Kids & Family
Where Does Your Town Rank Among Best Cities for Young Families in Michigan?
NerdWallet crunched U.S. Census data to assess four key factors that make cities attractive to young families with children.
Young families look at four key factors before deciding where to live. Several southeast Michigan communities made the cut in NerdWallet analysis. (Photo courtesy of Oakland County)
Several southeast Michigan cities are on NerdWallet’s list of the Best Cities for Young Families in Michigan.
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To create this ranking, analysts for the consumer advocacy website crunched U.S. Census data to assess four key factors:
- Home affordability
- Growth and prosperity score
- Education quality
- Family friendliness
Michigan was among the states hardest hit by the Great Recession. Its unemployment rate, which peaked at 14.2 percent in August 2009 was the highest in the nation, and its population fell to 688,000 from a high in the 1950s of 1.8 million, but the state’s economy is recovering.
Find out what's happening in Huntington Woods-Berkleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
NerdWallet, which analyzed 173 cities, towns and census-designated places in Michigan, found the communities in Michigan that offer young families the best combination of solid schools, great neighbors and affordable housing.
Key Takeaways
Small towns dominate. The average population of the top 10 is 9,086, but many of these small towns are closely linked, both geographically and economically, with Michigan’s larger cities.
Expensive and affordable. The average median home value in the top 10 cities is $152,520, which is higher than the statewide median home value of $103,500. However, homes in Michigan are below the national median of $176,700, which means that even the more expensive cities are affordable.
Wide geographic footprint. From St. Joseph in the west, to Lambertville in the east and up to Iron Mountain and Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula, the top 10 cities are spread across the state.
Only places with over 5,000 residents were analyzed. To see the full data set, click here.
Here’s how some area communities ranked:
No. 4: Huntington Woods
No. 5: New Baltimore
No. 9: Berkley
No. 11: Saline
No. 15: Grosse Pointe
No. 18: Grosse Pointe Shores
No. 20: Grosse Pointe Woods
No. 21: Troy
No. 24: Clawson,
No. 26: Farmington
No. 28: Dearborn,
No. 34: Rochester
No. 35: Rochester Hills
No. 36: Novi
No. 42: St. Clair Shores
No. 49: Plymouth
No. 50: Brighton
No. 56: Royal Oak
No. 60: Wyandotte
No. 70: Trenton
No. 73: Northville
No. 80: Fenton
No. 81: Farmington Hills
No. 86: Grosse Pointe Park
No. 111: Birmingham
No. 116: Ferndale
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