State rankings

Best Counties to Live in Michigan

Compare counties in Michigan by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in MI

Livingston County

75.2

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in MI

Clinton County

70.8

Overall score

Open county report

#3 in MI

Midland County

70.7

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in MI

Oakland County

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in MI

Ottawa County

68.3

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Livingston County

Overall score 75.2

Most affordable

Luce County

Affordability 82

Best schools

Ottawa County

Schools 93.8

Safest

Otsego County

Safety 100

Lowest taxes

Leelanau County

Taxes 71.6

Best peace & quiet

Dickinson County

Peace & Quiet 91.9

All Michigan counties

Showing 83 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Livingston County FIPS 26093	75.2	77.1	59.4	92.1	94.2	52.8	63.9	$394,423	$103,039
2	Clinton County FIPS 26037	70.8	66.9	67.5	70.5	96.6	43.8	83.6	$307,952	$88,210
3	Midland County FIPS 26111	70.7	56.8	72.5	85.4	90.7	35.7	81.8	$240,607	$77,705
4	Oakland County FIPS 26125	69	72.6	57.8	86.7	99.7	31.3	20.3	$365,349	$97,760
5	Ottawa County FIPS 26139	68.3	72.1	51.2	93.8	70.7	52.1	57.8	$389,373	$90,502
6	Otsego County FIPS 26137	67.1	48.3	59.5	72.1	100	65.5	83.7	$250,615	$68,183
7	Houghton County FIPS 26061	66.5	41.1	67.3	77.9	97.7	47.3	88.3	$182,733	$58,899
8	Dickinson County FIPS 26043	66.2	43.9	80.9	55.7	99.4	43.7	91.9	$174,150	$65,156
9	Allegan County FIPS 26005	64.8	64.7	54.6	62.6	87.2	53.8	78.9	$342,789	$83,283
10	Lapeer County FIPS 26087	63.9	54.1	64.3	56.1	87.6	61.2	75.5	$290,142	$77,306
11	Leelanau County FIPS 26089	63.7	70.5	13.1	88.1	95.5	71.6	74.9	$622,874	$99,422
12	Barry County FIPS 26015	63.4	62.2	62.7	60.8	74.8	48.1	79.3	$292,490	$77,500
13	Ionia County FIPS 26067	62.7	56.3	67.6	48.6	82.4	55.2	82.4	$256,599	$75,611
14	Kent County FIPS 26081	62	65.7	51	63.9	88.5	47.7	39.7	$350,515	$82,631
15	Crawford County FIPS 26039	61.3	28.1	70.2	82.4	76.4	49.5	76.3	$172,955	$60,392
16	St. Clair County FIPS 26147	60.7	52.8	67.3	49.3	84.6	45	73.5	$253,394	$71,270
17	Huron County FIPS 26063	60.6	44.9	67.2	49.6	90	50.7	81.4	$192,819	$58,870
18	Grand Traverse County FIPS 26055	60.5	67.5	38.3	66.5	74.6	57.5	77	$410,918	$81,647
19	Washtenaw County FIPS 26161	60.5	64.1	40.2	92.6	75.7	17.5	56	$413,406	$89,180
20	Lenawee County FIPS 26091	60.2	51.7	68.6	43	88.5	43.3	78.7	$236,512	$70,518
21	Sanilac County FIPS 26151	60.1	34.4	68.8	53.8	88	63.1	80.3	$202,763	$58,863
22	Marquette County FIPS 26103	59.9	42.6	57.6	52.3	96.2	54	90.3	$243,685	$65,429
23	Shiawassee County FIPS 26155	59	46	74.9	30.6	95.4	43.2	80.4	$208,279	$67,404
24	Benzie County FIPS 26019	58.8	52.8	30.6	70.5	88.2	69.2	74.7	$398,792	$74,834
25	Branch County FIPS 26023	58.7	51.5	68.8	26.2	93.9	52.3	81.3	$201,004	$63,724
26	Chippewa County FIPS 26033	58.6	34.5	66.4	50	97.9	44.6	84.8	$192,557	$62,217
27	Missaukee County FIPS 26113	58.5	48.4	62.4	41.5	81.4	63.9	78.6	$226,792	$66,194
28	Menominee County FIPS 26109	58.4	45.5	71.6	35.8	80.4	56.8	85	$177,338	$56,435
29	Gratiot County FIPS 26057	58.3	40.3	77.5	36.9	81.5	49	87	$179,894	$63,556
30	Eaton County FIPS 26045	58.1	61	70.1	37.2	68.9	34.7	81	$256,124	$79,597
31	Emmet County FIPS 26047	57.6	51.2	21.2	81.1	84.8	65.8	79.4	$442,793	$78,112
32	Monroe County FIPS 26115	57.6	49.3	69.2	44	73.4	46	71.5	$262,020	$77,335
33	Macomb County FIPS 26099	57.4	56.4	67.2	42.4	94.5	28	20.2	$266,672	$77,837
34	Charlevoix County FIPS 26029	57.3	58.2	33	57.6	82.9	65.2	80.3	$400,415	$76,531
35	Wexford County FIPS 26165	56.8	38.2	63.6	46.6	81.9	55.3	83.7	$228,172	$61,085
36	Gogebic County FIPS 26053	56.7	31.8	80.4	31.3	95.7	38.5	83.3	$124,498	$52,732
37	Montcalm County FIPS 26117	56.5	47.7	68	16.9	95.9	59	77.8	$231,036	$67,344
38	Tuscola County FIPS 26157	56.3	39.5	78.4	28.2	80.3	50.1	82	$182,326	$63,811
39	Bay County FIPS 26017	56.2	38.3	76.6	37.2	86.4	32.5	76.7	$179,475	$61,763
40	St. Joseph County FIPS 26149	56.2	47.8	69.5	27	79.9	53.2	83.2	$214,187	$66,425
41	Mackinac County FIPS 26097	55.3	36.2	58.2	45.4	87	56.8	78.5	$221,217	$63,909
42	Jackson County FIPS 26075	55.1	49.2	68.8	26.3	83.6	40.3	76.3	$221,075	$66,073
43	Newaygo County FIPS 26123	55.1	46.8	59	30.1	88	55.5	76.6	$247,159	$63,304
44	Van Buren County FIPS 26159	55	40.6	59.1	48.8	77.9	47.3	78.1	$268,116	$68,114
45	Hillsdale County FIPS 26059	54.9	47.8	70	17.1	80.3	58.1	82.5	$206,560	$64,242
46	Schoolcraft County FIPS 26153	54.9	30.6	64.1	29.7	98.4	63.9	83.6	$188,564	$56,782
47	Alger County FIPS 26003	54.7	33.3	62.2	31.3	97.3	60.2	79.4	$207,844	$61,286
48	Delta County FIPS 26041	54.7	33.5	66.6	25.5	98.2	53.5	88.9	$197,757	$57,809
49	Presque Isle County FIPS 26141	54.7	29.1	59.5	41.7	90.1	68.3	77.4	$216,761	$59,321
50	Alpena County FIPS 26007	54.5	37.5	66.8	24.7	90	55.1	89.2	$189,253	$53,950
51	Ontonagon County FIPS 26131	54.5	26.9	79.3	29.3	85.8	52.7	78.2	$129,978	$54,398
52	Keweenaw County FIPS 26083	54.3	28	55.3	-	86.7	56.3	80.8	$206,638	$52,583
53	Antrim County FIPS 26009	54.2	46.6	40.2	56.1	72.2	66.7	74.7	$344,946	$72,054
54	Arenac County FIPS 26011	54	32.1	75.6	36.9	74.9	46.4	76.3	$160,118	$58,811
55	Iosco County FIPS 26069	53.7	27.4	67.2	27.1	99.1	58.8	78.3	$164,597	$50,066
56	Kalamazoo County FIPS 26077	53.7	57.1	58.5	40.3	74.3	24.6	61.8	$270,403	$72,532
57	Ogemaw County FIPS 26129	53.7	28.7	65.7	36	88.3	59	74.4	$177,332	$54,666
58	Berrien County FIPS 26021	53.4	42.5	52.7	40.3	86.5	49.7	70.9	$271,062	$65,425
59	Ingham County FIPS 26065	53.4	48.2	63.2	42.3	89.4	8	58.1	$221,626	$65,526
60	Cheboygan County FIPS 26031	52.9	35.3	56.5	31.2	89.5	65.1	76.1	$245,408	$62,875
61	Roscommon County FIPS 26143	52.9	30.2	65	32.2	88.3	56.1	75.7	$186,502	$55,246
62	Calhoun County FIPS 26025	52.5	44	74.8	14.3	85.6	31	80.1	$183,796	$63,177
63	Muskegon County FIPS 26121	52.5	45.6	62.7	16.9	92.3	47.8	68.1	$247,207	$65,024
64	Kalkaska County FIPS 26079	52.3	46.8	67.5	11.5	75.3	64.9	73.6	$223,569	$68,578
65	Mason County FIPS 26105	51.6	36.8	52.3	46.4	72.3	50.9	82.4	$264,155	$64,748
66	Baraga County FIPS 26013	51.5	27	68.5	21.6	94.9	48.3	84.5	$165,995	$55,327
67	Luce County FIPS 26095	51.3	27.7	82	20.5	63	62	83.2	$129,755	$54,893
68	Manistee County FIPS 26101	51.3	36.6	52.6	34.8	80.1	61.2	78.9	$255,974	$63,516
69	Saginaw County FIPS 26145	51.3	30.6	77.2	20.4	91.2	27.5	76	$167,796	$60,622
70	Alcona County FIPS 26001	51.1	27.1	64.6	22.9	88.5	65.6	75.1	$187,439	$54,993
71	Gladwin County FIPS 26051	51	30.1	64.5	31.9	85.1	46.2	72	$184,536	$55,349
72	Isabella County FIPS 26073	50.9	33.1	53.1	40	86.4	41.5	85	$222,852	$55,237
73	Oscoda County FIPS 26135	49.8	24.6	72.8	25.8	69.6	61.1	74.3	$144,122	$49,515
74	Montmorency County FIPS 26119	49.3	20.2	63.8	24.1	90	61.4	76.2	$178,115	$49,756
75	Osceola County FIPS 26133	48.7	32.8	66.9	10.3	79.2	58.9	79.4	$192,206	$58,267
76	Mecosta County FIPS 26107	46.9	26.9	61	26.2	65	59	80.9	$223,013	$60,951
77	Cass County FIPS 26027	45.6	48.1	61	32.9	13	58.3	80	$264,053	$70,443
78	Wayne County FIPS 26163	45.5	34.5	72.7	8.3	99.9	11.5	17.9	$174,830	$60,539
79	Oceana County FIPS 26127	45	27.7	54.2	14.8	78.7	59.4	76.8	$248,645	$62,417
80	Clare County FIPS 26035	44.7	24.3	67.6	13.9	68.3	51.1	70.8	$156,086	$49,384
81	Iron County FIPS 26071	44.7	24.2	77.1	27.9	32.8	48.1	81.6	$137,827	$55,940
82	Lake County FIPS 26085	38.7	19.4	66.3	3.5	51.2	54.3	70	$160,999	$50,805
83	Genesee County FIPS 26049	36.7	32.9	71.6	27.4	0	28.6	44.7	$189,845	$62,281