Every year in the United States, tens of millions of Americans move to a new home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the bulk of these moves are motivated by personal circumstances, often relating to housing, family, or employment. But when it comes to deciding on a place to live, it can also be helpful to weigh other, less subjective factors.

As a means of gauging and comparing degrees of development between countries — beyond standard measures like gross domestic product and economic growth — the United Nations created the Human Development Index. By accounting for factors related to health and well-being, educational attainment, and standards of living, the HDI offers an assessment of overall quality of life at the individual level within a given geography.

When applied to communities within the United States, the core principles of the HDI reveal that some parts of the country are far better places to live than others.

Using an index inspired by the HDI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best counties in Michigan to live in. Counties are ranked on a combination of three measures – average life expectancy at birth, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the poverty rate. Of the 83 counties in Michigan, we ranked the 30 with the highest HDI score.

Across all of Michigan, average life expectancy at birth is 77.5 years. Additionally, 13.1% of the population live below the poverty line and 31.1% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Of the 30 counties on this list, 13 compare favorably to the state as a whole in each of these metrics.

Among these 30 Michigan counties, average life expectancy at birth ranges from 76.9 years to 82.3 years. Meanwhile, poverty rates vary between 4.9% and 17.3%, and bachelor’s degree attainment rates range from about 21% to over 50%.

Data used to calculate rankings are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a joint program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. All ACS data are five-year averages.

Why It Matters

Many of the most commonly cited economic indicators — including unemployment, GDP, and industrial output — are useful gauges of prosperity and productive capacity in a given area. But when it comes to measuring overall quality of life, any single metric inevitably falls short. To address these shortcomings, the HDI combines three key social and economic measures into a single index score, allowing for objective comparisons between communities across the United States.

30. Mason County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.9 years
• Poverty rate: 13.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.2%
• Median household income: $60,744
• Population: 29,178

29. Manistee County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 76.9 years
• Poverty rate: 11.3%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 22.5%
• Median household income: $59,467
• Population: 25,058

28. Monroe County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years
• Poverty rate: 10.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 22.6%
• Median household income: $72,573
• Population: 154,823

27. Lenawee County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.7 years
• Poverty rate: 11.1%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 22.5%
• Median household income: $65,484
• Population: 99,263

26. Berrien County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years
• Poverty rate: 15.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 30.1%
• Median household income: $60,379
• Population: 153,938

25. Alger County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.1 years
• Poverty rate: 10.3%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 20.7%
• Median household income: $55,528
• Population: 8,866

24. Dickinson County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.7 years
• Poverty rate: 9.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 23.9%
• Median household income: $59,651
• Population: 25,937

23. Otsego County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.2 years
• Poverty rate: 10.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.3%
• Median household income: $62,865
• Population: 25,221

22. Allegan County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.2 years
• Poverty rate: 9.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 24.1%
• Median household income: $75,543
• Population: 120,189

21. Macomb County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.4 years
• Poverty rate: 9.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 26.8%
• Median household income: $73,876
• Population: 878,453

20. Houghton County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.4 years
• Poverty rate: 17.3%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.8%
• Median household income: $52,736
• Population: 37,414

19. Barry County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.2 years
• Poverty rate: 8.3%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 23.6%
• Median household income: $75,182
• Population: 62,581

18. Marquette County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.7 years
• Poverty rate: 13.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 34.7%
• Median household income: $63,115
• Population: 66,376

17. Ingham County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 77.6 years
• Poverty rate: 16.5%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 40.6%
• Median household income: $62,548
• Population: 282,540

16. Benzie County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.2 years
• Poverty rate: 10.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.4%
• Median household income: $71,327
• Population: 18,058

15. Eaton County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.5 years
• Poverty rate: 7.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 30.3%
• Median household income: $77,158
• Population: 109,072

14. Antrim County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.4 years
• Poverty rate: 9.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.5%
• Median household income: $68,850
• Population: 23,662

13. Kalamazoo County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 78.6 years
• Poverty rate: 13.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 40.5%
• Median household income: $67,905
• Population: 261,426

12. Charlevoix County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.6 years
• Poverty rate: 8.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 33.0%
• Median household income: $69,764
• Population: 26,174

11. Clinton County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.1 years
• Poverty rate: 9.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 32.2%
• Median household income: $82,594
• Population: 79,249

10. Midland County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.4 years
• Poverty rate: 10.1%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 35.6%
• Median household income: $73,643
• Population: 83,503

9. Kent County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.4 years
• Poverty rate: 10.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.6%
• Median household income: $76,247
• Population: 657,321

8. Grand Traverse County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.8 years
• Poverty rate: 10.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.7%
• Median household income: $75,553
• Population: 95,315

7. Emmet County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.3 years
• Poverty rate: 8.4%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 37.9%
• Median household income: $69,690
• Population: 34,072

6. Keweenaw County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.3 years
• Poverty rate: 7.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.3%
• Median household income: $55,560
• Population: 2,088

5. Ottawa County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 81.3 years
• Poverty rate: 7.6%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 36.5%
• Median household income: $83,932
• Population: 296,183

4. Livingston County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.8 years
• Poverty rate: 4.9%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 38.1%
• Median household income: $96,135
• Population: 194,302

3. Oakland County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 79.9 years
• Poverty rate: 7.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 49.5%
• Median household income: $92,620
• Population: 1,272,264

2. Washtenaw County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 80.9 years
• Poverty rate: 13.8%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 57.4%
• Median household income: $84,245
• Population: 370,231

1. Leelanau County

• Avg. life expectancy at birth: 82.3 years
• Poverty rate: 6.7%
• Adults with a bachelor’s degree: 48.6%
• Median household income: $82,345
• Population: 22,426

Rank	County	Avg. life expectancy at birth (yrs.)	Adults with a bachelor’s degree (%)	Poverty rate (%)	Population
1	Leelanau, Michigan	82.3	48.6	6.7	22,426
2	Washtenaw, Michigan	80.9	57.4	13.8	370,231
3	Oakland, Michigan	79.9	49.5	7.7	1,272,264
4	Livingston, Michigan	80.8	38.1	4.9	194,302
5	Ottawa, Michigan	81.3	36.5	7.6	296,183
6	Keweenaw, Michigan	79.3	38.3	7.8	2,088
7	Emmet, Michigan	79.3	37.9	8.4	34,072
8	Grand Traverse, Michigan	79.8	38.7	10.4	95,315
9	Kent, Michigan	79.4	38.6	10.7	657,321
10	Midland, Michigan	80.4	35.6	10.1	83,503
11	Clinton, Michigan	81.1	32.2	9.6	79,249
12	Charlevoix, Michigan	79.6	33.0	8.6	26,174
13	Kalamazoo, Michigan	78.6	40.5	13.4	261,426
14	Antrim, Michigan	80.4	32.5	9.4	23,662
15	Eaton, Michigan	78.5	30.3	7.6	109,072
16	Benzie, Michigan	78.2	32.4	10.4	18,058
17	Ingham, Michigan	77.6	40.6	16.5	282,540
18	Marquette, Michigan	78.7	34.7	13.6	66,376
19	Barry, Michigan	79.2	23.6	8.3	62,581
20	Houghton, Michigan	78.4	35.8	17.3	37,414
21	Macomb, Michigan	77.4	26.8	9.8	878,453
22	Allegan, Michigan	78.2	24.1	9.5	120,189
23	Otsego, Michigan	77.2	26.3	10.7	25,221
24	Dickinson, Michigan	77.7	23.9	9.7	25,937
25	Alger, Michigan	80.1	20.7	10.3	8,866
26	Berrien, Michigan	77.5	30.1	15.7	153,938
27	Lenawee, Michigan	77.7	22.5	11.1	99,263
28	Monroe, Michigan	77.4	22.6	10.9	154,823
29	Manistee, Michigan	76.9	22.5	11.3	25,058
30	Mason, Michigan	77.9	24.2	13.7	29,178

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