Study: Happiest Cities in Michigan

The Wolverine State can boast of an economy that's on an upswing with a cost of living that is still much lower than the national average. That's a combo that is sure to make incoming residents sing Michigan's praises these days. Moreover, the winters bring plenty of snow for skiing enthusiasts, who can relax and sunbathe in the summers along the shores of Lake Michigan.

Michigan residents in certain areas of the state have more reasons to be happier than others. We've come up with a list of which cities in Michigan are the happiest.

Study Methodology

We focused our study only on those Michigan cities with a population of 20,000 people or more. Then, we assign each of them a ranking in the seven categories listed below based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and FBI Uniform Crime Reports. The happiest cities are the ones that got the best score across these measures:

1. Restaurants
   
2. Crime rate
   
3. Commute
   
4. Departure time
   
5. Income
   
6. Divorce rate
   
7. Housing

Spending time with colleagues, friends or family members is a great way to boost your happiness quotient when you're feeling blue. If you're big on socializing over a delicious meal or a bottle of wine, check out how each city ranks based on the number of restaurants per capita.

Safety is important when it comes to your quality of life. The less crime there is in a particular area, the more peace of mind you'll likely have. We compared each city based on the odds of being the victim of a violent crime to see which ones are the safest.

Encountering a traffic jam on the way to work probably won't put a smile on your face. Worse still, if it happens on a regular basis, you’ll likely be less than pleasant when you get to the office. Our rankings looked at the average commute for each city to see where the drive is the shortest.

Getting up in the wee hours of the morning can be a motivator to accomplish more during the day, and researchers believe it's also linked to higher happiness levels. We thought it would be interesting to see what percentage of people in each city are taking a cue from the early bird.

How much money you make won't necessarily determine how happy you are, but taking home a big paycheck doesn't hurt either. To measure how well people are doing financially, we looked at each city's median household income.

When a marital relationship goes south, a split is usually inevitable. We looked at the percentage of residents who are divorced in each city as a sign of unhappiness; those cities with higher rates ranked lower in our study.

The last item we considered is the percentage of income residents in each city spend on housing. If you're bearing a heavy financial burden when you rent or own, chances are it's going to put a damper on your good mood.

10 Happiest Cities in Michigan

10. Sterling Heights

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 580 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 560.2
  
• Average commute time: 25.9 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3.7%
  
• Median household income: $56,881
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 7.2% of males, 9.6% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 21.7%

Sterling Heights is one of the largest suburbs in the Detroit metro area, with more than 130,000 calling it home. The combined divorce rate is the second lowest overall, boding well for married residents. A decent percentage of residents head to work before 5 a.m. in the morning, and residents take just under 26 minutes to get to their work destination. Foodies have some options here. Those looking for something a little more exotic than the average fare will want to try the tabboule at La Saj.

Did You Know: The William Upton House is one of the oldest original structures in Sterling Heights, dating back to 1866.

9. Birmingham

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 335 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,012.5
  
• Average commute time: 22.4 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 0.9%
  
• Median household income: $100,789
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 8.2% of males, 15.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.6%

Birmingham is another Detroit suburb located just a few miles from Sterling Heights. Just over 20,000 people live in this affluent community, and all in all, they've got a lot to be happy about. The median income surpasses the six-figure mark, and residents only spend about a fifth of that on housing. The commute is a little shorter, at around 22 minutes, and if you're one of the small minority that leaves before dawn, you probably won't see too much traffic.

Did You Know: Actor Tim Allen, the voice of one of the happiest cartoon astronauts around, lived in Birmingham as a teen and attended Seaholm High School.

8. Marquette

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 303 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,025.7
  
• Average commute time: 11.6 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.8%
  
• Median household income: $37,355
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 9.7% of males, 11.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 22.4%

Part of the Upper Peninsula, Marquette is a vibrant little city of close to 22,000 people. A couple of things that make it a happiness magnet include an excellent violent crime rate and the shortest drive to work on our list, at under 12 minutes. Median incomes are a little lower compared to some of the cities we've profiled, but housing is still reasonably priced, whether you're renting or buying.

Did You Know: Marquette General Hospital is the largest healthcare facility in the Upper Peninsula.

7. Livonia

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 423 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 657.7
  
• Average commute time: 23.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.5%
  
• Median household income: $69,009
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 8.9% of males, 11.1% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.9%

Livonia, about 20 miles west of Detroit, is one of the area’s larger suburbs, with almost 96,000 residents. The city's neighborhoods rate well overall for safety, and getting to work each day doesn't put a major pinch on your time. Residents make a little more, with a median pay of just over $69,000, and less than 20% of that goes toward housing costs.

Did You Know: The Livonia Hockey Association is the largest amateur hockey league in the state.

6. Norton Shores

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 405 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 459.3
  
• Average commute time: 19 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 3%
  
• Median household income: $50,295
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 8.4% of males, 14.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 20.4%

Aside from being so close to Lake Michigan, Norton Shores has several other positive qualities that make it so livable. Getting to work takes less than 20 minutes on average, and workers take home a respectable income at the end of the day. There's an interesting mix of bars and restaurants to check out, plus you're less than 5 miles from some of Muskegon's hottest dining spots, like Handsome Henry's and the Hearthstone Bistro.

Did You Know: The Gillette Nature Center in Hoffmaster State Park is one of the city's most visited attractions.

5. Troy

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 313 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,359.5
  
• Average commute time: 24.6 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 1.4%
  
• Median household income: $86,465
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 6% of males, 8.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.1%

Troy is nestled between Sterling Heights and Birmingham. One of the things that scored it such a high ranking on our list is the exceptionally low occurrence of violent crime. The city also rates first overall for the combined divorce rate, and it places second in the income category. Maggiano's is one of the best places in town for a date night or an Italian feast with friends, but you can't beat the seafood at Ocean Prime.

Did You Know: The Troy Sports Center is the official training facility of the Detroit Red Wings.

4. Portage

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 363 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 613.9
  
• Average commute time: 19.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2.2%
  
• Median household income: $56,895
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 8.7% of males, 12.4% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 19.7%

The city of Portage gets high marks across several categories, making it to number four on our list because of its low crime rate, short average commute and moderate housing costs. Couples appear to be happily married for the most part, and you won't hear much grumbling about the median income workers earn. If you're looking for a place to grab a casual bite with an acquaintance, you can't go wrong with the Full City Cafe.

Did You Know: Portage's Air Zoo features numerous antique and rare aircraft, including the SR-71B Blackbird spy plane.

3. Allen Park

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 375 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 620.9
  
• Average commute time: 22.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.7%
  
• Median household income: $56,647
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 9.5% of males, 12.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 18.9%

Allen Park is part of the Downriver area that includes several other smaller communities that lie south of Detroit. Nearly 28,000 people call this suburb home, and more of them are out the door before 5 a.m. than in any other city on our list. Housing is a steal, with residents spending less than 19% of their pay on average to keep a roof over their heads. A brief commute and a profusion of safe neighborhoods add to this city’s appeal.

Did You Know: Allen Park is the site of the Detroit Lions' practice field.

2. Midland

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 433 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 1,108.1
  
• Average commute time: 15.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 2%
  
• Median household income: $50,497
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 7.7% of males, 13.2% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 18.6%

About 42,000 people live in Midland, and it's easy to see why they're so happy about it. The city gets the second-best rating overall in terms of both its violent crime rate and the average commute. Buying or renting a home won't take a big bite out of your wallet, and residents spend on average less than 19% of their income on housing. If you're interested in enjoying Midland's nightlife scene, the Boulevard Lounge is a top local hangout spot.

Did You Know: The Dow Chemical Co. was founded in Midland in 1890.

1. Walker

• Restaurants per capita: 1 per 407 inhabitants
  
• Odds of being the victim of a violent crime: 1 in 517
  
• Average commute time: 19.5 minutes
  
• Percentage of residents leaving for work before 5 a.m.: 4.4%
  
• Median household income: $51,309
  
• Percentage of divorced residents: 9.5% of males, 11.8% of females
  
• Percentage of income spent on housing: 18.4%

If you work in the Grand Rapids area but you want to settle down in a smaller city, Walker fits the bill. One of the reasons it landed in our number one spot is the fact that residents spend the least for housing. Across the remaining six categories, Walker ranks second for early risers, and it also fares well in terms of crime, income and average commute.

Did You Know: Former President Gerald Ford grew up in nearby Grand Rapids.

If you didn't see your city on our list, don't be discouraged; it's possible that it may have just missed the cut. We thought we'd finish up by offering a brief rundown of the cities that round out the top 20. Here they are: