Michigan is one of the snowiest states in America. It borders four of The Great Lakes. And it has some great places to retire.
Whether you’re a fan of long summer nights, long winters, long naps, or just ‘Smitten with The Mitten,’ Michigan has an ideal place for every retiree. Therefore, It was tough to narrow down the top ten best places to retire in Michigan for 2026.
How’d we determine the best places to retire in Michigan? To identify Michigan’s top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 84 cities for important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and the distance to the closest national airport. We limited the analysis to cities with at least 10,000 residents.
Most of the state’s best places to retire center around Detroit. But other areas in this flyover state are just great. Give places like Marquette and Midland a second look.
Here are the best places to retire in Michigan.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Michigan For 2026
Where is the best place to retire in Michigan? According to the latest data, New Baltimore is the best place to retire in Michigan for 2026.
Keep reading to learn more about these Michigan places.
Why did New Baltimore take the top spot? And where are Detroit and Grand Rapids?
For more Michigan state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Michigan For 2026
/10
Population: 12,072
Median Income: $106,033
Median Home Price: $354,732
Median Rent: $1,039
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on New Baltimore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 42,724
Median Income: $73,325
Median Home Price: $247,416
Median Rent: $1,048
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Midland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 18,125
Median Income: $82,212
Median Home Price: $239,683
Median Rent: $880
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Trenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,154
Median Income: $47,545
Median Home Price: $187,286
Median Rent: $625
Distance to Closest Airport: 110 miles
More on Alpena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 28,620
Median Income: $50,366
Median Home Price: $170,018
Median Rent: $982
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Port Huron: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,934
Median Income: $111,750
Median Home Price: $486,536
Median Rent: $1,350
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Rochester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,996
Median Income: $60,669
Median Home Price: $391,796
Median Rent: $939
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Grand Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,950
Median Income: $92,467
Median Home Price: $467,291
Median Rent: $1,310
Distance to Closest Airport: 20 miles
More on South Lyon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,753
Median Income: $63,978
Median Home Price: $222,836
Median Rent: $852
Distance to Closest Airport: 23 miles
More on Ionia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,021
Median Income: $60,449
Median Home Price: $377,375
Median Rent: $1,177
Distance to Closest Airport: 29 miles
More on Howell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Wolverine State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Michigan to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Wolverine State — 692 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 84 places from across the state.
For these 84, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 84, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case New Baltimore, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Michigan.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Michigan Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Michigan goes to New Baltimore.
The best places to retire in Michigan are New Baltimore, Midland, Trenton, Alpena, Port Huron, Rochester, Grand Haven, South Lyon, Ionia, and Howell.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Norton Shores
- Portage
- Harper Woods
For more Michigan reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Michigan
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Baltimore | 12,072 | $106,033 | $354,732 | $1,039 |
| 2 | Midland | 42,724 | $73,325 | $247,416 | $1,048 |
| 3 | Trenton | 18,125 | $82,212 | $239,683 | $880 |
| 4 | Alpena | 10,154 | $47,545 | $187,286 | $625 |
| 5 | Port Huron | 28,620 | $50,366 | $170,018 | $982 |
| 6 | Rochester | 12,934 | $111,750 | $486,536 | $1,350 |
| 7 | Grand Haven | 10,996 | $60,669 | $391,796 | $939 |
| 8 | South Lyon | 11,950 | $92,467 | $467,291 | $1,310 |
| 9 | Ionia | 12,753 | $63,978 | $222,836 | $852 |
| 10 | Howell | 10,021 | $60,449 | $377,375 | $1,177 |