7,676 | 3.6% | $298,513 | $46,411 | 1,133 | |
| 61 | Dundee | 67.70 | 5,744 | 3.4% | $286,249 | $78,837 | 1,267 | |
| 62 | Kentwood | 69.35 | 54,296 | 4.5% | $331,531 | $74,373 | 2,551 | |
| 63 | Utica | 70.10 | 5,180 | 2.2% | $253,468 | $58,718 | 2,780 | |
| 64 | Tecumseh | 72.35 | 8,646 | 5.5% | $254,886 | $62,835 | 451 | |
| 65 | Allegan | 72.60 | 5,172 | 3.7% | $279,562 | $52,925 | 657 | |
| 66 | Gladstone | 72.75 | 5,253 | 3.9% | $204,038 | $54,970 | 514 | |
| 67 | Fenton | 73.05 | 11,906 | 8.7% | $355,969 | $80,000 | 2,545 | |
| 68 | Sterling Heights | 73.50 | 133,573 | 6.1% | $306,785 | $79,909 | 1,267 | |
| 69 | Ionia | 74.05 | 12,753 | 1.9% | $222,836 | $63,978 | 690 | |
| 70 | Oak Park | 74.15 | 29,318 | 10.8% | $232,982 | $71,510 | 2,449 | |
| 71 | Fraser | 74.65 | 14,583 | 4.3% | $234,792 | $64,354 | 2,146 | |
| 72 | Houghton | 74.85 | 8,474 | 10.3% | $262,335 | $43,456 | 802 | |
| 73 | St. Louis | 75.15 | 7,367 | 2.8% | $162,578 | $51,167 | 692 | |
| 74 | Marshall | 75.25 | 6,804 | 6.9% | $240,469 | $76,050 | 1,382 | |
| 75 | East Lansing | 75.30 | 45,758 | 6.6% | $311,383 | $45,687 | 1,589 | |
| 76 | Manistee | 75.40 | 6,275 | 6.7% | $257,759 | $60,541 | 1,625 | |
| 77 | Richmond | 76.10 | 5,855 | 11.5% | $303,793 | $64,719 | 683 | |
| 78 | Woodhaven | 76.25 | 12,690 | 7.2% | $266,356 | $78,648 | 1,623 | |
| 79 | Southfield | 76.45 | 76,236 | 6.9% | $250,952 | $68,166 | 2,883 | |
| 80 | Menominee | 76.90 | 8,326 | 2.7% | $167,970 | $49,432 | 1,357 | |
| 81 | Flat Rock | 77.05 | 10,340 | 7.3% | $257,473 | $81,585 | 1,267 | |
| 82 | Southgate | 78.15 | 29,366 | 4.2% | $192,161 | $66,118 | 2,408 | |
| 83 | Charlotte | 78.30 | 9,277 | 3.2% | $235,060 | $62,681 | 2,285 | |
| 84 | Wyoming | 78.75 | 77,353 | 4.1% | $286,890 | $73,677 | 2,627 | |
| 85 | Madison Heights | 79.10 | 28,419 | 2.8% | $219,511 | $69,503 | 1,721 | |
| 86 | Ishpeming | 79.80 | 6,181 | 6.4% | $182,186 | $52,754 | 1,084 | |
| 87 | Swartz Creek | 82.25 | 5,853 | 0.6% | $245,863 | $71,571 | 4,235 | |
| 88 | Auburn Hills | 82.40 | 25,105 | 6.0% | $277,483 | $84,375 | 2,362 | |
| 89 | Center Line | 83.15 | 8,463 | 6.8% | $166,336 | $54,703 | 1,879 | |
| 90 | Eaton Rapids | 83.25 | 5,183 | 1.6% | $250,600 | $63,875 | 1,640 | |
| 91 | Hastings | 83.55 | 7,520 | 3.7% | $235,811 | $58,286 | 1,582 | |
| 92 | Hazel Park | 84.55 | 14,963 | 5.1% | $155,502 | $67,073 | 1,845 | |
| 93 | Grand Rapids | 84.60 | 198,535 | 5.2% | $303,298 | $69,108 | 3,346 | |
| 94 | Big Rapids | 85.70 | 8,477 | 4.3% | $215,285 | $43,858 | 1,711 | |
| 95 | Iron Mountain | 86.05 | 7,518 | 4.2% | $182,105 | $59,405 | 2,275 | |
| 96 | Alma | 87.20 | 9,396 | 6.9% | $162,540 | $53,307 | 1,458 | |
| 97 | Monroe | 87.45 | 20,320 | 7.3% | $214,283 | $59,813 | 1,267 | |
| 98 | Dearborn | 87.75 | 107,423 | 6.6% | $245,068 | $65,324 | 2,231 | |
| 99 | New Haven | 88.95 | 6,475 | 3.3% | $308,844 | $66,125 | 3,771 | |
| 100 | Hillsdale | 89.10 | 8,002 | 4.4% | $199,154 | $51,038 | 925 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, Zillow research. 150 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places In Michigan
If you’re looking at areas in Michigan with the best economic situations, where there’s lower than average crime, and a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
The best places to live in Michigan are Huntington Woods, Berkley, Beverly Hills, East Grand Rapids, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe Farms, Northville, Plymouth, Rochester, and Grosse Pointe Park.
Huntington Woods made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Michigan for 2026. Not sold on Michigan? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
