The 10 Best Places To Live In Michigan For 2025


The best places to live in Michigan for 2025 are Huntington Woods, Berkley, and Birmingham. Find out where your city or town ranks.

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.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Map | Methodology | Summary


What city is the best place to live in Michigan for 2025? The best place to live in Michigan is Huntington Woods.

Michigan is every outdoor enthusiast’s dream come true. But Michigan has many incredible cities where commute times, education, and strong economies make resisting difficult.

The trick is to find it all.

For more reading, check out:

The 10 Best Places To Live In Michigan For 2025

Best Places To Live In Michigan Map

Huntington Woods, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Darren56brown | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Huntington Woods Michigan
Population 6,322 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 1
Median Home Value $470,600 $217,600
Median Income $188,229 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 1.5% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0035 0.0183

More on Huntington Woods: Data

Coming 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 6,322 highly educated residents, the median income in The City of Homes is close to $188,229 and the median home price is $470,600.

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.

Berkley, MI

Source: Wikipedia User JessicaStilger | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Berkley Michigan
Population 15,084 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 3
Median Home Value $289,200 $217,600
Median Income $113,103 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0044 0.0183

More on Berkley: Data

Where 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 26th lowest in the state–expect to pay $289,200 for a nice single family home. And, crime? There were only 66 recorded at the time of this report.

Birmingham, MI

Source: Wikipedia User OmidGul | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Birmingham Michigan
Population 21,612 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 4
Median Home Value $712,700 $217,600
Median Income $153,125 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 4.0% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0093 0.0183

More on Birmingham: Data

Moving into first as the #3 best city to live in Michigan is Birmingham. Located southeast of Detroit in Oakland County with over 21,612 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.

East Grand Rapids, MI

Source: Wikipedia User WMrapids | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat East Grand Rapids Michigan
Population 11,394 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 2
Median Home Value $488,500 $217,600
Median Income $168,487 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 3.0% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0158 0.0183

More on East Grand Rapids: Data

Located 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 2025, it has the 3rd highest household income at $168,487 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.

Beverly Hills, MI

Source: Flickr User Ken Lund | CC BY-SA 2.0
Stat Beverly Hills Michigan
Population 10,507 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 5
Median Home Value $488,800 $217,600
Median Income $175,460 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 1.9% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0058 0.0183

More on Beverly Hills: Data

“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 5th best place in the state for 2025.

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 1.9% and that the median income is $175,460/year–so, it is doable.

Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Appraiser | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Grosse Pointe Farms Michigan
Population 9,957 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 6
Median Home Value $418,600 $217,600
Median Income $160,589 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 2.3% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0139 0.0183

More on Grosse Pointe Farms: Data

Yes, 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 138 crimes recorded at the time of this report. The unemployment rate is 2.3% and most residents make $160,589/year.

Northville, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Dave Parker | GFDL
Stat Northville Michigan
Population 6,080 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 8
Median Home Value $455,100 $217,600
Median Income $143,875 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 3.3% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0069 0.0183

More on Northville: Data

7th 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 6th best median home price in the state at $455,100.

It also includes some super cool things to do when you’re not busy making the city’s median income of $143,875/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.

Rochester, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Darren56brown | CC BY-SA 4.0
Stat Rochester Michigan
Population 12,939 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 14
Median Home Value $450,800 $217,600
Median Income $104,920 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 2.5% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0042 0.0183

More on Rochester: Data

Plymouth, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Dave Parker | GFDL
Stat Plymouth Michigan
Population 9,234 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 9
Median Home Value $418,200 $217,600
Median Income $111,742 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 3.1% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0102 0.0183

More on Plymouth: Data

Much like Plymouth Rock, Michigan’s 9th 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 10th best in the state–you can get a quality single family home for $418,200. To put the city’s crime rate in perspective, there were only 94 crimes reported at the time we pulled Plymouth’s numbers making this small town of 9,234 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.

Grosse Pointe, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Umdet | CC BY-SA 3.0
Stat Grosse Pointe Michigan
Population 5,561 10,051,595
Rank Last Year 10
Median Home Value $391,800 $217,600
Median Income $141,985 $71,149
Unemployment Rate 4.1% 5.8%
Crime Per Capita 0.0214 0.0183

More on Grosse Pointe: Data

Grosse Pointe, Michigan, is a famously wealthy suburb of Detroit – the perfect home town for professional athletes (including baseball’s Miguel Cabrera) and big-shot auto executives. It’s no surprise, then, that the affluent community rates as the number 10 top place in the state to put down roots.

Cementing its reputation as a haven for rich execs, the median income in Grosse Pointe sits at a lofty $141,985. That represent the 7th highest in Michigan. The median home value hovers at $391,800, the state’s 13th highest figure. With all that property-tax money to support them, the schools in the area are excellent. They get a ranking of 8/10 from Great Schools.

Crime in the town of 5,561 residents is well below the national average. The cost of living is a little higher than the standard for the U.S. as a whole.

Sitting on the coast of Lake St. Clair, within site of the Canadian border, Grosse Pointe provides excellent access to downtown Detroit, just 20 minutes away. The community also has its own amenities, including shopping at The Village or a stroll through Neff Park.

Mapping The Best And Worst Places To Live in Michigan

Best Places To Live In Michigan Size Requirement

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 Lansing, with a population of 112,546, 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

This filter left 151 cities, 257 towns, and 254 small towns.

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.’

Methodology: How We Calculated The Best Cities To Live In Michigan

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 151, 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 2025. This report is our tenth 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.

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, Birmingham, East Grand Rapids, Beverly Hills, Grosse Pointe Farms, Northville, Rochester, Plymouth, and Grosse Pointe.

Huntington Woods made a strong showing to take in the overall number one spot for the best place to live in Michigan for 2025.

If you’re curious enough, here are the worst places to live in Michigan according to the data:

  1. Highland Park (Pop. 8,798)
  2. River Rouge (Pop. 7,092)
  3. Dowagiac (Pop. 5,677)

For more Michigan reading, check out:

Best Places To Live In Michigan Table

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value Median Income Rent Crime Per Capita
1 Huntington Woods 6,322 1.5% $470,600 $188,229 $2,266 0.0035
2 Berkley 15,084 3.0% $289,200 $113,103 $1,436 0.0044
3 Birmingham 21,612 4.0% $712,700 $153,125 $1,891 0.0093
4 East Grand Rapids 11,394 3.0% $488,500 $168,487 $1,845 0.0158
5 Beverly Hills 10,507 1.9% $488,800 $175,460 $2,208 0.0058
6 Grosse Pointe Farms 9,957 2.3% $418,600 $160,589 $1,500 0.0139
7 Northville 6,080 3.3% $455,100 $143,875 $1,443 0.0069
8 Rochester 12,939 2.5% $450,800 $104,920 $1,201 0.0042
9 Plymouth 9,234 3.1% $418,200 $111,742 $1,118 0.0102
10 Grosse Pointe 5,561 4.1% $391,800 $141,985 $1,670 0.0214
11 Grosse Pointe Park 11,394 2.8% $460,500 $121,796 $1,365 0.0176
12 Farmington 11,472 3.5% $273,000 $94,115 $1,299 0.0071
13 Clawson 11,314 5.2% $250,800 $86,630 $1,253 0.0074
14 Royal Oak 57,880 3.1% $305,900 $95,182 $1,335 0.0108
15 Grosse Pointe Woods 16,177 6.2% $322,500 $129,442 $1,755 0.0117
16 Rochester Hills 76,086 3.9% $377,400 $119,054 $1,606 0.0084
17 South Lyon 11,825 3.7% $280,900 $83,822 $1,208 0.0038
18 Chelsea 5,420 2.6% $301,100 $71,702 $1,543 0.0096
19 Frankenmuth 5,108 5.6% $277,600 $84,583 $814 0.0110
20 Brighton 7,576 2.7% $302,800 $81,772 $1,248 0.0114
21 Novi 66,224 3.8% $399,100 $110,938 $1,696 0.0095
22 St. Joseph 7,805 1.8% $271,100 $77,765 $1,079 0.0152
23 Troy 87,307 4.0% $396,800 $119,299 $1,557 0.0150
24 Petoskey 5,851 1.5% $319,300 $71,783 $872 0.0062
25 Grand Ledge 7,797 5.2% $189,300 $66,515 $944 0.0050
26 Saline 8,976 4.7% $310,600 $90,662 $1,098 0.0108
27 Farmington Hills 83,316 5.0% $333,200 $101,863 $1,475 0.0127
28 Milford 6,467 2.7% $348,600 $102,521 $1,058 0.0136
29 Livonia 94,058 4.6% $265,300 $96,317 $1,284 0.0172
30 New Baltimore 12,060 4.6% $309,800 $97,027 $1,081 0.0060
31 Trenton 18,242 3.9% $202,400 $78,565 $873 0.0065
32 Ann Arbor 121,179 3.6% $435,100 $81,089 $1,552 0.0201
33 Zeeland 5,691 3.1% $248,100 $49,367 $908 0.0067
34 St. Johns 7,712 3.9% $175,300 $63,030 $870 0.0061
35 Walled Lake 7,275 4.7% $213,000 $67,335 $1,304 0.0115
36 Grandville 16,135 1.0% $251,100 $78,551 $1,112 0.0389
37 Riverview 12,269 2.7% $200,500 $71,783 $1,050 0.0111
38 Midland 42,461 4.6% $192,400 $74,906 $990 0.0068
39 St. Clair 5,581 4.3% $241,700 $68,482 $1,033 0.0070
40 Hudsonville 7,711 5.5% $260,500 $88,606 $1,170 0.0150
41 Allen Park 28,128 4.9% $174,500 $80,045 $1,181 0.0192
42 St. Clair Shores 58,287 4.5% $196,400 $72,693 $1,143 0.0116
43 Milan 6,070 5.8% $233,700 $93,016 $1,083 0.0054
44 Grand Haven 10,966 4.0% $242,400 $60,665 $961 0.0150
45 Walker 25,201 2.9% $266,400 $73,835 $1,121 0.0282
46 Flushing 8,323 6.3% $189,500 $77,372 $940 0.0085
47 Mason 8,239 3.9% $194,600 $79,521 $1,103 0.0113
48 Marquette 20,691 4.7% $254,100 $55,825 $958 0.0082
49 Wixom 17,126 2.7% $336,200 $68,319 $974 0.0142
50 Marysville 9,942 4.2% $185,500 $69,661 $955 0.0093
51 Holland 34,266 2.1% $235,800 $72,905 $1,143 0.0176
52 Ferndale 19,156 3.9% $233,600 $91,732 $1,235 0.0245
53 Wyandotte 24,593 3.6% $159,700 $67,846 $995 0.0115
54 Norton Shores 25,000 5.5% $214,000 $73,390 $1,286 0.0226
55 Grand Blanc 7,995 4.4% $228,000 $67,284 $854 0.0093
56 Portage 49,015 5.0% $243,400 $79,529 $1,120 0.0364
57 Gladstone 5,240 3.5% $111,700 $57,534 $793 0.0048
58 Dundee 5,584 2.2% $233,000 $71,058 $1,120 0.0133
59 Ludington 7,664 4.0% $192,800 $44,471 $824 0.0146
60 Kentwood 54,114 4.8% $249,000 $73,647 $1,205 0.0327
61 Sterling Heights 133,473 6.2% $260,700 $78,429 $1,267 0.0126
62 Howell 10,074 3.2% $240,700 $57,122 $1,121 0.0104
63 Tecumseh 8,655 6.6% $193,600 $64,086 $969 0.0058
64 Rockford 6,162 8.9% $294,800 $100,156 $1,088 0.0389
65 East Lansing 45,394 6.9% $251,600 $43,547 $1,122 0.0174
66 Utica 5,184 3.4% $216,800 $55,524 $984 0.0289
67 Houghton 8,341 10.8% $233,700 $35,417 $861 0.0083
68 Southgate 29,551 5.1% $165,400 $64,635 $1,102 0.0239
69 Oak Park 29,370 9.9% $198,500 $65,882 $1,354 0.0263
70 Holly 5,971 6.7% $174,900 $61,221 $974 0.0094
71 Fraser 14,604 5.2% $193,600 $61,118 $827 0.0212
72 Fenton 11,950 8.4% $211,700 $83,077 $1,323 0.0191
73 Marshall 6,797 7.4% $169,800 $75,220 $933 0.0154
74 Southfield 76,025 6.9% $226,900 $65,848 $1,301 0.0326
75 Eaton Rapids 5,197 1.4% $140,600 $63,618 $944 0.0169
76 Center Line 8,448 7.1% $145,300 $52,857 $627 0.0191
77 Auburn Hills 24,911 5.1% $233,900 $78,727 $1,411 0.0263
78 Flat Rock 10,418 6.4% $201,400 $73,288 $1,006 0.0133
79 Wyoming 76,865 4.1% $203,900 $72,163 $1,141 0.0304
80 Madison Heights 28,411 2.8% $190,300 $66,726 $1,138 0.0216
81 St. Louis 6,926 5.0% $115,700 $46,096 $865 0.0075
82 Manistee 6,275 5.7% $144,400 $59,315 $771 0.0239
83 Charlotte 9,269 5.2% $140,500 $63,385 $779 0.0193
84 Allegan 5,182 2.7% $161,100 $42,261 $1,024 0.0058
85 Monroe 20,330 6.8% $161,500 $59,532 $898 0.0133
86 Swartz Creek 5,856 1.7% $168,900 $73,862 $995 0.0457
87 Dearborn 107,846 6.8% $205,900 $65,192 $1,264 0.0241
88 Westland 84,155 5.3% $176,500 $62,216 $1,113 0.0212
89 Grand Rapids 197,768 5.0% $225,500 $65,526 $1,191 0.0389
90 Kingsford 5,138 5.5% $110,600 $61,108 $861 0.0251
91 Hillsdale 8,013 4.6% $131,300 $47,817 $801 0.0134
92 Ishpeming 6,173 8.3% $109,200 $52,717 $688 0.0104
93 Woodhaven 12,761 6.3% $221,200 $83,291 $1,015 0.0656
94 Hazel Park 14,945 4.4% $141,200 $62,878 $1,221 0.0242
95 Ionia 12,950 6.3% $161,100 $60,729 $789 0.0069
96 Hastings 7,515 5.6% $159,000 $56,309 $785 0.0225
97 Menominee 8,370 5.6% $97,800 $49,646 $700 0.0153
98 Sault Ste. Marie 13,373 5.5% $127,300 $55,031 $787 0.0144
99 Richmond 5,839 8.4% $228,000 $61,715 $870 0.0060
100 Dearborn Heights 62,099 7.5% $174,900 $61,035 $1,260 0.0200

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.