15,372) East Grand Rapids (Pop. Next, we averaged the rankings into one "Worst Place To Live Score". These facts are for infotainment only; don’t freak out. Use some wisdom before you speak out!! If you know anyone in Detroit, dm them on Facebook and tell them you love them. The ‘Michigan Works!’ office offers a variety of help for those seeking work or education. 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. To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things. Required fields are marked *. Crime is everywhere. Many were lumbering towns that survived the lumber bust to become small agricultural towns, then became cabin / cottage destinations. We've put this list of five amazing small towns together for you to glance through. They have a good plan to turn things around. It was a hit to hear that Forbes.com has ranked my town as the #1 worst small city in the U.S. for Job Opportunities. Other than that it is one of the nicest friendliest places to live here in the UP. Residents here are underpaid, underemployed and possibly lonely. 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. People won’t leave unless times got so bad they have no choice. More on St. Helen:  Data, Population: 4,263 Maybe it’s the sense of pride that comes from making a … 15 Most Dangerous Small Towns in America. Sooner or later Escanaba will be about number ten on that list at this rate. Sawyer!!!! Population: 9,843 Onaway is ranked as being 6 away from the worst town to live in out of 148 small town comparisons? LOL, Your email address will not be published. Population: 5,743 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. We all expect that large metropolitan areas will be far more dangerous places than small towns in the United States. The Dowagiac/Sister Lakes area population triples in the Summer months. And the home values are eye-opening low. 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 If there was more opportunites to work. I live in Onaway and you are way off! I grew up in Weidman and moved back several years ago. Each one of these small towns is welcoming and a perfect place to explore the best that Michigan has to offer. I’d take living in a small town any day over a city like New York, Chicago, or even smaller cities like Grand Rapids. Median Home Value: $60,900 (15th worst) Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1) Escanaba has the most beautiful park and marina and the small town mentality that’s evaporating out of this crazy fast paced “lost” world. And in the end, River Rouge ranks as the worst city to live in Michigan for 2021. If you're analyzing teeny places in the Wolverine State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list. Very interesting area. If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Michigan, according to science: I am in Onaway and Pellston 3-4 times per week, you are off base., Great places,,Great people and business climates. More on Baldwin:  Data, Population: 2,693 If you know anyone in Flint, tag them on Facebook and tell them you love them. With a low population, this information alone is a recipe for disaster. Maybe it’s the way everyone seems to know you (that can be a good AND bad thing, but that’s another story). Michigan 2015 violent crime rates. 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. Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Michigan has its stuff figured out. Unemployment Rate: 22.6% (2nd worst) But is it all roses? Detroit should be on this list. More on Highland Park:  Data | Photos. Do you really have to down those who are “uneducated” I’ve met people who have dropped out of high school and people who have attended college and received a bachelor degree, and I would have to say many of the people who have a higher educated are as dumb as a box of rocks. Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Unemployment Rate: 10.6% (13th worst) Where are these places you wonder? If they had, they would notice a vibrant, growing, beautiful city. Median Home Value: $66,300 (22nd worst) Years ago Escanaba was much better. We even had a band. Benton Harbor is the 6th most dangerous place in Michigan, according to FBI statistics. With friendly faces, seemingly endless cheer, and all sorts of beautiful Christmas decor, the Great Lakes State truly comes to life each winter. Alpena should be #1. rudest people you will ever meet starting with the hospital. When you're comparing other cities to Benton Harbor, things just don't look great, at least according to science. The unemployment rate is 14.0%, worse than the state average. We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. River Rouge & Ecorse are pretty much also surrounded inside of Detroit & much of Downriver is bleak & a continuation of Detroit as it is also Wayne County. Likewise the Public Safety Department is top notch and they are not dodging bullets as this piece seems to imply. Grow up Nick James and understand that you are insulting people and pthey love. Grand Rapids is highest at number four. Onaway has crime just like every other place does but i generally feel safe taking a walk. I have lived there for 35 + years and have seen very little crime – and if it happens it’s an outsider , I happen to live in Onaway it’s not as bad as your making it out to be there are great neighbors where I live , yes I agree some places are rough looking and need to be cleaned up and yes there is A lot of druggies here but isn’t that the. 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. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers. We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine the dirt on places across the country. There are lots of retired people in Whittemore who worked 40-50 years and deserve to be lazy. You are within 30 minutes from Lake Michigan beaches, Major shopping Centers less than 30 minute drive in South Bend / Mishawaka. I would trade Starke, FL for Wolverine MI any day of the week. Detroit, MI needs a big hug right now. Everybody knows everybody! 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()});});}. 2,860). I have lived in this town most of my life and I have never felt afraid to walk anywhere. 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. 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 … What snobbish bores you are. I am from Escanaba. Unemployment Rate: 12.3% (22nd worst) Population: 10,867 Below please see all Michigan cities and towns which are listed in alphabetical order. Only the cities of Syracuse and Rochester, New York and Anchorage, Alaska beat out G.R. Unemployment Rate: 12.6% (19th worst) By MyNorth/Traverse Magazine Staff on June 12, 2018 Tagged Towns, Travel Ideas, Vacation, Frankfort, Leland, Suttons Bay. On average, the home value in Muskegon Heights are the 5th lowest in the entire state. The state has so much to offer to its visitors. Worst Small Towns In Michigan, 2020 - RoadSnacks. More on White Cloud:  Data. Only three cities dropped in rank, including last year’s number one safest city Grosse Ile Township. 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. There are some beautiful buildings in downtown Esky and to take a picture of one of the worst buildings is just wrong. We've done the research to discover which places in Michigan are the most expensive to live in.. The picture chosen does not represent Greenville. 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. And the residents here have a hard time keeping a job -- at least in comparison to the rest of the state. Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change) We wouldn’t be that small town. People here do work. The 10 Worst Places To Live In Michigan For 2021. There are a total of 881 towns and cities in the state of Michigan. Escanaba has no place on this list. 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. 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. That says nothing about whether you are a nice person and a good neighbor. Median Home Value: $45,700 (6th worst) 9. if(window.innerWidth < 700){ezoicSiteSpeed(jQuery(document), String(/documentReady/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), String(/jQuery-document-dot-ready/).substring(1).slice(0,-1), function($){$("#skip_expand").html("(Expand+)");$("#toc ul").css("display", "none");$("#skip_expand").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});$("#toc h3").on("click", function(){$("#toc ul").toggle()});});}. I don’t think your statistics are accurate. Median Home Value: $78,600 (64th worst) 9 Christmas Towns In Michigan That Would Even Charm The Grinch. If their was so many low income families then why would the residence invest 36 million into there schools. Unlike most places, everyone knows you and you know them. 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. With great dining locations, antique shopping, museums, galleries, markets and wineries, South Haven is a traveler’s paradise. Dowagiac nice community. Just because a town is small, doesn’t make the people village idiots! I agree, until you have been visited the area you have no clue what the area has to offer, the beauty is breath taking, the air is so fresh. Census's 2014-2018 American Community Survey, Download The Entire Michigan Ranking Data, Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand), Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living), Education (Number of high school dropouts), Village of Grosse Pointe Shores (Pop. Get off your high horse look beyond your thinking. Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered -- leaving 145 cities. Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 5) Aside from crime that has nothing to do with whether it’s a nice place to live or not. Perhaps there are not many employment opportunities in our small town, but we live near larger cities where there are. stupid article and if you buy into this article your just as stupid. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2021. More on Lakeview:  Data, Population: 1,245 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. We will unite all day! In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Michigan, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. There are many other great attributes about Onaway, Michigan… To the person writing the negative, false information regarding small towns, you better do your research and know what you’re talking about. Niles? The lakefront property in Muskegon is absolutely beautiful and far from the horrible area that skews the numbers for his statistics. More on Muskegon Heights:  Data | Photos. Population: 3,426 Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change) I have ever experienced, when the police officers hang out in the local bars on weekends, in a town with a population of 8500 that’s a serious problem! They can probably use it right about now. LOVE it up their. Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Read on for a detailed look at the 10 worst cities in Michigan. You can download the data here. If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America. Population: 10,748 Unemployment Rate: 7.0% (44th worst) I know most of the 100 towns. Ya i believe that one. Unemployment Rate: 13.8% (11th worst) Benton Harbor, St Joseph, Niles and Dowagiac. at least not in Iosco County. This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. And it's not just Detroit. Whoever wrote this a. I totally agree with most of the others posters about Escanaba should NOT be on this list. Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in MI … With statistics like that, we couldn't keep Pontiac off this list even if the Silverdome's ruins were made of actual silver. Unemployment Rate: 19.7% (3rd worst) Small towns are often seen as quiet little places … Of course, none that I ate were bad. What? I have a masters degree making six figures, but never once looked down on a person without any higher education or high school education. Whether you travel on your own or take a travel partner, take advantage of small town charm and do some shopping, or relax and enjoy nature or a beachfront view! More on Romulus:  Data | Photos. Otherwise Don’t even waste your time. Im educated and hold a professional license. The person writing this article has obviously not visited or researched the cities that he is writing about. December 2019. Muskegon Heights is right on the verge of that when you look at what the average citizen there earns a year. You can find a house for cheap, but you will also find a lot of young punk kids that never get put in jail. Census's most recent American Community Survey, Download The Entire Michigan Ranking Data, High population density (Lots of things to do). Top 10 most beautiful and charming small towns in Michigan (MI). Dowagiac a lot of history. Escanaba depends a lot on tourism so saying it is one of the worst cities in Michigan is not helping anything. Highland Park ranks 2nd in all of Michigan in unemployment, 8th in overall crime, 5th from the bottom in adult drop out rates, and it has the worst average income level in the state. Median Home Value: $97,300 (48th worst) Snowmobile trails, hiking trails, nice parks, canoeing , cross country downhill skiing at Swiss Valley. Most Americans have never been to Michigan. More on Flint:  Data | Photos. © Chasing Chains, LLC. 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. I noticed that you had Sand Lake on there, actually there is no town in Iosco County by the name of Sand Lake, it is National City. At least the fiber optic internet by Casair is good, because there’s nothing else to do in this town. One person could commit a crime and it would send the crime rate numbers thru the roof. More on Lapeer:  Data | Photos. Yeah, Ishpeming is bad….Esky isn’t great……but u forgot K.I. 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. Unemployment Rate: 7.2% (98th worst) Great food downtown. The small towns in the state are full of beautiful beaches and … The writer should go and do some real research on these cities instead of just writing crap for his report. The crime here daily would take up several pages of the newspaper. I’d rather make my own activities and teach my kids than carting them around from soccer practice to band camp to dance lessons or whatever. Crime in wolverine is theft and robberies not being shot, stabbed or raped. Nick James: Whittemore is one of the nicest places you would ever want to live.We have a beautiful School located in Ogemaw and Iosco Counties. Michigans system for grading school districts is a complete joke. Just some people don’t want be educated.. but don’t hold against are small town and crime. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. We understand there's a lot of good in every place. Median Home Value: $59,100 (14th worst) Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6) Finally, we ranked every city on the "Worst Place To Live Score" with the lowest score being the worst city in Michigan -- River Rouge. Median Home Value: $67,100 (12th worst) After analyzing more than 243 of Michigan's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Michigan where you'd never want to live: So what is the worst small town to call home in michigan for 2020? Michigan is divided into 83 counties and contains 533 incorporated municipalities consisting of cities… All the same, anyone familiar with Michigan knows there are places that need some real TLC right now. My parents were employed as teachers there. Even the town name, Robin Glen-Indiantown, is incorrect. Michigan is a state located in the Midwestern United States.According to the 2010 United States Census, Michigan is the 10th most populous state with 9,884,129 inhabitants and the 11th largest by land area spanning 56,538.90 square miles (146,435.1 km 2) of land. Ignorance isn’t Bliss, that’s between Paradise & Hell. Any one can pull up a photo that looks like a run down , pre-demo building and pull up some statistics …. Unemployment Rate: 15.7% (5th worst) Median Home Value: $47,700 (4th worst)