Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Michigan? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Lansing, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Michigan suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Wolverine State
Huntington Woods is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Michigan.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Michigan, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Michigan and the best places to raise a family in Michigan.
Best Suburbs In Michigan For 2024
/10
Population: 6,365
Median Income: $184,815
Average Home Price: $459,699
More on Huntington Woods: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Huntington Woods is located 7 miles north of Detroit.
/10
Population: 21,738
Median Income: $151,556
Average Home Price: $600,237
More on Birmingham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Birmingham is located 12 miles north of Detroit.
/10
Population: 15,150
Median Income: $108,125
Average Home Price: $285,101
More on Berkley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Berkley is located 9 miles north of Detroit.
/10
Population: 10,550
Median Income: $162,364
Average Home Price: $498,630
More on Beverly Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Beverly Hills is located 11 miles north of Detroit.
/10
Population: 11,513
Median Income: $128,333
Average Home Price: $451,199
More on Grosse Pointe Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Grosse Pointe Park is located 9 miles east of Detroit.
/10
Population: 10,018
Median Income: $156,465
Average Home Price: $446,876
More on Grosse Pointe Farms: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Grosse Pointe Farms is located 10 miles east of Detroit.
/10
Population: 5,621
Median Income: $136,094
Average Home Price: $421,780
More on Grosse Pointe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Grosse Pointe is located 10 miles east of Detroit.
/10
Population: 6,088
Median Income: $134,330
Average Home Price: $514,916
More on Northville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Northville is located 20 miles west of Detroit.
/10
Population: 9,300
Median Income: $107,156
Average Home Price: $417,416
More on Plymouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Plymouth is located 18 miles west of Detroit.
/10
Population: 58,053
Median Income: $92,799
Average Home Price: $302,682
More on Royal Oak: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Royal Oak is located 9 miles north of Detroit.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Wolverine State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Michigan. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Michigan, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Michigan across these criteria from one to 68, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Michigan.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Michigan.
Read on to see why Huntington Woods is the ‘burb with the most, while Inkster is probably not the best place to live in Michigan.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Michigan
If you’re measuring the locations in Michigan where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Michigan are Huntington Woods, Birmingham, Berkley, Beverly Hills, Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe, Northville, Plymouth, and Royal Oak.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Michigan according to the data:
- Inkster
- Highland Park
- Ecorse
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
- Richest Cities In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Worst Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Michigan
The Best Suburbs In Michigan
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Huntington Woods | 6,365 | $184,815 | $459,699 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 21,738 | $151,556 | $600,237 |
| 3 | Berkley | 15,150 | $108,125 | $285,101 |
| 4 | Beverly Hills | 10,550 | $162,364 | $498,630 |
| 5 | Grosse Pointe Park | 11,513 | $128,333 | $451,199 |
| 6 | Grosse Pointe Farms | 10,018 | $156,465 | $446,876 |
| 7 | Grosse Pointe | 5,621 | $136,094 | $421,780 |
| 8 | Northville | 6,088 | $134,330 | $514,916 |
| 9 | Plymouth | 9,300 | $107,156 | $417,416 |
| 10 | Royal Oak | 58,053 | $92,799 | $302,682 |
| 11 | Grosse Pointe Woods | 16,338 | $125,712 | $315,509 |
| 12 | Farmington | 11,486 | $92,128 | $290,249 |
| 13 | Clawson | 11,388 | $82,713 | $261,691 |
| 14 | Rochester Hills | 76,041 | $115,968 | $414,974 |
| 15 | Rochester | 12,978 | $102,838 | $428,006 |
| 16 | South Lyon | 11,788 | $82,753 | $434,616 |
| 17 | Novi | 65,870 | $110,588 | $425,204 |
| 18 | New Baltimore | 12,104 | $90,028 | $325,237 |
| 19 | Milford | 6,483 | $98,054 | $425,893 |
| 20 | Troy | 87,170 | $115,639 | $398,962 |
| 21 | Farmington Hills | 83,562 | $101,728 | $348,161 |
| 22 | Walled Lake | 7,262 | $65,031 | $229,099 |
| 23 | Livonia | 94,928 | $92,458 | $278,535 |
| 24 | Trenton | 18,420 | $74,267 | $215,391 |
| 25 | St. Clair Shores | 58,656 | $71,481 | $211,168 |
| 26 | Wixom | 17,007 | $72,896 | $348,240 |
| 27 | Ferndale | 19,264 | $86,120 | $236,307 |
| 28 | Wyandotte | 24,857 | $62,111 | $174,297 |
| 29 | Allen Park | 28,395 | $73,792 | $190,218 |
| 30 | Milan | 6,153 | $89,600 | $251,182 |
| 31 | Riverview | 12,390 | $69,323 | $219,074 |
| 32 | Woodhaven | 12,867 | $77,725 | $242,087 |
| 33 | Tecumseh | 8,678 | $65,638 | $228,128 |
| 34 | Oak Park | 29,495 | $61,991 | $212,139 |
| 35 | Southgate | 29,948 | $62,792 | $175,318 |
| 36 | Sterling Heights | 133,744 | $75,381 | $278,499 |
| 37 | Madison Heights | 28,521 | $63,224 | $203,911 |
| 38 | Center Line | 8,493 | $52,067 | $158,320 |
| 39 | Auburn Hills | 24,593 | $77,724 | $245,506 |
| 40 | Fraser | 14,668 | $61,039 | $217,570 |
| 41 | Utica | 5,195 | $52,247 | $247,172 |
| 42 | Southfield | 76,107 | $63,980 | $234,297 |
| 43 | Dundee | 5,408 | $73,641 | $261,298 |
| 44 | Dearborn | 108,414 | $64,600 | $213,451 |
| 45 | Westland | 84,806 | $59,930 | $194,197 |
| 46 | Hazel Park | 15,065 | $59,576 | $154,739 |
| 47 | Flat Rock | 10,448 | $65,374 | $237,743 |
| 48 | Monroe | 20,400 | $57,779 | $200,178 |
| 49 | Dearborn Heights | 62,474 | $58,335 | $186,873 |
| 50 | Ypsilanti | 20,204 | $41,914 | $309,294 |
| 51 | Taylor | 62,937 | $59,352 | $161,574 |
| 52 | Warren | 138,588 | $61,633 | $187,656 |
| 53 | River Rouge | 7,200 | $26,343 | $62,263 |
| 54 | Adrian | 20,607 | $40,797 | $168,112 |
| 55 | Lincoln Park | 39,807 | $55,777 | $137,851 |
| 56 | Romulus | 25,055 | $63,854 | $179,648 |
| 57 | Roseville | 47,476 | $57,274 | $159,392 |
| 58 | Harper Woods | 15,296 | $60,030 | $146,667 |
| 59 | Eastpointe | 34,087 | $57,953 | $143,733 |
| 60 | Hamtramck | 27,842 | $39,648 | $157,381 |
| 61 | Mount Clemens | 15,679 | $55,154 | $156,898 |
| 62 | Melvindale | 12,639 | $38,918 | $127,178 |
| 63 | New Haven | 6,200 | $63,424 | $280,596 |
| 64 | Pontiac | 61,965 | $40,307 | $114,719 |
| 65 | Wayne | 17,568 | $52,709 | $153,609 |
| 66 | Ecorse | 9,292 | $45,473 | $69,697 |
| 67 | Highland Park | 9,032 | $30,341 | $67,728 |
| 68 | Inkster | 25,839 | $38,381 | $86,767 |