Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Michigan a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Michigan.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Wolverine State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Michigan, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 83 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Michigan For 2024
Livingston County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Michigan. And you should avoid Clare County if you can — at least according to the 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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Michigan For 2024
1. Livingston County
Biggest Place: Fenton
Population: 194,302
Median Income: $96,135 (best)
Median Home Price: $362,898 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.0% (9th best)
More on Livingston County: Data
2. Leelanau County
Biggest Place: Traverse City
Population: 22,426
Median Income: $82,345 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $567,264 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (best)
More on Leelanau County: Data
3. Ottawa County
Biggest Place: Holland
Population: 296,183
Median Income: $83,932 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $341,042 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (4th best)
More on Ottawa County: Data
4. Clinton County
Biggest Place: Lansing
Population: 79,249
Median Income: $82,594 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $276,240 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (3rd best)
More on Clinton County: Data
5. Oakland County
Biggest Place: Troy
Population: 1,272,264
Median Income: $92,620 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $328,919 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (23rd best)
More on Oakland County: Data
6. Grand Traverse County
Biggest Place: Traverse City
Population: 95,315
Median Income: $75,553 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $381,037 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9% (8th best)
More on Grand Traverse County: Data
7. Washtenaw County
Biggest Place: Ann Arbor
Population: 370,231
Median Income: $84,245 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $381,063 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (22nd best)
More on Washtenaw County: Data
8. Eaton County
Biggest Place: Lansing
Population: 109,072
Median Income: $77,158 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $235,925 (22nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (25th best)
More on Eaton County: Data
9. Emmet County
Biggest Place: Petoskey
Population: 34,072
Median Income: $69,690 (19th best)
Median Home Price: $371,220 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (5th best)
More on Emmet County: Data
10. Allegan County
Biggest Place: Holland
Population: 120,189
Median Income: $75,543 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $293,035 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (2nd best)
More on Allegan County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Michigan county is the best?
To give you the best county in Michigan, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. 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 two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Michigan across each of the criteria from one to 83, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Michigan.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Wolverine State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Michigan.
Read on to see why Livingston County is the best county, while Clare County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Michigan.
Summary: The Best Counties In Michigan To Call Home For 2024
Living in Michigan can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Michigan are Livingston County, Leelanau County, Ottawa County, Clinton County, Oakland County, Grand Traverse County, Washtenaw County, Eaton County, Emmet County, and Allegan County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Michigan according to the data:
- Clare County
- Lake County
- Oscoda County
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Richest Cities In Michigan
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Michigan
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Livingston County | 194,302 | $96,135 | $362,898 |
| 2 | Leelanau County | 22,426 | $82,345 | $567,264 |
| 3 | Ottawa County | 296,183 | $83,932 | $341,042 |
| 4 | Clinton County | 79,249 | $82,594 | $276,240 |
| 5 | Oakland County | 1,272,264 | $92,620 | $328,919 |
| 6 | Grand Traverse County | 95,315 | $75,553 | $381,037 |
| 7 | Washtenaw County | 370,231 | $84,245 | $381,063 |
| 8 | Eaton County | 109,072 | $77,158 | $235,925 |
| 9 | Emmet County | 34,072 | $69,690 | $371,220 |
| 10 | Allegan County | 120,189 | $75,543 | $293,035 |
| 11 | Midland County | 83,503 | $73,643 | $205,549 |
| 12 | Antrim County | 23,662 | $68,850 | $309,692 |
| 13 | Barry County | 62,581 | $75,182 | $256,353 |
| 14 | Charlevoix County | 26,174 | $69,764 | $340,428 |
| 15 | Kent County | 657,321 | $76,247 | $305,031 |
| 16 | Benzie County | 18,058 | $71,327 | $351,684 |
| 17 | Monroe County | 154,823 | $72,573 | $238,585 |
| 18 | Shiawassee County | 68,124 | $62,498 | $186,658 |
| 19 | Dickinson County | 25,937 | $59,651 | $151,265 |
| 20 | Marquette County | 66,376 | $63,115 | $216,776 |
| 21 | Lapeer County | 88,687 | $75,402 | $271,434 |
| 22 | Kalamazoo County | 261,426 | $67,905 | $249,848 |
| 23 | Alger County | 8,866 | $55,528 | $178,980 |
| 24 | Macomb County | 878,453 | $73,876 | $245,553 |
| 25 | Otsego County | 25,221 | $62,865 | $228,200 |
| 26 | Ionia County | 66,663 | $71,720 | $216,237 |
| 27 | Lenawee County | 99,263 | $65,484 | $208,257 |
| 28 | Keweenaw County | 2,088 | $55,560 | $186,578 |
| 29 | Mason County | 29,178 | $60,744 | $228,078 |
| 30 | St. Clair County | 160,257 | $66,887 | $229,439 |
| 31 | Cass County | 51,604 | $65,183 | $242,356 |
| 32 | Manistee County | 25,058 | $59,467 | $221,878 |
| 33 | Jackson County | 160,637 | $62,581 | $197,203 |
| 34 | Menominee County | 23,433 | $54,074 | $157,723 |
| 35 | Muskegon County | 175,947 | $61,347 | $218,963 |
| 36 | Ingham County | 282,540 | $62,548 | $192,505 |
| 37 | Van Buren County | 75,636 | $65,531 | $238,622 |
| 38 | Tuscola County | 53,218 | $59,815 | $161,073 |
| 39 | Montcalm County | 66,901 | $61,250 | $196,838 |
| 40 | Bay County | 103,752 | $57,887 | $156,869 |
| 41 | Berrien County | 153,938 | $60,379 | $241,305 |
| 42 | Delta County | 36,839 | $53,852 | $160,414 |
| 43 | Gratiot County | 41,534 | $57,934 | $153,453 |
| 44 | Huron County | 31,461 | $54,475 | $173,849 |
| 45 | Cheboygan County | 25,709 | $59,557 | $217,383 |
| 46 | Hillsdale County | 45,698 | $59,425 | $195,651 |
| 47 | Oceana County | 26,707 | $60,691 | $219,998 |
| 48 | Ontonagon County | 5,862 | $48,316 | $112,959 |
| 49 | Baraga County | 8,245 | $51,911 | $142,832 |
| 50 | Gogebic County | 14,597 | $47,913 | $108,663 |
| 51 | Presque Isle County | 13,083 | $55,986 | $187,854 |
| 52 | Newaygo County | 50,130 | $59,065 | $210,833 |
| 53 | Crawford County | 13,197 | $57,998 | $164,355 |
| 54 | Iron County | 11,585 | $52,241 | $105,130 |
| 55 | Kalkaska County | 17,934 | $56,380 | $193,594 |
| 56 | Wexford County | 33,766 | $58,652 | $190,991 |
| 57 | Mecosta County | 40,128 | $54,132 | $199,184 |
| 58 | St. Joseph County | 60,887 | $62,281 | $177,690 |
| 59 | Alcona County | 10,238 | $50,295 | $161,605 |
| 60 | Genesee County | 405,280 | $58,594 | $173,591 |
| 61 | Calhoun County | 134,011 | $58,191 | $171,019 |
| 62 | Branch County | 44,795 | $60,600 | $186,610 |
| 63 | Missaukee County | 15,089 | $57,667 | $196,624 |
| 64 | Roscommon County | 23,556 | $49,898 | $171,341 |
| 65 | Saginaw County | 189,821 | $56,579 | $149,151 |
| 66 | Mackinac County | 10,843 | $60,620 | $190,740 |
| 67 | Houghton County | 37,414 | $52,736 | $151,563 |
| 68 | Sanilac County | 40,759 | $55,740 | $189,317 |
| 69 | Luce County | 5,442 | $51,015 | $103,413 |
| 70 | Alpena County | 28,911 | $49,133 | $161,536 |
| 71 | Chippewa County | 36,670 | $58,408 | $159,095 |
| 72 | Isabella County | 64,938 | $52,638 | $190,063 |
| 73 | Arenac County | 15,031 | $53,487 | $136,792 |
| 74 | Wayne County | 1,781,641 | $57,223 | $159,542 |
| 75 | Ogemaw County | 20,820 | $50,377 | $148,267 |
| 76 | Osceola County | 23,022 | $54,875 | $166,650 |
| 77 | Gladwin County | 25,461 | $53,717 | $158,561 |
| 78 | Montmorency County | 9,261 | $46,345 | $154,658 |
| 79 | Schoolcraft County | 8,062 | $55,071 | $154,265 |
| 80 | Iosco County | 25,319 | $46,224 | $149,402 |
| 81 | Oscoda County | 8,264 | $48,692 | $115,246 |
| 82 | Lake County | 12,285 | $45,946 | $136,764 |
| 83 | Clare County | 30,998 | $47,816 | $127,320 |
