Michigan is one of the snowiest states in America. It borders four of The Great Lakes. And it has some great places to retire.
Whether you’re a fan of long summer nights, long winters, long naps, or just ‘Smitten with The Mitten,’ Michigan has an ideal place for every retiree. Therefore, It was tough to narrow down the top ten best places to retire in Michigan for 2024.
How’d we determine the best places to retire in Michigan? To identify Michigan’s top ten, we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 87 cities for important factors like cost of living, crime, amenities, rent, and the distance to the closest national airport. We limited the analysis to cities with at least 10,000 residents.
Most of the state’s best places to retire center around Detroit. But other areas in this flyover state are just great. Give places like Marquette and Midland a second look.
Here are the best places to retire in Michigan.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Michigan For 2024
Where is the best place to retire in Michigan? According to the latest data, Midland is the best place to retire in Michigan for 2024.
Keep reading to learn more about these Michigan places.
Why did Midland take the top spot? And where are Detroit and Grand Rapids?
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 2024
/10
Population: 42,404
Median Income: $71,809
Median Home Price: $215,605
Median Rent: $952
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Midland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,104
Median Income: $90,028
Median Home Price: $325,237
Median Rent: $945
Distance to Closest Airport: 18 miles
More on New Baltimore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 18,420
Median Income: $74,267
Median Home Price: $215,391
Median Rent: $854
Distance to Closest Airport: 37 miles
More on Trenton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 11,788
Median Income: $82,753
Median Home Price: $434,616
Median Rent: $1,153
Distance to Closest Airport: 20 miles
More on South Lyon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 10,200
Median Income: $43,613
Median Home Price: $157,639
Median Rent: $569
Distance to Closest Airport: 110 miles
More on Alpena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,978
Median Income: $102,838
Median Home Price: $428,006
Median Rent: $1,158
Distance to Closest Airport: 11 miles
More on Rochester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 14,668
Median Income: $61,039
Median Home Price: $217,570
Median Rent: $782
Distance to Closest Airport: 22 miles
More on Fraser: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 11,388
Median Income: $82,713
Median Home Price: $261,691
Median Rent: $1,129
Distance to Closest Airport: 13 miles
More on Clawson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 28,881
Median Income: $47,906
Median Home Price: $155,781
Median Rent: $962
Distance to Closest Airport: 7 miles
More on Port Huron: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,081
Median Income: $60,413
Median Home Price: $188,448
Median Rent: $855
Distance to Closest Airport: 23 miles
More on Ionia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Wolverine State for 2024
To create our ranking of the best places in Michigan to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed 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 criterion 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 career.
The report has been updated for 2024. This list reflects our tenth time ranking the best places to retire in Michigan.
Summary: 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.
The best places to retire in Michigan are Midland, New Baltimore, Trenton, South Lyon, Alpena, Rochester, Fraser, Clawson, Port Huron, and Ionia.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Portage
- Inkster
- Kalamazoo
For more Michigan reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Michigan
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midland | 42,404 | $71,809 | $215,605 | $952 |
| 2 | New Baltimore | 12,104 | $90,028 | $325,237 | $945 |
| 3 | Trenton | 18,420 | $74,267 | $215,391 | $854 |
| 4 | South Lyon | 11,788 | $82,753 | $434,616 | $1,153 |
| 5 | Alpena | 10,200 | $43,613 | $157,639 | $569 |
| 6 | Rochester | 12,978 | $102,838 | $428,006 | $1,158 |
| 7 | Fraser | 14,668 | $61,039 | $217,570 | $782 |
| 8 | Clawson | 11,388 | $82,713 | $261,691 | $1,129 |
| 9 | Port Huron | 28,881 | $47,906 | $155,781 | $962 |
| 10 | Ionia | 13,081 | $60,413 | $188,448 | $855 |