How and Why You Should Move to Michigan
From vast, rural landscapes to robust urban communities, Michigan offers a special something-for-everyone experience that can’t be replicated by any other state. Whether you’re drawn to the stunning shores of the Great Lakes, the bustling city life of Detroit, or the charm of its small towns, Michigan offers a diverse range of living experiences, making it an enticing place to relocate to.
Why Do People Move to Michigan?
Why not? There are so many attractive benefits to pursuing Michigan residency. From its full manifestation of the four seasons and its undeniable beauty to the affordable housing and generally low cost of living, the state is becoming a more prominent place to move to.
Seasonal Beauty — The Water-Winter Wonderland
Michiganders look at pictures of folks from Florida in November with a baffled expression on their faces. That’s because Michigan truly experiences all four seasons the way they are depicted in story books. Winter provides snow to play in, without being as frigid as places like Alaska or Minnesota. Snowmobiling in Munising (the snowmobiling capital of the Midwest) or skiing in the Porcupine Mountains are wintertime highlights.
Spring brings new life through beautiful flowers (check out the Tulip Time Festival in Holland), quiet sunshine, and the fresh scent of rain. Michiganders take great joy & inspiration from seeing winter break into spring!
Summer offers delightfully warm weather that sets the scene for relaxing days on any one of the five Great lakeshores. From the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan offers enough idyllic locales to keep you occupied all summer long. Grab some friends, and hit the road!
Autumn transforms the mitten into a landscape of red, orange, and yellow foliage, which you can experience through any number of color tours. Visit the Tunnel of Trees, or hike through the national forests.
Community and Lifestyle
Michigan is laced with tight-knit communities and a variety of different lifestyles and cultures depending on where you live. You can find small town quaintness and big city energy all in one state, and the community aspects of Michigan are one of the state’s greatest highlights.
Grand Rapids, where Treadstone is based, is known for being a “big city with a small town vibe”. You know your neighbors, but events and concerts are plentiful!
Affordable Housing & Cost of Living
With a cost of living 4% lower than the national average, Michigan is a generally affordable place to live, and there are plenty of housing options throughout the state. Plus, there are tons of knowledgeable Lenders at Treadstone Funding to help you purchase homes with home loans that align with your housing goals and financial capabilities.
Access to the Outdoors — The Great Lakes
If you’re someone who likes to get outside, Michigan is the place to be. Living in Michigan means you get to make the most of every season and every outdoor activity. From jet skis to snowmobiles, ice fishing to sunny days lounging on the pontoon, or camping and hiking, you can do it all in the mitten state.
How to Move to Michigan – The Entire Process
If you’re looking to move to Michigan, we don’t blame you one bit! It’s a state with so much to offer, but we would never recommend moving anywhere blindly. There are tons of Michigan relocation tips to consider first.
Choose Your City or Region
With such a range of locations in the state, choosing your city can be tricky. First, you’ll want to nail down which type of environment you’re after. Then, we recommend taking to the pavement and visiting the city you’re considering moving to for at least a week to see and experience everything the location has to offer and, of course, talking to the locals to get a better feel for it.
Find a Local Job & Connect with Your Community
If you’re thinking of a move to Michigan, finding a local job could be paramount. Not only will it provide you with reliable income, but it will help you become a fixture in your community. If you’re someone who works remotely, you might find other ways to connect with your community and feel more at home in your new location.
Decide to Rent or Buy
The decision of whether to rent or buy is a big one, and if you’re considering buying a home, you’ll need to find a local Realtor and Lender rather than hinging your move on call centers and bank tellers who don’t know the area and your particular interests and situation. You can also consider getting a short-term lease or local Airbnb for a few weeks while you tour places, so you can make an informed decision.
Forward Your Mail & Declare Your Residency
Transitioning to Michigan residency does hold a few clerical tasks that shouldn’t fall to the wayside. You can visit the Secretary of State office (our DMV) to change your residency on your driver’s license, and you’ll want to ensure you appropriately forward your mail to your new address, too.
How to Find Houses for Sale in Michigan
Feel free to start things off with your own research, searching online databases like Zillow or Realtor.com to see what house in Michigan might be a good fit for you. But leaning on local professionals is the most fool-proof way to approach a move to Michigan. Local Realtors and Lenders are your key to a smooth move, whether you’re coming from near or far. Our Loan Officers here at Treadstone are such a great resource if you’re looking to buy a home in the area. They’re able to keep you on track and can answer all you’re questions about the home buying process.
How to Find Apartments for Lease in Michigan
Most renters don’t use leasing agents, but instead use online websites or community connections to connect directly with landlords or apartment complexes when they are looking for an apartment in Michigan.
The Best Places to Move in Michigan
Whether you’re after a quaint small-town vibe, a quiet and tranquil rural slice of paradise, a friendly suburban community, or a city that feels alive and electric, you can find it all in one mitten. As such, if you’re planning a move to Michigan, the best places to plant your roots depend on what type of lifestyle you’re looking to live.
Urban — Fast-Paced & Career-Focused
Michigan offers plenty of urban areas to settle down — or rather, come alive! Places like Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Detroit offer culture-laden urban experiences that draw people in. From eclectic eateries to laundry lists of events and attractions, Michigan’s big cities are as fast-paced as they are enriched and fulfilling. Moving to one of these places, perhaps through buying a condo or getting a small house on the outskirts to save money, will open you up to a myriad of job opportunities and an abundance of things to keep you busy and well-rounded. Some of these metro areas include:
- Grand Rapids (Population: 197,000)
- Detroit (Population: 620,000)
- Lansing (Population: 112,000)
- Kalamazoo (Population: 73,000)
Suburban — Family & Community
If you’re moving with family to the Great Lakes state, there are suburban neighborhoods sprinkled throughout the mitten that offer a laid back, friendly vibe. Much of West Michigan and even the far reaches of Detroit feature mid-sized cities perfect for families. Some of the best suburban experiences in the state also include Traverse City or Marquette, and there are a range of other affordable suburbs to explore, too. Some of these areas include:
- West Michigan – Hudsonville, Grandville, Holland, Grand Haven, Rockford, Dorr, St. Joseph
- Eastern Michigan – Dearborn, Pontiac, Clarkston, Livonia, Ypsilanti, Farmington Hills
- Ann Arbor
- Traverse City
- Marquette
- Flint
- Petoskey
- Houghton
- Saginaw
- Midland
- Big Rapids
Rural — Space to Breathe
Rural richness is prominent in Michigan, stretching from the central part of the state to the northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. Have you been wanting to move to Michigan in search of a quiet space to breathe and unwind? There is undoubtedly a place for you to do so. There are countless homes in rural Michigan that provide you the opportunity to look out the window to witness abundant farmland or seclude yourself to a peaceful forest home. These tighter communities are also often quite affordable, plus there are USDA Loans available that offer 0% down payment options.
- Marshall
- Sturgis
- Frankfort
- Manton
- Lake City
- Leeland
- Indian River
- Manistique
- Munising
- Iron Mountain
- Ontonagon
Great Reddit Threads about Moving to Michigan
Reddit can be a great resource if you’re considering moving to Michigan. Here are a few good ones put together by the locals:
FAQs
When is the best time to buy a house in Michigan?
When it comes to housing, there is more inventory in Michigan during the spring and summer, but wintertime offers a less competitive market, so you may get a better deal.
What’s the weather like in Michigan?
The weather in Michigan typically depends on the season, although the closer the time gets to a seasonal shift, the more the weather can vary. Generally, the temperatures are mild, and the state doesn’t get too hot or humid in the summertime, or unmanageably frigid during the winter. Michiganders enjoy that the state offers experiences true to all four seasons, especially in terms of the weather.
How big is Michigan?
Michigan might not look like too much on the map, but it’s actually the 10th-largest state by population and 11th-largest by area. From the bottom of Michigan to the top of the UP, the state stretches nearly 1,000 miles.
Does Michigan pay you to move there?
The Move to Michigan initiative incentivizes remote workers nationwide to move to Southwest Michigan by providing them with as much as $15,000 toward a new home along with more than $5,000 worth of additional potential perks.
What is the sales tax in Michigan?
The sales tax in Michigan is 6%.
What time zone is Michigan in?
Michigan is in the Eastern Time Zone with Daylight saving observed, matching New York City.
Michigan's vast landscape could make it the ideal place to relocate to!
