The 10 Best Small Towns In Michigan For 2024


The best small towns in Michigan are Village of Grosse Pointe Shores and Franklin for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: January 12, 2024

You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Michigan. Best sururbs 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.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Michigan For 2024

  1. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores
  2. Franklin
  3. Elk Rapids
  4. North Muskegon
  5. Caledonia
  6. Pleasant Ridge
  7. Sylvan Lake
  8. Wolverine Lake
  9. DeWitt
  10. Lake Orion
  11. Schoolcraft
  12. Bloomfield Hills
  13. Spring Lake
  14. Dimondale
  15. Armada

Best Small Towns To Live In Michigan Map

What’s the best small town in Michigan? Village of Grosse Pointe Shores is the best small town in Michigan based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.

For more reading on the Wolverine State check out:

The 15 Best Small Towns In Michigan For 2024

1. Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores

Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores, MI

Source: Flickr User Ken Lund | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,610
Median Income: $170,850 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $745,997 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%

2. Franklin

Franklin, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Traveler100 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 2,653
Median Income: $178,167 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $760,958 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%

3. Elk Rapids

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 1,568
Median Income: $77,396 (38th Best)
Median Home Value: $479,732 (8th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.5%

4. North Muskegon

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 4,076
Median Income: $99,924 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $277,225 (66th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%

5. Caledonia

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,808
Median Income: $92,500 (18th Best)
Median Home Value: $399,697 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%

6. Pleasant Ridge

Pleasant Ridge, MI

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 2,609
Median Income: $164,861 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $432,482 (11th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.7%

7. Sylvan Lake

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 1,729
Median Income: $96,900 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $347,147 (24th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6%

8. Wolverine Lake

Wolverine Lake, MI

Source: Wikipedia User | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 4,493
Median Income: $85,195 (23rd Best)
Median Home Value: $284,719 (61st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%

9. Dewitt

Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 4,779
Median Income: $100,100 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $304,213 (42nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%

10. Lake Orion

Lake Orion, MI

Source: Wikipedia User TheKuLeR | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10

Population: 2,915
Median Income: $94,925 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $366,451 (18th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.6%

11. Schoolcraft

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 1,409
Median Income: $82,500 (24th Best)
Median Home Value: $310,866 (38th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.9%

12. Bloomfield Hills

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Source: Wikipedia User Andrew Jameson | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 4,402
Median Income: $200,054 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $569,983 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%

13. Spring Lake

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,530
Median Income: $71,813 (52nd Best)
Median Home Value: $372,123 (16th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4%

14. Dimondale

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,619
Median Income: $112,500 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $283,547 (62nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.0%

15. Armada

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 2,039
Median Income: $105,774 (8th Best)
Median Home Value: $324,606 (32nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%

Best States In America

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 2018-2022 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 – 247 to be exact.

We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 247, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Michigan. Top of that list — Village of Grosse Pointe Shores.

This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Michigan.

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 15 small towns in Michigan are the best in which to live.

And who can argue with that?

The best small towns in Michigan are Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, Franklin, Elk Rapids, North Muskegon, Caledonia, Pleasant Ridge, Sylvan Lake, Wolverine Lake, DeWitt, and Lake Orion.

If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Michigan:

  1. Skidway Lake
  2. St. Helen
  3. Lakeview

For more Michigan reading, check out:

Best Small Towns In Michigan

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Value Unemployment Rate
1 Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores, MI 2,610 $170,850 1.1%
2 Franklin, MI 2,653 $178,167 2.0%
3 Elk Rapids, MI 1,568 $77,396 0.5%
4 North Muskegon, MI 4,076 $99,924 1.4%
5 Caledonia, MI 1,808 $92,500 0.7%
6 Pleasant Ridge, MI 2,609 $164,861 6.7%
7 Sylvan Lake, MI 1,729 $96,900 4.6%
8 Wolverine Lake, MI 4,493 $85,195 3.2%
9 Dewitt, MI 4,779 $100,100 4.3%
10 Lake Orion, MI 2,915 $94,925 2.6%
11 Schoolcraft, MI 1,409 $82,500 1.9%
12 Bloomfield Hills, MI 4,402 $200,054 4.4%
13 Spring Lake, MI 2,530 $71,813 4.4%
14 Dimondale, MI 1,619 $112,500 2.0%
15 Armada, MI 2,039 $105,774 3.1%
16 Spring Arbor, MI 2,410 $78,393 4.1%
17 Orchard Lake Village, MI 2,342 $206,750 3.6%
18 Lathrup Village, MI 4,076 $97,750 7.5%
19 Ferrysburg, MI 2,959 $67,022 2.2%
20 Douglas, MI 1,136 $75,341 1.6%
21 Shepherd, MI 1,415 $75,000 1.3%
22 Middleville, MI 4,259 $67,759 0.6%
23 Manchester, MI 2,261 $77,895 1.5%
24 Bingham Farms, MI 1,623 $197,273 3.2%
25 Auburn, MI 1,921 $62,589 2.7%
26 Grass Lake, MI 1,222 $75,921 2.4%
27 Wacousta, MI 1,788 $96,343 3.7%
28 Essexville, MI 3,372 $72,516 2.9%
29 Montague, MI 2,514 $70,547 1.7%
30 Harbor Springs, MI 1,091 $66,146 2.7%
31 Pigeon, MI 1,100 $53,750 1.3%
32 Fowler, MI 1,303 $69,506 0.0%
33 Harvey, MI 3,335 $74,093 3.8%
34 Romeo, MI 3,727 $59,693 2.4%
35 Linden, MI 4,125 $85,917 9.7%
36 Whitehall, MI 2,935 $62,750 2.1%
37 Oxford, MI 3,487 $79,306 9.4%
38 Trowbridge Park, MI 2,153 $63,138 5.1%
39 Keego Harbor, MI 2,771 $67,841 3.8%
40 Saranac, MI 1,946 $71,875 1.8%
41 Williamston, MI 3,810 $76,086 4.3%
42 Petersburg, MI 1,148 $67,778 3.8%
43 Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert, MI 1,501 $77,674 1.5%
44 Vicksburg, MI 3,757 $65,440 2.3%
45 New Buffalo, MI 1,362 $61,875 1.3%
46 Kingsley, MI 1,792 $65,060 2.6%
47 Edgemont Park, MI 2,444 $61,042 6.9%
48 Lowell, MI 4,127 $59,712 2.0%
49 Buchanan, MI 4,276 $53,328 1.2%
50 Gibraltar, MI 4,950 $80,392 5.1%
51 Pinckney, MI 1,950 $88,894 5.6%
52 Negaunee, MI 4,650 $61,077 2.7%
53 Rockwood, MI 3,232 $93,036 3.3%
54 Stevensville, MI 1,126 $71,823 3.8%
55 Canadian Lakes, MI 2,578 $66,786 1.0%
56 Reese, MI 1,300 $81,583 11.7%
57 Argentine, MI 2,451 $93,571 6.2%
58 Portland, MI 3,816 $61,902 2.2%
59 Manitou Beach-Devils Lake, MI 1,807 $82,016 1.2%
60 Bridgman, MI 2,378 $62,337 1.7%
61 Fruitport, MI 1,388 $79,375 5.9%
62 Coloma, MI 1,171 $60,481 4.2%
63 Quinnesec, MI 1,262 $66,715 2.8%
64 South Haven, MI 3,999 $63,202 3.8%
65 Clinton, MI 2,929 $78,472 7.4%
66 Boyne City, MI 3,821 $65,070 6.2%
67 Ravenna, MI 1,437 $70,208 3.3%
68 Greilickville, MI 1,467 $73,553 2.0%
69 Wayland, MI 4,411 $63,500 3.0%
70 Three Oaks, MI 1,207 $57,083 4.7%
71 Plainwell, MI 3,763 $61,086 5.8%
72 Kent City, MI 1,379 $68,542 2.5%
73 Beechwood, MI 2,803 $63,750 17.9%
74 Leslie, MI 2,154 $68,920 4.4%
75 South Rockwood, MI 2,032 $82,500 3.6%
76 Twin Lake, MI 1,885 $78,322 21.1%
77 Ortonville, MI 1,271 $92,411 6.3%
78 Bath, MI 3,133 $65,972 4.8%
79 Hart, MI 2,173 $56,979 3.0%
80 Goodrich, MI 1,991 $103,438 9.0%
81 Roosevelt Park, MI 4,139 $62,407 7.0%
82 Potterville, MI 3,036 $59,250 2.9%
83 Belleville, MI 3,979 $55,979 8.5%
84 Parchment, MI 2,041 $60,223 8.4%
85 Otsego, MI 4,083 $68,490 7.8%
86 Woodland Beach, MI 2,598 $67,797 5.1%
87 Burt, MI 1,271 $82,313 2.0%
88 Sparta, MI 4,247 $55,033 3.6%
89 Laingsburg, MI 1,584 $74,135 3.3%
90 Edwardsburg, MI 1,265 $53,021 5.4%
91 Frankfort, MI 1,104 $49,219 8.6%
92 Hancock, MI 4,526 $46,970 2.5%
93 Onsted, MI 1,147 $63,846 8.7%
94 Hemlock, MI 1,226 $58,787 0.0%
95 Michigan Center, MI 4,906 $64,286 8.5%
96 Laurium, MI 1,669 $42,292 2.6%
97 Concord, MI 1,177 $59,188 4.2%
98 West Ishpeming, MI 2,713 $78,750 5.3%
99 Lexington, MI 1,329 $41,989 1.9%
100 Coopersville, MI 4,804 $62,995 7.5%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Small Towns