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In today’s economy, the cost of living can significantly affect how far your hard-earned salary stretches for you and your family. While some areas in the United States offer a more affordable lifestyle, places like San Francisco continue to be notoriously expensive. In Michigan, however, many cities stand out as costly locations for families, where housing and essential expenses can take a larger bite out of your paycheck.
We analyzed various factors to identify the areas in Michigan where the cost of living surpasses the national average. Despite Michigan being generally affordable, certain cities present challenges for families trying to make ends meet.
Here are the most expensive places to raise a family in the Wolverine State, based on our analysis:
- Milan
- Petoskey
- Traverse City
- Marquette
- Birmingham
- Beverly Hills
- Huntington Woods
- Grosse Pointe
- Grosse Pointe Park
- Rochester
Continue reading to discover how we determined these costly locations and what factors contribute to their high living expenses.
Methodology for Identifying Michigan’s Least Affordable Places
No matter where you live, certain basic necessities are constant. These include:
- Housing
- Food
- Gas
- Health Insurance
- Utilities
- Transportation
To uncover which cities in Michigan are the most expensive, we compared the costs of these essentials across various locations.
From this analysis, we established a “Cost of Living Index” that normalizes to 100 for an average location in the United States. We utilized data from Sperling’s Best Places, which provides a reliable index for our comparison.
The cost of living index allows for a straightforward understanding: a score of 100 indicates the average cost of living in the U.S. A score of 90 suggests a location is 10% less expensive than the average, while a score of 120 indicates it is 20% more expensive. For context, San Francisco boasts a staggering score of 243, making it approximately 2.5 times more expensive than the average U.S. city.
1. Milan
Population: 5,731
2. Petoskey
Population: 5,710
3. Traverse City
Population: 14,702
4. Marquette
Population: 21,383
5. Birmingham
Population: 20,153
6. Beverly Hills
Population: 10,295
7. Huntington Woods
Population: 6,236
8. Grosse Pointe
Population: 5,397
9. Grosse Pointe Park
Population: 11,523
10. Rochester
Population: 12,647
In conclusion, understanding the cost of living in Michigan’s cities is crucial for families considering relocation. By keeping these factors in mind, you can make informed decisions that align with your financial goals and lifestyle preferences.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
