You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Michigan.
The median household income in Leelanau County, the richest county in Michigan is $91,943, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 83 counties in the Wolverine State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Michigan For 2025
- Leelanau County
- Livingston County
- Washtenaw County
- Oakland County
- Ottawa County
- Grand Traverse County
- Kent County
- Clinton County
- Allegan County
- Barry County
What is the richest county in Michigan? The richest county in Michigan is Leelanau County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Gogebic County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Michigan. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Michigan and the cheapest places to live in Michigan.
The Richest Counties In Michigan For 2025
1. Leelanau County
Biggest Place: Traverse City
Population: 22,607
Median Income: $91,943 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $406,900 (highest)
More on Leelanau County:
2. Livingston County
Biggest Place: Fenton
Population: 195,143
Median Income: $101,315 (highest)
Median Home Price: $331,100 (3rd highest)
More on Livingston County:
3. Washtenaw County
Biggest Place: Ann Arbor
Population: 368,394
Median Income: $87,156 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $353,000 (2nd highest)
More on Washtenaw County:
4. Oakland County
Biggest Place: Troy
Population: 1,272,294
Median Income: $95,296 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $320,400 (4th highest)
More on Oakland County:
5. Ottawa County
Biggest Place: Holland
Population: 298,614
Median Income: $87,144 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $291,200 (6th highest)
More on Ottawa County:
6. Grand Traverse County
Biggest Place: Traverse City
Population: 95,757
Median Income: $79,486 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $296,200 (5th highest)
More on Grand Traverse County:
7. Kent County
Biggest Place: Grand Rapids
Population: 658,844
Median Income: $80,390 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $265,700 (8th highest)
More on Kent County:
8. Clinton County
Biggest Place: Lansing
Population: 79,419
Median Income: $85,928 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $243,700 (11th highest)
More on Clinton County:
9. Allegan County
Biggest Place: Holland
Population: 120,913
Median Income: $80,255 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $247,000 (10th highest)
More on Allegan County:
10. Barry County
Biggest Place: Hastings
Population: 62,982
Median Income: $77,873 (11th highest)
Median Home Price: $243,700 (11th highest)
More on Barry County:
Methodology: How do you determine which Michigan county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Michigan, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Michigan for each of the criteria from one to 83, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Michigan.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Wolverine State.
We updated this article for 2025. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Michigan. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Michigan For 2025
Living in Michigan can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Michigan are Leelanau County, Livingston County, Washtenaw County, Oakland County, Ottawa County, Grand Traverse County, Kent County, Clinton County, Allegan County, and Barry County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Michigan according to the data:
- Gogebic County
- Iosco County
- Ontonagon County
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Best Counties To Live In Michigan
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Michigan
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leelanau County | 22,607 | $91,943 | $406,900 |
| 2 | Livingston County | 195,143 | $101,315 | $331,100 |
| 3 | Washtenaw County | 368,394 | $87,156 | $353,000 |
| 4 | Oakland County | 1,272,294 | $95,296 | $320,400 |
| 5 | Ottawa County | 298,614 | $87,144 | $291,200 |
| 6 | Grand Traverse County | 95,757 | $79,486 | $296,200 |
| 7 | Kent County | 658,844 | $80,390 | $265,700 |
| 8 | Clinton County | 79,419 | $85,928 | $243,700 |
| 9 | Allegan County | 120,913 | $80,255 | $247,000 |
| 10 | Barry County | 62,982 | $77,873 | $243,700 |
| 11 | Emmet County | 34,159 | $73,724 | $275,300 |
| 12 | Charlevoix County | 26,143 | $76,495 | $242,800 |
| 13 | Macomb County | 877,624 | $76,399 | $231,400 |
| 14 | Benzie County | 18,177 | $72,603 | $254,400 |
| 15 | Lapeer County | 88,703 | $76,228 | $229,100 |
| 16 | Eaton County | 109,000 | $78,025 | $206,700 |
| 17 | Monroe County | 155,001 | $75,272 | $215,700 |
| 18 | Antrim County | 23,876 | $71,421 | $222,500 |
| 19 | Kalamazoo County | 261,437 | $70,525 | $227,500 |
| 20 | Midland County | 83,641 | $77,538 | $184,300 |
| 21 | St. Clair County | 160,089 | $69,349 | $213,900 |
| 22 | Ionia County | 66,706 | $73,436 | $189,400 |
| 23 | Cass County | 51,606 | $68,011 | $205,200 |
| 24 | Otsego County | 25,352 | $67,285 | $196,500 |
| 25 | Van Buren County | 75,681 | $66,902 | $189,900 |
| 26 | Marquette County | 66,430 | $64,675 | $202,000 |
| 27 | Berrien County | 153,411 | $63,152 | $211,400 |
| 28 | Jackson County | 160,187 | $65,004 | $182,900 |
| 29 | Lenawee County | 98,823 | $67,013 | $181,100 |
| 30 | Ingham County | 282,015 | $64,354 | $187,500 |
| 31 | Mason County | 29,177 | $62,296 | $199,300 |
| 32 | Montcalm County | 67,174 | $64,892 | $172,100 |
| 33 | Muskegon County | 175,378 | $63,495 | $180,900 |
| 34 | St. Joseph County | 60,870 | $64,707 | $167,600 |
| 35 | Newaygo County | 50,414 | $61,931 | $178,300 |
| 36 | Oceana County | 26,788 | $63,624 | $167,600 |
| 37 | Cheboygan County | 25,778 | $61,619 | $175,200 |
| 38 | Shiawassee County | 68,061 | $64,464 | $164,600 |
| 39 | Genesee County | 404,087 | $60,673 | $172,900 |
| 40 | Hillsdale County | 45,658 | $60,869 | $170,500 |
| 41 | Wexford County | 33,868 | $63,123 | $160,300 |
| 42 | Kalkaska County | 18,116 | $60,365 | $174,300 |
| 43 | Manistee County | 25,247 | $60,879 | $166,600 |
| 44 | Missaukee County | 15,156 | $61,868 | $163,700 |
| 45 | Wayne County | 1,773,767 | $59,521 | $170,200 |
| 46 | Branch County | 44,914 | $61,958 | $147,500 |
| 47 | Alger County | 8,813 | $59,406 | $165,700 |
| 48 | Mecosta County | 40,321 | $57,774 | $169,900 |
| 49 | Keweenaw County | 2,106 | $53,893 | $181,400 |
| 50 | Chippewa County | 36,448 | $60,631 | $153,100 |
| 51 | Mackinac County | 10,865 | $58,598 | $165,600 |
| 52 | Sanilac County | 40,574 | $59,074 | $162,200 |
| 53 | Tuscola County | 53,071 | $62,847 | $136,900 |
| 54 | Calhoun County | 133,846 | $60,385 | $151,500 |
| 55 | Crawford County | 13,271 | $58,614 | $149,900 |
| 56 | Dickinson County | 25,940 | $61,882 | $130,300 |
| 57 | Gratiot County | 41,478 | $61,128 | $136,800 |
| 58 | Isabella County | 64,475 | $53,759 | $165,100 |
| 59 | Gladwin County | 25,543 | $55,576 | $153,200 |
| 60 | Bay County | 103,235 | $60,523 | $135,100 |
| 61 | Saginaw County | 189,210 | $58,347 | $139,400 |
| 62 | Huron County | 31,258 | $56,963 | $141,300 |
| 63 | Osceola County | 23,122 | $57,050 | $139,600 |
| 64 | Menominee County | 23,295 | $55,688 | $142,700 |
| 65 | Alcona County | 10,310 | $53,568 | $157,500 |
| 66 | Delta County | 36,829 | $54,829 | $146,800 |
| 67 | Houghton County | 37,428 | $56,573 | $140,300 |
| 68 | Roscommon County | 23,639 | $54,106 | $148,000 |
| 69 | Presque Isle County | 13,142 | $56,713 | $135,200 |
| 70 | Arenac County | 15,054 | $56,989 | $129,000 |
| 71 | Schoolcraft County | 8,093 | $57,708 | $123,500 |
| 72 | Ogemaw County | 20,853 | $51,983 | $138,600 |
| 73 | Baraga County | 8,249 | $55,117 | $124,400 |
| 74 | Montmorency County | 9,372 | $47,803 | $142,000 |
| 75 | Alpena County | 28,908 | $51,909 | $137,800 |
| 76 | Luce County | 6,325 | $54,338 | $110,400 |
| 77 | Oscoda County | 8,338 | $50,581 | $126,000 |
| 78 | Iron County | 11,650 | $53,614 | $101,500 |
| 79 | Lake County | 12,393 | $49,680 | $122,900 |
| 80 | Clare County | 31,109 | $49,805 | $117,400 |
| 81 | Ontonagon County | 5,870 | $51,844 | $101,000 |
| 82 | Iosco County | 25,333 | $47,777 | $122,900 |
| 83 | Gogebic County | 14,348 | $49,672 | $99,700 |