Welcome to the happiest places in Michigan.
Using Saturday Night Science and data, we determined the cities and towns with the most rainbows, butterflies, puppies, and unicorns.
You know, the places where people have jobs, white-picked fences, and friendly neighbors – unicorn cities.
After analyzing the 154 largest cities, we happily present the happiest cities in the Wolverine State.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Happiest Places In Michigan
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably live in one of these cities.
Oh, and by the way, Inkster is the most miserable place in Michigan.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
The 10 Happiest Places In Michigan For 2024
/10
Population: 122,216
Poverty Level: 23.3%
Median Home Price $479,804
Married Households 12.0%
Households With Kids 17.94%
More on Ann Arbor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Ann Arbor is by far the happiest place in the state of Michigan. Let’s see why.
First off, having a solid family life is a good indication of how happy someone is. Lots of the residents of Ann Arbor aren’t missing out on love; more than 12% of them are married. Plus, the average commute time here is only about 19 minutes each way. That means a lot more time with the spouse and kids.
/10
Population: 5,859
Poverty Level: 7.9%
Median Home Price $393,626
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 26.6%
More on Petoskey: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Things look to be pretty pleasant in Petoskey. Crime is really low here, and the percentage of married residents (36%) mean there’s lots of stability at home.
In addition to those factors, there is a thriving amount of community involvement. Studies have shown that a key factor to happiness is when people volunteer, especially in their own neighborhoods.
/10
Population: 7,691
Poverty Level: 20.2%
Median Home Price $263,304
Married Households 36.0%
Households With Kids 23.55%
More on Ludington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The people who live in Ludington have a lot going for them. 28% of them have college degrees, and they command some of the highest salaries in MI. 36% of the people here are married.
Most of these all tops in the entire state.
/10
Population: 10,961
Poverty Level: 12.1%
Median Home Price $342,638
Married Households 40.0%
Households With Kids 22.93%
More on Grand Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Grand Haven is where you can bet there are lots of smiley and happy people all over town. Crime is essentially something that just doesn’t happen here very often. And when you can let your guard down and relax a little, the lack of stress really makes a difference.
Same goes on the job front. Only 5.1% of residents here are out of work. Sounds like there are jobs for just about everyone who wants one. Which must be a good feeling to have.
/10
Population: 20,673
Poverty Level: 23.1%
Median Home Price $288,904
Married Households 21.0%
Households With Kids 16.22%
More on Marquette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
If you want to see a bunch of happy people, go to Marquette. It seriously looks like something out of a commercial.
They have a 12 minute commute time, which means lots more time with the kids.
/10
Population: 16,017
Poverty Level: 8.3%
Median Home Price $332,792
Married Households 46.0%
Households With Kids 30.19%
More on Grandville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
For those who say that money doesn’t buy happiness, you’re half right. Studies have shown that people are happy up to a certain point when it comes to annual salaries, somewhere around $72,000 a year. After that, it doesn’t matter how much you make, you’re not going to be much happier.
The residents of Grandville have that covered. Plus about 46% of households are married.
/10
Population: 45,403
Poverty Level: 34.3%
Median Home Price $269,481
Married Households 9.0%
Households With Kids 15.2%
More on East Lansing: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Most of the people in East Lansing have to be plum’ happy. True happiness is Home Sweet Home’ with your kids and spouse, being reminded to do chores, run errands and fold the clothes right.
/10
Population: 15,468
Poverty Level: 11.2%
Median Home Price $412,868
Married Households 28.0%
Households With Kids 21.33%
More on Traverse City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Less than 5.3% of the residents in Traverse City are jobless, which is just about as low as you’ll see.
Incomes are steady, and commute times are really low as well. That really takes away the stress factors that stop folks from relaxing and enjoying their down time’ to do the little things that matter: Walks in the park, time alone with a book and extra face time with the children.
/10
Population: 5,064
Poverty Level: 3.2%
Median Home Price $296,452
Married Households 45.0%
Households With Kids 21.48%
More on Frankenmuth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
About 46% of residents in Frankenmuth, MI have a college degree. While we’ve all heard the saying, Ignorance is bliss,’ our argument is: Ignorance is also broke.
Not only are most of the residents of Frankenmuth smart, they’re safe, too.
/10
Population: 7,852
Poverty Level: 5.8%
Median Home Price $300,114
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 16.22%
More on St. Joseph: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
In St. Joseph, most of the population is married, and most own their own homes.
The commute times (18 minutes each way) might eventually start to turn the corners of those smiles sideways.
But for now, it’s all roses in St. Joseph.
Methodology: How We Measured The Happiest Cities In The Wolverine State
To rank the happiest places in Michigan, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.
So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2018-2022 report for the happy criteria, added some Saturday Night Science, and generated the answer.
Here are the criteria we used to measure happiness:
- Percentage of residents with a college degree
- Average commute times
- Unemployment rates
- Cost of living
- % of married couples
- % of families with kids
- Poverty rate
After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 154 places in Michigan with over 5,000 people.
We then ranked each place from one to 154 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the happiest.
Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Happy Index for each place with the lowest overall Happy Index “earning” the title “Happiest City In Michigan.”
If you’d like to see the complete list of cities, happiest to saddest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.
We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the happiest cities in Michigan.
There You Have It – The Happiest Cities In Michigan
As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Michigan is usually a subjective matter.
But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.
The happiest cities in Michigan are Ann Arbor, Petoskey, Ludington, Grand Haven, Marquette, Grandville, East Lansing, Traverse City, Frankenmuth, and St. Joseph.
If you’re curious enough, here are the most miserable cities in Michigan, according to science:
- Inkster
- Eastpointe
- Muskegon Heights
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
Happiest Cities In Michigan For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Level | Median Home Value | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ann Arbor, MI | 122,216 | 23.3% | $479,804 | 12.0% | 17.94% |
| 2 | Petoskey, MI | 5,859 | 7.9% | $393,626 | 36.0% | 26.6% |
| 3 | Ludington, MI | 7,691 | 20.2% | $263,304 | 36.0% | 23.55% |
| 4 | Grand Haven, MI | 10,961 | 12.1% | $342,638 | 40.0% | 22.93% |
| 5 | Marquette, MI | 20,673 | 23.1% | $288,904 | 21.0% | 16.22% |
| 6 | Grandville, MI | 16,017 | 8.3% | $332,792 | 46.0% | 30.19% |
| 7 | East Lansing, MI | 45,403 | 34.3% | $269,481 | 9.0% | 15.2% |
| 8 | Traverse City, MI | 15,468 | 11.2% | $412,868 | 28.0% | 21.33% |
| 9 | Frankenmuth, MI | 5,064 | 3.2% | $296,452 | 45.0% | 21.48% |
| 10 | St. Joseph, MI | 7,852 | 5.8% | $300,114 | 22.0% | 16.22% |
| 11 | East Grand Rapids, MI | 11,385 | 1.7% | $572,507 | 46.0% | 50.78% |
| 12 | Walker, MI | 25,175 | 7.1% | $311,743 | 38.0% | 25.33% |
| 13 | Brighton, MI | 7,486 | 6.4% | $396,691 | 37.0% | 19.45% |
| 14 | Berkley, MI | 15,150 | 3.1% | $285,101 | 40.0% | 23.64% |
| 15 | Zeeland, MI | 5,701 | 8.2% | $336,250 | 36.0% | 28.43% |
| 16 | Grosse Pointe Farms, MI | 10,018 | 2.9% | $446,876 | 45.0% | 28.21% |
| 17 | Huntington Woods, MI | 6,365 | 1.6% | $459,699 | 45.0% | 37.46% |
| 18 | Royal Oak, MI | 58,053 | 6.5% | $302,682 | 29.0% | 17.3% |
| 19 | Chelsea, MI | 5,440 | 3.3% | $364,698 | 38.0% | 21.93% |
| 20 | Grosse Pointe Park, MI | 11,513 | 3.6% | $451,199 | 43.0% | 30.52% |
| 21 | Grosse Pointe, MI | 5,621 | 1.9% | $421,780 | 39.0% | 27.18% |
| 22 | Beverly Hills, MI | 10,550 | 2.6% | $498,630 | 40.0% | 35.07% |
| 23 | South Lyon, MI | 11,788 | 5.0% | $434,616 | 41.0% | 23.37% |
| 24 | Clawson, MI | 11,388 | 6.3% | $261,691 | 32.0% | 16.59% |
| 25 | Birmingham, MI | 21,738 | 5.5% | $600,237 | 32.0% | 30.62% |
| 26 | St. Johns, MI | 7,711 | 14.4% | $245,248 | 39.0% | 30.11% |
| 27 | Holland, MI | 34,186 | 11.6% | $321,850 | 25.0% | 30.35% |
| 28 | Wixom, MI | 17,007 | 8.7% | $348,240 | 27.0% | 22.5% |
| 29 | Mason, MI | 8,284 | 8.5% | $247,725 | 33.0% | 25.36% |
| 30 | Houghton, MI | 8,303 | 34.9% | $209,785 | 10.0% | 20.38% |
| 31 | Milford, MI | 6,483 | 10.3% | $425,893 | 39.0% | 30.35% |
| 32 | Northville, MI | 6,088 | 3.5% | $514,916 | 34.0% | 26.26% |
| 33 | Grand Rapids, MI | 198,096 | 19.0% | $262,762 | 23.0% | 26.86% |
| 34 | Manistee, MI | 6,248 | 11.2% | $227,978 | 34.0% | 19.53% |
| 35 | Marshall, MI | 6,806 | 7.3% | $220,197 | 37.0% | 22.22% |
| 36 | Grand Ledge, MI | 7,795 | 5.9% | $272,097 | 43.0% | 28.22% |
| 37 | Mount Pleasant, MI | 21,826 | 34.4% | $192,895 | 14.0% | 19.54% |
| 38 | Ypsilanti, MI | 20,204 | 27.3% | $309,294 | 10.0% | 18.4% |
| 39 | Cadillac, MI | 10,400 | 19.7% | $173,364 | 35.0% | 23.3% |
| 40 | Auburn Hills, MI | 24,593 | 11.5% | $245,506 | 19.0% | 18.78% |
| 41 | Livonia, MI | 94,928 | 4.5% | $278,535 | 39.0% | 24.33% |
| 42 | Iron Mountain, MI | 7,522 | 10.7% | $138,100 | 35.0% | 23.96% |
| 43 | Farmington, MI | 11,486 | 4.9% | $290,249 | 30.0% | 23.33% |
| 44 | Rochester, MI | 12,978 | 6.0% | $428,006 | 33.0% | 27.75% |
| 45 | Madison Heights, MI | 28,521 | 12.0% | $203,911 | 26.0% | 19.78% |
| 46 | Midland, MI | 42,404 | 9.2% | $215,605 | 35.0% | 28.33% |
| 47 | Big Rapids, MI | 7,915 | 33.6% | $191,904 | 13.0% | 21.84% |
| 48 | Kalamazoo, MI | 73,342 | 26.8% | $219,925 | 17.0% | 23.27% |
| 49 | Ferndale, MI | 19,264 | 8.4% | $236,307 | 24.0% | 13.85% |
| 50 | Grosse Pointe Woods, MI | 16,338 | 4.7% | $315,509 | 43.0% | 28.58% |
| 51 | Fenton, MI | 11,967 | 10.5% | $330,634 | 36.0% | 26.15% |
| 52 | Escanaba, MI | 12,403 | 19.0% | $148,191 | 31.0% | 22.34% |
| 53 | Walled Lake, MI | 7,262 | 9.8% | $229,099 | 25.0% | 22.9% |
| 54 | Portage, MI | 48,936 | 7.8% | $271,509 | 32.0% | 29.1% |
| 55 | Woodhaven, MI | 12,867 | 10.5% | $242,087 | 41.0% | 24.12% |
| 56 | Norton Shores, MI | 24,984 | 7.0% | $257,972 | 47.0% | 32.69% |
| 57 | Kingsford, MI | 5,127 | 10.2% | $132,625 | 32.0% | 26.77% |
| 58 | Farmington Hills, MI | 83,562 | 5.7% | $348,161 | 28.0% | 25.29% |
| 59 | Kentwood, MI | 54,042 | 9.9% | $293,250 | 26.0% | 31.51% |
| 60 | Trenton, MI | 18,420 | 6.7% | $215,391 | 40.0% | 23.71% |
| 61 | Plymouth, MI | 9,300 | 2.7% | $417,416 | 31.0% | 29.54% |
| 62 | Utica, MI | 5,195 | 7.8% | $247,172 | 24.0% | 17.36% |
| 63 | Hudsonville, MI | 7,633 | 4.3% | $367,928 | 49.0% | 45.6% |
| 64 | Alma, MI | 9,436 | 21.8% | $139,255 | 35.0% | 23.55% |
| 65 | Wyandotte, MI | 24,857 | 15.3% | $174,297 | 34.0% | 24.14% |
| 66 | Gladstone, MI | 5,231 | 15.9% | $162,888 | 36.0% | 29.59% |
| 67 | Howell, MI | 10,067 | 5.5% | $348,579 | 26.0% | 20.15% |
| 68 | Riverview, MI | 12,390 | 7.9% | $219,074 | 34.0% | 25.03% |
| 69 | Hillsdale, MI | 8,005 | 21.2% | $183,760 | 19.0% | 29.23% |
| 70 | Alpena, MI | 10,200 | 20.9% | $157,639 | 33.0% | 21.99% |
| 71 | Menominee, MI | 8,429 | 13.7% | $151,178 | 20.0% | 18.46% |
| 72 | St. Clair, MI | 5,496 | 9.1% | $283,763 | 39.0% | 30.58% |
| 73 | Southfield, MI | 76,107 | 11.3% | $234,297 | 22.0% | 22.54% |
| 74 | Rochester Hills, MI | 76,041 | 4.3% | $414,974 | 30.0% | 32.13% |
| 75 | St. Clair Shores, MI | 58,656 | 7.2% | $211,168 | 38.0% | 20.38% |
| 76 | Holly, MI | 5,997 | 11.6% | $286,258 | 41.0% | 21.61% |
| 77 | Saline, MI | 8,973 | 5.1% | $423,142 | 29.0% | 25.42% |
| 78 | Troy, MI | 87,170 | 5.9% | $398,962 | 26.0% | 32.6% |
| 79 | Allegan, MI | 5,180 | 13.7% | $235,225 | 33.0% | 32.88% |
| 80 | Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 13,409 | 20.8% | $133,384 | 25.0% | 24.76% |
| 81 | Oak Park, MI | 29,495 | 14.5% | $212,139 | 22.0% | 23.37% |
| 82 | Marysville, MI | 9,973 | 5.0% | $212,826 | 44.0% | 28.69% |
| 83 | New Baltimore, MI | 12,104 | 4.3% | $325,237 | 46.0% | 29.4% |
| 84 | Allen Park, MI | 28,395 | 7.6% | $190,218 | 40.0% | 27.03% |
| 85 | Swartz Creek, MI | 5,865 | 7.7% | $218,680 | 36.0% | 27.21% |
| 86 | Rockford, MI | 6,144 | 6.2% | $386,671 | 39.0% | 31.18% |
| 87 | Flushing, MI | 8,349 | 6.9% | $216,845 | 41.0% | 29.75% |
| 88 | Lapeer, MI | 9,034 | 24.0% | $246,318 | 27.0% | 24.64% |
| 89 | Ishpeming, MI | 6,191 | 14.1% | $155,185 | 35.0% | 28.76% |
| 90 | Wyoming, MI | 76,732 | 10.9% | $245,215 | 30.0% | 34.66% |
| 91 | Bay City, MI | 32,664 | 24.8% | $103,660 | 31.0% | 26.74% |
| 92 | Hazel Park, MI | 15,065 | 15.5% | $154,739 | 27.0% | 21.64% |
| 93 | Owosso, MI | 14,678 | 13.1% | $159,765 | 33.0% | 27.37% |
| 94 | Hastings, MI | 7,504 | 8.6% | $198,616 | 32.0% | 24.29% |
| 95 | Sterling Heights, MI | 133,744 | 10.3% | $278,499 | 27.0% | 28.06% |
| 96 | Ironwood, MI | 5,088 | 13.6% | $88,927 | 28.0% | 17.37% |
| 97 | Richmond, MI | 5,852 | 17.3% | $276,790 | 29.0% | 27.04% |
| 98 | Coldwater, MI | 13,704 | 21.7% | $194,078 | 20.0% | 30.81% |
| 99 | Southgate, MI | 29,948 | 9.7% | $175,318 | 34.0% | 27.08% |
| 100 | Novi, MI | 65,870 | 3.9% | $425,204 | 25.0% | 35.51% |