You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Michigan. Best suburbs in Michigan. Best counties in Michigan.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Wolverine State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Michigan based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Michigan ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$113,750 median income · 1.0% unemployment
$189,583 median income · 3.5% unemployment
$106,429 median income · 2.9% unemployment
$194,079 median income · 2.0% unemployment
$106,250 median income · 0.5% unemployment
$171,125 median income · 5.7% unemployment
$104,659 median income · 2.2% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$88,365 median income · 1.8% unemployment
$70,938 median income · 1.3% unemployment
$101,318 median income · 0.7% unemployment
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
Where Michigan’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Michigan
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Michigan possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 255 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 255, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Michigan. Top of that list — Shoreham.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Michigan.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Michigan
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shoreham | 1,100 | $113,750 | $341,988 | 1.0% |
| 2 | Village of Grosse Pointe Shores | 2,795 | $189,583 | $822,993 | 3.5% |
| 3 | Sylvan Lake | 1,705 | $106,429 | $370,382 | 2.9% |
| 4 | Franklin | 2,554 | $194,079 | $881,785 | 2.0% |
| 5 | Caledonia | 1,671 | $106,250 | $457,437 | 0.5% |
| 6 | Pleasant Ridge | 2,602 | $171,125 | $478,434 | 5.7% |
| 7 | North Muskegon | 4,098 | $104,659 | $308,746 | 2.2% |
| 8 | Spring Lake | 2,519 | $88,365 | $419,158 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Elk Rapids | 1,624 | $70,938 | $497,336 | 1.3% |
| 10 | Lake Orion | 2,863 | $101,318 | $406,638 | 0.7% |
| 11 | DeWitt | 4,777 | $110,341 | $347,710 | 3.1% |
| 12 | Bloomfield Hills | 4,415 | $189,942 | $663,115 | 3.8% |
| 13 | Lathrup Village | 4,059 | $109,893 | $327,715 | 4.2% |
| 14 | Wolverine Lake | 4,487 | $92,247 | $323,138 | 2.8% |
| 15 | Chums Corner | 1,186 | $100,855 | $418,172 | 2.0% |
| 16 | Ferrysburg | 2,959 | $70,400 | $404,202 | 0.8% |
| 17 | Lake Victoria | 1,006 | $120,156 | $416,041 | 2.9% |
| 18 | Lowell | 4,139 | $72,875 | $402,171 | 0.5% |
| 19 | Orchard Lake Village | 2,238 | $206,667 | $826,920 | 4.2% |
| 20 | Dimondale | 1,521 | $111,042 | $300,162 | 4.6% |
| 21 | Harvey | 2,880 | $78,674 | $294,864 | 0.5% |
| 22 | Schoolcraft | 1,275 | $75,000 | $344,948 | 1.8% |
| 23 | Douglas | 1,427 | $81,627 | $657,972 | 1.0% |
| 24 | Armada | 1,994 | $102,083 | $374,445 | 3.8% |
| 25 | Bingham Farms | 1,680 | $244,618 | $605,596 | 0.9% |
| 26 | Fowler | 1,387 | $74,282 | $297,770 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Spring Arbor | 2,275 | $63,631 | $275,096 | 4.0% |
| 28 | Harbor Springs | 1,086 | $75,417 | $558,681 | 4.0% |
| 29 | Pinckney | 1,911 | $96,855 | $391,693 | 1.5% |
| 30 | Greilickville | 1,519 | $93,750 | $469,560 | 1.3% |
| 31 | Vineyard Lake | 1,031 | $86,146 | $343,447 | 0.0% |
| 32 | Essexville | 3,327 | $75,341 | $160,218 | 3.2% |
| 33 | Montague | 2,531 | $66,750 | $271,281 | 0.2% |
| 34 | Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert | 1,459 | $83,204 | $384,849 | 0.0% |
| 35 | Petersburg | 1,179 | $83,235 | $306,744 | 1.7% |
| 36 | Grass Lake | 1,186 | $80,938 | $339,139 | 3.5% |
| 37 | Middleville | 4,380 | $73,625 | $356,142 | 3.1% |
| 38 | Williamston | 3,807 | $71,379 | $324,881 | 4.3% |
| 39 | New Buffalo | 1,338 | $64,702 | $645,874 | 1.5% |
| 40 | Whitehall | 3,024 | $61,169 | $325,066 | 0.2% |
| 41 | Richland | 1,098 | $95,104 | $372,125 | 4.5% |
| 42 | Trowbridge Park | 2,396 | $50,125 | $268,833 | 1.5% |
| 43 | Auburn | 2,124 | $71,653 | $228,024 | 4.2% |
| 44 | Wacousta | 1,711 | $109,250 | $318,314 | 4.5% |
| 45 | South Gull Lake | 1,801 | $188,750 | $0 | 6.1% |
| 46 | Argentine | 2,190 | $125,313 | $398,852 | 5.4% |
| 47 | Romeo | 3,578 | $74,323 | $423,748 | 1.7% |
| 48 | Linden | 4,160 | $79,464 | $332,772 | 9.8% |
| 49 | Gibraltar | 4,873 | $91,651 | $228,500 | 5.0% |
| 50 | Carleton | 2,595 | $73,365 | $322,605 | 2.1% |
| 51 | South Haven | 3,998 | $68,239 | $368,537 | 2.9% |
| 52 | Kingsley | 1,785 | $67,321 | $342,759 | 4.4% |
| 53 | Coloma | 1,074 | $68,889 | $244,220 | 0.8% |
| 54 | Shepherd | 1,457 | $70,156 | $215,835 | 0.9% |
| 55 | Reese | 1,274 | $82,361 | $215,095 | 11.3% |
| 56 | Manchester | 2,522 | $87,614 | $375,249 | 3.7% |
| 57 | Negaunee | 4,656 | $70,568 | $224,646 | 3.7% |
| 58 | Fremont | 4,568 | $57,452 | $254,141 | 2.8% |
| 59 | Otsego | 4,074 | $74,156 | $268,738 | 2.3% |
| 60 | Pigeon | 1,100 | $52,361 | $239,853 | 0.9% |
| 61 | Wayland | 4,457 | $74,464 | $337,076 | 3.1% |
| 62 | Clinton | 2,536 | $82,768 | $267,796 | 6.5% |
| 63 | Stevensville | 1,095 | $64,125 | $326,287 | 3.2% |
| 64 | West Ishpeming | 2,851 | $95,129 | $217,557 | 7.3% |
| 65 | Rockwood | 3,161 | $88,080 | $227,940 | 2.7% |
| 66 | Kent City | 1,203 | $76,587 | $332,788 | 2.7% |
| 67 | Three Oaks | 1,503 | $66,985 | $326,686 | 5.2% |
| 68 | Boyne City | 3,825 | $64,855 | $405,458 | 5.0% |
| 69 | Frankfort | 1,225 | $54,327 | $511,517 | 6.7% |
| 70 | Ravenna | 1,540 | $77,857 | $294,570 | 3.4% |
| 71 | Potterville | 3,087 | $64,693 | $222,526 | 3.0% |
| 72 | Keego Harbor | 2,747 | $64,896 | $224,720 | 5.6% |
| 73 | Vicksburg | 3,934 | $72,656 | $276,841 | 4.0% |
| 74 | Ortonville | 1,341 | $98,839 | $395,407 | 6.9% |
| 75 | Canadian Lakes | 2,991 | $78,833 | $302,942 | 1.2% |
| 76 | Parchment | 2,008 | $72,798 | $201,556 | 8.1% |
| 77 | Portland | 3,790 | $65,845 | $282,998 | 2.7% |
| 78 | Twin Lake | 2,036 | $84,950 | $339,938 | 17.9% |
| 79 | Brooklyn | 1,180 | $56,324 | $291,266 | 2.3% |
| 80 | Oxford | 3,474 | $83,611 | $404,768 | 10.9% |
| 81 | Bridgman | 2,077 | $66,603 | $317,099 | 2.4% |
| 82 | Bath | 2,896 | $60,417 | $338,016 | 6.0% |
| 83 | Hancock | 4,574 | $59,519 | $214,001 | 1.8% |
| 84 | Manitou Beach-Devils Lake | 2,103 | $83,980 | $292,059 | 1.9% |
| 85 | Roosevelt Park | 4,144 | $62,857 | $242,663 | 4.3% |
| 86 | Central Lake | 1,051 | $63,269 | $343,234 | 2.3% |
| 87 | Bellaire | 1,008 | $55,789 | $345,014 | 0.2% |
| 88 | Belleville | 3,910 | $62,991 | $305,079 | 9.7% |
| 89 | Michigan Center | 4,999 | $63,704 | $199,861 | 2.4% |
| 90 | Buchanan | 4,223 | $56,163 | $223,055 | 2.2% |
| 91 | Almont | 2,838 | $83,537 | $353,275 | 6.9% |
| 92 | Leslie | 2,129 | $73,654 | $234,218 | 3.1% |
| 93 | Beechwood | 2,776 | $71,275 | $311,694 | 20.5% |
| 94 | South Rockwood | 1,924 | $78,203 | $305,791 | 3.8% |
| 95 | Plainwell | 3,763 | $66,525 | $232,221 | 6.7% |
| 96 | Edgemont Park | 2,551 | $62,543 | $182,214 | 6.5% |
| 97 | Fruitport | 1,212 | $84,306 | $329,161 | 5.1% |
| 98 | Lexington | 1,126 | $45,694 | $227,769 | 1.4% |
| 99 | Berrien Springs | 2,018 | $65,134 | $200,728 | 6.5% |
| 100 | Goodrich | 2,022 | $110,329 | $366,827 | 7.8% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 255 Michigan towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Michigan are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Michigan are Shoreham, Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, Sylvan Lake, Franklin, Caledonia, Pleasant Ridge, North Muskegon, Spring Lake, Elk Rapids, and Lake Orion. Not sold on Michigan? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Michigan FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Michigan?
Shoreham is the best small town in Michigan for 2026. The median household income there is $113,750 and the median home costs $341,988. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores and Sylvan Lake round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Michigan?
The best small towns in Michigan are Shoreham, Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, Sylvan Lake, Franklin, Caledonia, Pleasant Ridge, North Muskegon, Spring Lake, Elk Rapids, and Lake Orion. We ranked all 255 Michigan towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Michigan place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 255 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Michigan?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Shoreham, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Shoreham?
The median home in Shoreham runs $341,988, against $259,857 across Michigan as a whole. Pair that with a $113,750 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
