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Michigan is famous for many reasons: it is one of the snowiest states in America, it borders four of The Great Lakes, and it has some of the best places to retire.
Whether you're a fan of long summer nights, long winters, long naps, or you're just 'Smitten with The Mitten,' Michigan has an ideal place for every retiree. Needless to say, it was very difficult to narrow down the top ten best places to retire in Michigan for 2021.
But, HomeSnacks did it. How'd we determine the best places to retire in Michigan? Well, we know that when people are searching for the best places to retire, they are also looking for things like convenience, affordable healthcare, and an economy that protects their bottom line. So, to identify Michigan's top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 87 cities. We looked at important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent and distance to closest national airport for every place with over 10,000 residents. Incidentally, this is our seventh time ranking the best places to retire in The Great Lakes State, so believe us when we say that these are the best of the best.
We discovered that people in this demographic are starting to move to bigger cities so that they have better access to public transportation, healthcare options, and programs designed especially for them. This trend is happening in Michigan, and this is why we find most of the state's best places to retire centered around Detroit. But, there are other areas in this flyover state that are just great. So definitely give places like Marquette and Midland a second look.
So, where are the best places to retire in Michigan? Keep reading.
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Michigan For 2021
Why did Midland take the top spot? And where are Detroit and Grand Rapids?
When you choose to live in one of Michigan's best places to retire, you are choosing to live where your dollar will go the furthest, where your safety is a priority, and where you will have the most fun.
So, where is the best place to retire in Michigan? According to the latest data, Midland is the best place to retire in MIchigan for 2021.
To see how your favorite places in Michigan compared, take a look at the list below; and if you don't see it there, head to the bottom.
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 2021
/10
Population: 41,920
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Rent: $788
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Midland: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 12,358
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Rent: $741
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on New Baltimore: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,162
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Rent: $1,046
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Rochester: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,971
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Rent: $933
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Clawson: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 18,295
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Rent: $771
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Trenton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 13,902
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Rent: $745
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Wixom: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 14,580
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $775
Distance to Closest Airport: 22 miles
More on Fraser: Real Estate | Data
/10
Population: 12,251
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 7)
Median Rent: $563
Distance to Closest Airport: 44 miles
More on Escanaba: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 11,788
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Rent: $1,042
Distance to Closest Airport: 20 miles
More on South Lyon: Real Estate | Data | Photos
/10
Population: 29,025
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 3)
Median Rent: $780
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Port Huron: Real Estate | Data | Photos
How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Wolverine State for 2021
To create our list of the best places in Michigan to retire, we first used 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 87 places from across the state.
For these 87, 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 criteria from one to 87, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Midland, with the lowest average rank was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second careers. You can download the data here.
Maybe You're Not Ready To Retire In Michigan Yet...
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Michigan goes to Midland.
If you're not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Muskegon Heights
- Inkster
- Harper Woods
For more Michigan reading, check out:
Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Michigan?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midland | 41,920 |
| 2 | New Baltimore | 12,358 |
| 3 | Rochester | 13,162 |
| 4 | Clawson | 11,971 |
| 5 | Trenton | 18,295 |
| 6 | Wixom | 13,902 |
| 7 | Fraser | 14,580 |
| 8 | Escanaba | 12,251 |
| 9 | South Lyon | 11,788 |
| 10 | Port Huron | 29,025 |
