Best places to live in Michigan
Michigan is a naturally diverse state having rich landscapes, from high-end urban cityscapes, to lush and serene countrysides. A state boasting to have it all.
From experiencing 4 distinct seasons, to sprawling forests and thousands of miles of shoreline surrounding it, residents are always motivated to explore the great outdoors here in Michigan.
Residents often express their love for ‘The Wolverine State’, because of its natural beauty, seasonal recreational activities, and city-wide festivals drawing tourists from around the state and country.
Let’s look at the best places to live in Michigan:
Ann Arbor
With a population density of 4094 people per square mile, Ann Arbor, also known as ‘Tree Town’, is a unique city in Michigan because of its sprawling, urban cityscape riddled with numerous forests and immense greenery. This makes it attractive to both nature enthusiasts, and city-life enjoyers.
It has many attractive locations for residents and students alike, ranging from eateries, to art and cultural museums and historical sites to explore.
The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, attracting thousands of international and national students, adding to an already rich ethnic diversity. The city also has popular, public internet hotspots (much to the convenience of students and remote-workers), such as Ann Arbor District Library, Barnes and Noble Book Sellers, and a variety of cafes and coffee shops, which add to the vibrancy of the city.
If you are on the fence about moving to Michigan, Ann Arbor will warmly welcome you, with its friendly people, below national average crime rates, rich job prospects and highly ranked public schools, all combining to provide one of the best places to live in Michigan.
Grand Rapids
30 minutes away from Lake Michigan is Grand Rapids, a city built on the Grand River. The river offers serene views for residents, cutting through its busy downtown district. While it is a medium-sized city, it gives a large-sized feeling because of dense and vibrant city centers, top rated food places, and seemingly never-ending entertainment. This city does not skimp on anything, truly deserving to be on the list of best places to live in Michigan!
The city is especially known for its rich, artistic legacy and freedom of artistic expression,
reflected in how inclusive and welcoming people are here. Here you will find the prestigious Grand Rapids Ballet Company, widely renowned Grand Rapids Civic Theater, and a strong LGBTQ+ community that organizes the much anticipated, annual Grand Rapids Pride event.
If you are an artistic person (or not), Grand Rapids will provide countless opportunities to appreciate art and participate in it, truly enriching your life!
Lansing
According to Livability.com, Lansing is ranked as the second most affordable city to live in Michigan. Roughly 117,500 people reside in the capital, and a lot of educated folk live here due to Michigan State University’s presence, which is a leading university in both academics and sports.
Students and remote-workers will find a number of high-speed, internet service providers, such as AT&T, XFINITY, and HughesNET extending their coverage all over the city, allowing them to work from anywhere with a WiFi hotspot.
If you are a football fan you will fit right in, for many residents of Lansing are avid followers of Division 1 football, and show immense support for MSU’s Spartans football team.
Summers in Lansing are filled with colorful festivities and art exhibitions. Residents enjoy this season by taking family to places such as Hawk Island County Park and Pinckney Recreation Area, where they enjoy cool beaches and hike long winded trails with their loved ones.
After a long day of work or recreation, you can head over downtown to explore unique shops and local food places, loved dearly by regulars. Explore antique stores, new-age bookstores and musical instrument shops, and when done, you can hitch a ride home with Lansing’s leading public transport system.
Detroit
Affectionately known as ‘MoTown’ by residents because of its history of mass producing automobiles, Detroit has a very large population, coming up to 673,000 people.
Its neighborhoods are teeming with diverse communities of people. Taking a ride through Detroit, you will notice Asian, African, Irish and English neighborhoods, and will marvel at the diversity and vigor of these people.
When feeling lucky, you can visit Detroit’s famed casinos in the Metro area, or spend some of your money at the culturally rich, Eastern Market, or if you are feeling particularly soulful, visit the Detroit Institute of Arts! There’s something for everyone!
Housing and property is very cheap, and with recent resurgence in startups, Detroit’s local economy is slowly but surely bolstering. During the pandemic, people switched to e-commerce startups and remote-work, which have all been possible due to the city-wide internet infrastructure.
While Detroit has had a bad name for having high crime rates, they are on par with rates in New York, for example, and only reflective of some locales. There are perfectly livable parts which are quiet, safe and beautiful.
Kalamazoo
This city is as quirky and amusing as its name suggests. With a population density of 3000 people per square mile, Kalamazoo never has to deal with traffic and congestion, and remains a peaceful city to live in. Air quality is very good in Kalamazoo, and people lead and promote healthy lifestyles.
Public transport is maintained to the highest quality standards, and city infrastructure exhibits a unique beauty with high-rise buildings dotting the landscape.
In your free time, you can visit Kalamazoo mall, an outdoor pedestrian mall, or spend your day downtown, surrounded by music, art exhibitions, and delicious food. With so much to offer, no wonder Kalamazoo made it to our list of the best places to live in Michigan.
Wrapping it Up
Michigan is a national treasure, having vast urban jungles, complemented by lush country plains and natural forest reserves. The people are friendly, inclusive, and love celebrating art. It offers you many cities to choose from, depending on whether you like to live near the coast, country, or prefer a modern, urban life-style.
