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Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Michigan where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- East Grand Rapids, MI
- Huntington Woods, MI
- Forest Hills, MI
- Byron Center, MI
- Beverly Hills, MI
- Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
- Grosse Pointe, MI
- Grosse Pointe Park, MI
- Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
- Birmingham, MI
These are the happiest places in Michigan. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Michigan?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 173 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. East Grand Rapids
Population: 11,642
Earners Over $75k: 74.6%
Average Commute: 21
Marriage Rate: 43.0%
East Grand Rapids is the happiest city in all of Michigan. What makes East Grand Rapids residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average East Grand Rapids resident only drives 21.6 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most East Grand Rapids residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Huntington Woods
Population: 6,340
Earners Over $75k: 80.2%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 46.0%
In 2nd place we have Huntington Woods. Residents of Huntington Woods are highly educated, with an impressive 78.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Huntington Woods have plenty of them.
3. Forest Hills
Population: 27,947
Earners Over $75k: 70.0%
Average Commute: 20
Marriage Rate: 41.0%
Forest Hills is the third happiest city in Michigan. Why so happy? 41.0% of Forest Hills residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Byron Center
Population: 6,710
Earners Over $75k: 49.0%
Average Commute: 19
Marriage Rate: 51.0%
Folks in Byron Center have a lot to smile about. An impressive 49.0% of Byron Center households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Byron Center can afford peace of mind.
5. Beverly Hills
Population: 10,440
Earners Over $75k: 67.6%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 39.0%
Beverly Hills is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Beverly Hills residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Michigan city is only $360,400), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Grosse Pointe Farms
Population: 9,224
Earners Over $75k: 76.9%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 48.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Grosse Pointe Farms a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 76.9% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Grosse Pointe Farms home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Grosse Pointe
Population: 5,218
Earners Over $75k: 67.3%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 38.0%
Grosse Pointe is the 7th happiest city. Grosse Pointe residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 25.2 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Grosse Pointe Park
Population: 11,207
Earners Over $75k: 66.0%
Average Commute: 26
Marriage Rate: 42.0%
Grosse Pointe Park residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Grosse Pointe Woods
Population: 15,559
Earners Over $75k: 62.9%
Average Commute: 24
Marriage Rate: 48.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Michigan is Grosse Pointe Woods. The average commute in Grosse Pointe Woods is only 24.4 minutes. That means they are only 24.4 minutes away from the loving spouse 48.0% of them have.
10. Birmingham
Population: 21,066
Earners Over $75k: 70.8%
Average Commute: 22
Marriage Rate: 34.0%
In 10th place is Birmingham, Michigan. What makes Birmingham so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Michigan
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Grand Rapids | 74.6% |
| 2 | Huntington Woods | 80.2% |
| 3 | Forest Hills | 70.0% |
| 4 | Byron Center | 49.0% |
| 5 | Beverly Hills | 67.6% |
| 6 | Grosse Pointe Farms | 76.9% |
| 7 | Grosse Pointe | 67.3% |
| 8 | Grosse Pointe Park | 66.0% |
| 9 | Grosse Pointe Woods | 62.9% |
| 10 | Birmingham | 70.8% |
| 11 | Hudsonville | 38.3% |
| 12 | Rockford | 42.1% |
| 13 | Freeland | 54.6% |
| 14 | Jenison | 43.3% |
| 15 | Portage | 40.9% |
| 16 | Troy | 62.5% |
| 17 | Frankenmuth | 44.8% |
| 18 | Walker | 38.7% |
| 19 | Plymouth | 52.7% |
| 20 | Novi | 59.9% |
| 21 | Chelsea | 52.0% |
| 22 | New Baltimore | 52.7% |
| 23 | Northville | 65.6% |
| 24 | Rochester | 55.5% |
| 25 | Midland | 40.7% |
| 26 | Holt | 42.4% |
| 27 | Berkley | 54.8% |
| 28 | Rochester Hills | 58.9% |
| 29 | Grandville | 35.6% |
| 30 | Milford | 49.2% |
| 31 | Zeeland | 25.5% |
| 32 | Okemos | 51.9% |
| 33 | Northview | 37.1% |
| 34 | Milan | 45.3% |
| 35 | Livonia | 51.2% |
| 36 | Traverse City | 35.6% |
| 37 | Lake Fenton | 47.9% |
| 38 | Flat Rock | 42.3% |
| 39 | Mason | 36.8% |
| 40 | Allendale | 31.9% |
| 41 | South Lyon | 44.2% |
| 42 | Saline | 51.4% |
| 43 | Norton Shores | 34.9% |
| 44 | Petoskey | 30.5% |
| 45 | Farmington | 47.7% |
| 46 | Allen Park | 45.8% |
| 47 | Haslett | 44.5% |
| 48 | St. Joseph | 37.7% |
| 49 | Farmington Hills | 53.0% |
| 50 | Holland | 33.8% |
| 51 | Royal Oak | 52.5% |
| 52 | Richmond | 39.3% |
| 53 | Marysville | 40.4% |
| 54 | Grand Ledge | 30.2% |
| 55 | Waverly | 40.8% |
| 56 | Ann Arbor | 44.2% |
| 57 | Grand Haven | 33.0% |
| 58 | Wixom | 39.0% |
| 59 | Kentwood | 31.2% |
| 60 | Clawson | 46.1% |
| 61 | Whitmore Lake | 38.9% |
| 62 | Cutlerville | 28.6% |
| 63 | Dearborn | 34.7% |
| 64 | St. Johns | 34.4% |
| 65 | Wyoming | 29.7% |
| 66 | Hastings | 27.9% |
| 67 | St. Clair | 41.3% |
| 68 | Grand Blanc | 36.1% |
| 69 | Ludington | 23.8% |
| 70 | East Lansing | 30.0% |
| 71 | Flushing | 35.1% |
| 72 | Allegan | 26.0% |
| 73 | Charlotte | 31.5% |
| 74 | Comstock Northwest | 29.5% |
| 75 | Sterling Heights | 41.9% |
| 76 | Trenton | 41.9% |
| 77 | Monroe | 31.5% |
| 78 | Grand Rapids | 28.6% |
| 79 | Marquette | 24.7% |
| 80 | Tecumseh | 33.6% |
| 81 | Shields | 31.4% |
| 82 | Marshall | 28.8% |
| 83 | Lambertville | 47.2% |
| 84 | Auburn Hills | 39.8% |
| 85 | Brighton | 41.3% |
| 86 | Kingsford | 23.3% |
| 87 | Westwood | 35.0% |
| 88 | Ferndale | 43.8% |
| 89 | Riverview | 37.8% |
| 90 | Fraser | 35.3% |
| 91 | Fenton | 32.6% |
| 92 | Iron Mountain | 29.5% |
| 93 | Woodhaven | 37.8% |
| 94 | Ishpeming | 24.0% |
| 95 | Battle Creek | 23.8% |
| 96 | Comstock Park | 26.2% |
| 97 | Houghton | 19.9% |
| 98 | Mount Pleasant | 23.5% |
| 99 | Burton | 25.3% |
| 100 | Manistee | 23.2% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
