It also has a violent crime rate that is roughly six times more than the national average. Of course, none that I ate were bad. If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America. We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Population: 23,527 I would trade Starke, FL for Wolverine MI any day of the week. Dowagiac ! It is true that Lapeer County has a higher unemployment rate, but the county is made up of numerous rural communities. That would be River Rouge. Okemos was another Michigan city that appeared in a separate 2017 list by Niche, coming in at #4 in the Best Places to Live in America. More on Lapeer:  Data | Photos. Benton Harbor, St Joseph, Niles and Dowagiac. Never take on Yooper’s. People here do work. My parents were employed as teachers there. Escanaba being on the list and not Detroit just made this entire article non-creditable. Even the town name, Robin Glen-Indiantown, is incorrect. By MyNorth/Traverse Magazine Staff on June 12, 2018 Tagged Towns, Travel Ideas, Vacation, Frankfort, Leland, Suttons Bay. Read on for a detailed look at the 10 worst cities in Michigan. Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1) The following is from the wilx.com Fox News web site… “It’s all subjective information,” says Jackson city councilman Dan Greer of the Forbes.com report. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. There would be a temptation to put Pontiac on this list simply because the Silverdome, with its deflated roof and gutted interior, is one of the biggest eyesores in the state. At least these local rednecks are friendly and know how to fix nearly everything. Order/View the official travel guide →. And before you get all riled up and say we're picking on small town America, that's not the case. Check out our list of the 15 best small towns to visit in Michigan for those of you wanting a break from city life or to reconnect with nature. I grew up in Weidman and moved back several years ago. The cost of living is 13% lower than the state average, and the median home value is just $55,000. It is full of natural scenes and great locations. Not only does Flint have Michigan's lowest home value rank, but it also had the 3rd and 28th highest rankings in unemployment and crime respectively. Jackson, MI is the hometown that I LOVE! 7. The small Upper Peninsula town of Calumet is the snowiest place in Michigan with a yearly average of 187.4 inches and a record total of 390.4 inches set during the winter of 1978-79. The little city of just 22,000 draws many to its shores in Ingham County for a top-notch school system that is, for many, the main reason they choose to stay here. Escanaba is a leader in the UP in technological manufacturing, one of the more beautiful shorelines in the UP and a sense of community as well. OH by the way, some very good people live there. Unemployment Rate: 14.0% (6th worst) Yeah I will admit Benton Harbor has had its problems. I would suggest traveling to Escanaba before you even consider putting this community on the list. Unemployment Rate: 18.3% (3rd worst) Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Michigan has its stuff figured out. December 2019. Highland park never asked to be part of Detroit infant they do all they can to stay separate also it’s not totally inside of Detroit it touches Hamtramck who also did all it could to stay separate from Detroit. I have a post graduate degree and can tell you it makes no difference between me and any other person living in Weidman Years ago Escanaba was much better. The 10 Worst Places To Live In Michigan For 2021. All rights reserved. I don’t understand this ” author’s ” logic , since when dose a low population density and low cost housing make a town undesirable? The 50-city list, from 24/7 Wall St., used an index of more than two dozen measures to identify the worst cities. Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 5) Thrillist just ranked Michigan as the best state in the nation, which should really come as no surprise to anyone. The westernmost community in Michigan, it is 18 miles south of gorgeous Lake Superior and is close to a dizzying array of trails and other places … The picture chosen does not represent Greenville. And when you factor in high crime and a high tax rate, it really can't get much worse in Michigan. However, as the people who live there know, Michigan is an awesome state. More on Baldwin:  Data, Population: 2,693 In fact, there are cities that might need a hug even more than Detroit. Yeah, Ishpeming is bad….Esky isn’t great……but u forgot K.I. The FBI's Uniform Crime Report contains crime data for 2015 submitted by agencies across the United States. And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Michigan or the worst places to live in Michigan. Unemployment Rate: 11.9% (26th worst) if(window.innerWidth < 700){ezoicSiteSpeed(jQuery(document), String(/documentReady/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), String(/jQuery-document-dot-ready/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), function($){$("#skip_expand").html("(Expand+)");$("#toc ul").css("display", "none");$("#skip_expand").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});$("#toc h3").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});});}. I have one thing to say, and I know the other Hooper’s may disown me… The Best Small Towns to Visit in Michigan This Fall. And the worst place to live in Michigan? Crime is everywhere. Median Home Value: $36,300 (2nd worst) Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2020. If you're curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Michigan: This is the worst thought out and irrelevant list I’ve ever read. Unemployment Rate: 7.2% (98th worst) Next, we averaged the rankings into one "Worst Place To Live Score". Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6) Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Greenville has excellent schools that have excellent educators, miles of trails to walk or bicycle, the crime rate in the city is not high, what has been factored in the crime rate of Montcalm County and the same is true of the low income. Benton Harbor is the 5th worst city in Michigan for 2021. but that doesn’t mean squat to what the rest of the town looks like, thrives on, or has to offer in regards to safety, scenery, family values,actually knowing your neighbors and feeling safe in your homes or walking down the street! Detroit, Michigan. Unemployment Rate: 19.7% (3rd worst) More on Manistique:  Data | Photos, Population: 1,671 Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and see how your city fared in 2021. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'roadsnacks_net-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',606,'0','0']));If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America. My husband and I worked and raised our family in Onaway, MI… Our city hall, from the city Manager, Mayor and Commissioner’s are college educated, business minded, and always put the people in the community first… There is absolutely nothing stupid about the business owners or the people of the community. Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1) Everyone should stay away. Here are the 10 cities in the Great Lakes State who have it a little rough right now. LOL, Your email address will not be published. I feel the guy who wrote this article is snooty. Top 10 biggest cities by population are Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Flint, Dearborn, Livonia, and Clinton Charter Township. This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. This article is complete BS. Grosse Pointe is a small town adjacent to Detroit and located right on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Escanaba has the most beautiful park and marina and the small town mentality that’s evaporating out of this crazy fast paced “lost” world. Though there is a thriving university here, Kalamazoo is one of the worst cities withinin Michigan to live. Just because a person didn’t finish high school does not mean they’re idiots. Unemployment Rate: 11.9% (9th worst) The major fashion statement around here is camo print on everything. The lakefront property in Muskegon is absolutely beautiful and far from the horrible area that skews the numbers for his statistics. However, according to data (which doesn't measure things like beauty and 'friendly people'), there are far better options in the state for making a place home. I totally disagree with the choice of Greenville. I have to say Escanaba being on this list is complete BS. We wouldn’t be that small town. Median Home Value: $97,300 (48th worst) Article continues below. More on Benton Heights:  Data | Photos, Population: 1,848 But is it all roses? Midland 2nd? Highland Park is entirely surrounded by Detroit, and it is so bad that Detroit's government won't even consider absorbing Highland Park into the larger city due to the fact that all of Detroit's unflattering crime and unemployment statistics would instantly be made worse. Located in Cass County, Dowagiac has the 14th lowest income levels in the state of Michigan ($33,520), and some of the lowest number of doctors in the state. The lack of legitamacy in this article is obvious just because Detroit is not even on it. The ‘Michigan Works!’ office offers a variety of help for those seeking work or education. It’s good place to live. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Wolverine State. We have more educated people here than you think. More on Detroit:  Data | Photos. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'roadsnacks_net-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',606,'0','0']));Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked. Dowagiac nice community. I live right off Eight Mile, and have worked in Detroit as a delivery driver for a few years. To see which cities make the dolla' holla' on our top richest cities in Michigan for 2021, grab a bowl of potato pierogies, a nice quiet spot on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario, or Lake Erie, and take a look at the list below. Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 5) Likewise the Public Safety Department is top notch and they are not dodging bullets as this piece seems to imply. And in the end, River Rouge ranks as the worst city to live in Michigan for 2021. Other than that it is one of the nicest friendliest places to live here in the UP. And since I pastied my way around the U.P., I can honestly say, IMHO, that Escanaba makes the best of the best. Maybe it’s the sense of pride that comes from making a … More on Muskegon Heights:  Data | Photos. The crime here daily would take up several pages of the newspaper. Why would they come to shop and dine in the restaurant’s downtown Dowagiac. Home to cities like Detroit, Flint and Benton Harbor, Michigan is a regular offender when it comes to states with the worst crime stats.While there’s been an overall downward trend in crime over the past 17 years, some cities and townships in Michigan are still clinging onto the old days, with reports of violent … Median Home Value: $49,200 (8th worst) Unemployment Rate: 11.5% (10th worst) And it's not just Detroit. You can find a house for cheap, but you will also find a lot of young punk kids that never get put in jail. Median Home Value: $66,300 (22nd worst) Just some people don’t want be educated.. but don’t hold against are small town and crime. Your email address will not be published. Whoever wrote this a. I totally agree with most of the others posters about Escanaba should NOT be on this list. The Beecher district is in FLINT, so basically the first two worst cities to live in are Flint and Flint. Only three cities dropped in rank, including last year’s number one safest city Grosse Ile Township. And in the end, River Rouge ranks as the worst city to live in Michigan for 2021. Additionally, crime is 2nd worst in the state, which is very high considering Detroit is so far removed from the rest of Michigan. Michigan City Is Best Small Town To Start A Business - Across Michigan, MI - Dearborn, Farmington Hills and Kalamazoo make the list, but this town tops them all, according to a new report. 9 Christmas Towns In Michigan That Would Even Charm The Grinch. We used science and data to determine which cities in the Wolverine need a little TLC right about now. Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Very interesting area. Median Home Value: $60,900 (15th worst) If you are going to make money by crapping on places you have never been, at least use the right numbers. Many lakes to fish , tube and ski. With a low population, this information alone is a recipe for disaster. If there was more opportunites to work. 11,759) Birmingham (Pop. The snow….. The United States is ripe with amazing cities to live in and travel to (in fact, here are some of our favorite cities to visit in the US).Despite ongoing concerns over firearm violence in America, the country as a whole is safer than you might realize.In fact, with a violent crime rate of 369 incidents committed for every … Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1) Where are these places you wonder? The people in Niles are great people. If you know anyone in Detroit, dm them on Facebook and tell them you love them. The schools are improving believe it or not. Further contributing to Lapeer's ranking among the dregs of the state is the fact that it spends less money on its students that all but four cities in Michigan. No indoor plumbing and the worst is firing up the propane phone! By Megan Frye. Lapeer is the birthplace of Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols, and it seems sadly appropriate that such one of the smallest cities on this list was able to produce one of the worst human beings on earth. Swipe left for slideshow. Dont forget to include Moran and how he started an industrial arts school just so he could train the people of his community and make it a better place. Unemployment Rate: 12.3% (22nd worst) We will unite all day! On average, the home value in Muskegon Heights are the 5th lowest in the entire state. Each one of these small towns is welcoming and a perfect place to explore the best that Michigan has to offer. And middle aged women either wear the “I want to talk to your manager” haircut, or the dreaded permed mullet. It is awful up here! Ironwood - More than 20% of the residents of this small Upper Peninsula town are aged 65 and older, so it's clear that people flock here to retire. Greenville has a large medical community, an excellent hospital and medical staff is top notch. Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1) © Chasing Chains, LLC. Pleasant? Some of the finest people I know live in the area. Michigans system for grading school districts is a complete joke. Wake up , the old u.p. We crunched the numbers to find out. I’d take living in a small town any day over a city like New York, Chicago, or even smaller cities like Grand Rapids. This is bs I moved to Lapeer from clinton township I have never felt more safe then here and detroit is not even on here someone should sue him for slander causing out homes value down. Then they want to build more low income house units to fill the town with more trash. And, something was mentioned about not being educated? Escanaba has no place on this list. Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in MI are the pits. I loved growing up out in wildwood and living across from the Sturgeon….I loved that we aren’t part of the “fast paced” stores aren’t open 24/7 and people don’t go a mile a min. Cities in Michigan Michigan Very Small Towns and Villages (fewer than 1000 residents) - Real Estate, Housing, Schools, Residents, Crime, Pollution, Demographics and More Toggle navigation Better look in your own backyard before you reach out to destroy other communities. More on Dowagiac:  Data | Photos. Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 3) Located across from Windsor, Ontario, Canada on the Detroit River, Detroit had an estimated population of 672,662 in 2018. More on Rogers City:  Data, Population: 2,941 Small towns in Michigan sit along the shores of one the four bordering Great Lakes and in forested areas teaming with wildlife and outdoor adventures year around. © Chasing Chains, LLC. We understand there's a lot of good in every place. Median Home Value: $47,700 (4th worst) He is an ass come here and check it out I dare him to !!!!!! Funny that even though you have Onaway listed here, the boy’s basketball team just won regionals. Trust me I lived there for years. I live in Onaway and you are way off! Im educated and hold a professional license. We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. I know most of the 100 towns. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data. 10 Sweet Small Towns in Northern Michigan You Should Visit. Population: 7,502 I love both the town and the people. Home values are really low ($63,300), and residents earn just $21,916 a year. The Dowagiac/Sister Lakes area population triples in the Summer months. Even though Michigan has a higher violent crime rate than the national average of 3.7, every city on the list had fewer than 1.5 incidents per 1,000. Unlike most places, everyone knows you and you know them. Median Home Value: $71,100 (15th worst) Hey, Nick James; according to the latest facts, statistics, and data I could find sitting on my ass staring at my computer screen, you’re ranked 3rd worst columnist out of 300 comparisons. You forgot Algonac and Clay, absolutely the worst crappy little towns. Most of my neighbors are working, in fact. My grandparents owned a bar in turner when it had a lot of people and stores a car dealer post office etc it was best time walking around there and now I can go back and it’s a total ghost town. Crime in wolverine is theft and robberies not being shot, stabbed or raped. I live in Las Vegas now but still have friends and family in Esky. This is our sixth time ranking the worst small places to live in Michigan. Median Home Value: $67,900 (26th worst) Sooner or later Escanaba will be about number ten on that list at this rate. Dowagiac ranks as the 2nd worst city in Michigan. Both are low jobs and many homes up for sell. Its the place I use to buy penny candy! Finally, we ranked every city on the "Worst Place To Live Score" with the lowest score being the worst city in Michigan -- River Rouge. Ranking based on data from the U.S. … Aside from crime that has nothing to do with whether it’s a nice place to live or not. Muskegon Heights is right on the verge of that when you look at what the average citizen there earns a year. There are some beautiful buildings in downtown Esky and to take a picture of one of the worst buildings is just wrong. River Rouge takes the worst place spot on this list for a number of reasons -- below average education, income, unemployment, and student expenditure statistics. I believe I read something about unemployment? More on Romulus:  Data | Photos. Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Southwestern Michigan College nice campus with many students from all over the Midwest live on campus dorms and the all say “WE LOVE IT HERE!”. Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6) We've put this list of five amazing small towns together for you to glance through. Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Michigan has its stuff figured out. Most Americans have never been to Michigan. Scott D. Way, Wow, I am guessing you have never ventured into any of these towns. the bust of the middleclass in Michigan with the loss of over 1,000,000 jobs since NAFTA was signed, has driven many small places over the brink. Although it has the highest home values of any city on this list, it still ranks in Michigan's bottom third in crime, and it's firmly in the state's bottom fifth in income, education and unemployment. Benton Harbor is the 6th most dangerous place in Michigan, according to FBI statistics. If that was even the case, who cares? Unemployment Rate: 15.8% (6th worst) LOL this article is truly a joke and completely false…..for several reasons! Please. Small towns are often seen as quiet little places … Required fields are marked *. You are a bottom feeder. In Onaway, we know who our neighbors are, and there’s a very strong sense of pride and community spirit unmatched Up North. Detroit should be on this list. Whether you love to hike and bike, or you want to splash around in the lake, Michigan's small town scene is sure to have something to offer you. If you’re thinking about moving to Michigan , note that Grosse Pointe leads this list with 24.55 medical centers per 1,000 residents and … Median Home Value: $52,400 (8th worst) Case everywhere just more noticeable in a small town! There are a total of 881 towns and cities in the state of Michigan. Unemployment Rate: 22.6% (2nd worst) Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change) About Michigan; Travel Industry; Media; Pure Michigan Merchandise More on River Rouge:  Data | Photos. More on White Cloud:  Data. Median Home Value: $78,600 (64th worst) Join the Pure Michigan Enewsletter Sign Up →. I adore Wolverine – the people, the Community, our schools, Library, parks, river – I could go on. 15,372) East Grand Rapids (Pop. Indiantown is the name of an old town that really no longer exists. I bet those crime rates he claims are per capita. There’s no place like Michigan for the holidays. Hunting, fishing, skiing, hiking and boating suggest only a few activities enjoyed in Michigan’s small communities. We don't think it's a stretch to assume that people like the following things: The data comes from the Census's most recent American Community Survey and from the FBI Uniform Crime Report. This is our seventh time ranking the worst places to live in Michigan. Unemployment Rate: 7.0% (44th worst) But what gives River Rouge its main thrust toward the top of this shameful list is its crime index -- the 33rd worst in the whole state. Below please see all Michigan cities and towns which are listed in alphabetical order. is gone! Grand Rapids is highest at number four. In fact, the only thing saving Highland Park is a middle of the road population density, so there's at least something to do while you look for a job. 1 Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the largest and most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. More on Mio:  Data, Population: 1,184 Median Home Value: $55,600 (11th worst) According to the most recent census data, Skidway Lake is the worst small town to live in Michigan. Statistics like that will certainly make the sun shine a bit dimmer, and it will win you are in contention for title of "Worst City in Michigan.". In order to determine the best- and worst-run cities in America, WalletHub compared 150 of the most populated cities across six key categories: 1) Financial Stability, 2) Education, 3) Health, 4) Safety, 5) Economy and 6) Infrastructure & Pollution. The crime rates in this city are on the rise making it one of the worst cities in Michigan to live. Detroit is so much better. My mother, a nurse, lives here. And because of this the real estate market is still plummeting. So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Population: 5,743 Onaway is ranked as being 6 away from the worst town to live in out of 148 small town comparisons? Your email address will not be published. Six Michigan cities recently made a list of the worst places to live in America.