Study: Best Cities to Raise a Family in Michigan

Michigan has the winning combo of quality schools, upward economy and housing prices that can't be beat for young families. Read on to find the 10 best cities to raise a family in Michigan.

Study Methodology

To find the 10 best spots for raising a family, we first eliminated those Michigan cities with a population of under 10,000. From there, we ranked the remaining cities based on these five criteria:

1. Education
   
2. Commute Time
   
3. Household Type
   
4. Residency
   
5. Housing Costs

How educated a city's residents are speaks volumes about the quality of the local school system. In compiling our rankings, we considered the percentage of people in each city who earned a high school diploma or better.

The longer it takes you to drive to work each day, the more frustrated you're likely to be once you finally get there. If one of your reasons for moving is to escape the daily gridlock, you're in luck. All of the cities on our list have an average commute of under 25 minutes.

Moving somewhere where there are lots of families can definitely help you feel more at home. To find the most kid-oriented communities, we looked at what percentage of family households include children under 18 for each city.

One way to gauge a city's overall livability is to look at how often people move in and out of the area. We considered what percentage of residents are still living in the same house they were a year ago to measure each city's staying power.

Michigan's housing market was one of the hardest hit by the recent recession but it's made great strides toward recovery over the last few years. Home values are rising steadily and the cities on our list represent the best places to live, based on the percentage of income you'll spend on housing.

10 Best Cities to Raise a Family in Michigan

10. Livonia

• High School Graduate or Higher: 92.6%
  
• Commute Time: 23.5 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 26.7%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 91.5%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 19.9%

Livonia sits roughly halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor and though it's technically a suburb of the Motor City, it has established itself as a major metropolis in its own right. Some of the things that make Livonia attractive to families include a low tax rate, a school system that's consistently recognized for excellence, and relatively modest home prices. Both unemployment and the overall cost of living are low and you're not far from attractions like The Henry Ford.

Did You Know: Families might enjoy visiting Greenmead, a 95-acre historical farm that celebrates Livonia's early agricultural heritage.

9. Birmingham

• High School Graduate or Higher: 98.4%
  
• Commute Time: 22.4 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 29.3%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 85%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 20.6%

Birmingham is another of Detroit's suburbs, located less than 20 miles northwest of the downtown area. With a population of just over 20,000, Birmingham is much smaller than neighboring Livonia but it outranks the city in terms of how educated residents are, how many households include children and how long it takes on average to get to work. Homes also tend to sell for a bit more but residents earn a much higher median income, at slightly over $100,000 annually.

Did You Know: Birmingham was named one of Travel + Leisure magazine's "Coolest Suburbs Worth a Visit" in 2010.

8. Norton Shores

• High School Graduate or Higher: 92.3%
  
• Commute Time: 19 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 25.5%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 88.6%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 20.4%

If you like waterfront views and you're looking to score an awesome deal on a home, we recommend Norton Shores. Located on Lake Michigan's eastern shore, this city of close to 24,000 people is largely a suburban residential community, with many people commuting to nearby Muskegon. The cost of living is almost 15% lower than the national average and the median home price is under $115,000. If your kids are the outdoor type, Hoffmaster State Park has miles of trails to explore and it offers over three miles of beachfront access to Lake Michigan.

Did You Know: Norton Shores was named in honor of Col. Amos Norton, a Canadian pioneer who was an early explorer of the Muskegon area.

7. Midland

• High School Graduate or Higher: 93.8%
  
• Commute Time: 15.5 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 28.4%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 79.9%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 18.6%

Midland, part of the Great Lakes Bay Region, is located just a few miles west of Saginaw Bay. Crime is low and the local school district ranks among one of the best in the state. But one of the main things residents like about the city is its short average commute. Housing won't eat up a lot of your income and the community is well educated overall. Kids will enjoy exploring the city's different parks and getting dirty at the BMX bike track at Stratford Woods.

Did You Know: The Dow Chemical Company was founded here in 1890 and continues to be one of the area's leading employers.

6. Walker

• High School Graduate or Higher: 93.2%
  
• Commute Time: 19.5 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 27.4%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 85.1%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 18.4%

Families who want to stay close to the Grand Rapids area but don't want to deal with the heavy traffic should consider a move to Walker. Originally founded by eight families in 1837, the city has expanded to more than 24,000 residents, including a significant number of family households. You're just minutes away from kid-friendly attractions like the John Ball Zoological Garden and the Grand Rapids Children's Museum, so you'll never run out of things to do.

Did You Know: Walker is home to the headquarters of both Bissell and Meijer, which is great for job seekers who want to avoid a lengthy commute.

5. Allen Park

• High School Graduate or Higher: 89.3%
  
• Commute Time: 22.5 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 28.6%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 93.5%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 18.9%

One of Detroit's smaller communities, Allen Park's affordability makes it popular among residents, especially when it comes to housing. Although property prices have increased nearly 16% over the last year, you can still find a home for right around $100,000. Unemployment is low and the city's different neighborhoods are safe and well maintained. Every August, Allen Park residents turn out for a weekend street fair and the farmer's market is open for business throughout the summer months.

Did You Know: Originally created as a Ferris wheel attraction for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, the Giant Uniroyal Tire is now Allen Park's most recognizable landmark.

4. Troy

• High School Graduate or Higher: 94%
  
• Commute Time: 24.6 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 34.2%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 88%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 19.1%

Although Troy is closer to Pontiac, this city of 82,000 people is considered part of the Detroit metro area. It's popular among working professionals because of its great location and thriving economy, but families clearly love it too. Troy has the highest percentage of households with children under 18 of any city on our list and the local schools have gained national recognition. While homes are priced a bit higher, residents take home one of the highest median incomes, at just under $87,000.

Did You Know: If you want to take a step back in time, the Troy Historic Village is an interactive exhibit featuring original structures dating back to the 1800s.

3. Portage

• High School Graduate or Higher: 95.3%
  
• Commute Time: 19.5 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 31.9%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 83.3%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 19.7%

Part of the Kalamazoo metro area, Portage is an active community of almost 50,000 residents, and its popularity continues to grow. Education is a top priority and the local schools make the grade in terms of student performance. There's a healthy percentage of families with children and whether you're planning to rent or buy, housing costs are extremely reasonable. Air Zoo is Portage's most visited family attraction, with more than 50 aircraft on display, full motion flight simulators and a 3D space shuttle experience.

Did You Know: Up until the mid-twentieth century, celery was Portage's primary agricultural product.

2. Grandville

• High School Graduate or Higher: 92.6%
  
• Commute Time: 21 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 32.7%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 86.3%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 18%

Life is grand in Grandville, especially if you're looking for a city with plenty of small-town charm and appeal. It bears the distinction of being one of Grand Rapids' oldest suburbs, but it's a great choice if you're looking for something new. Grandville ranks the best in terms of housing and a 21-minute average commute is also a plus. You're less than 10 miles from downtown Grand Rapids so you won't have to go far to find something to keep the kiddies entertained.

Did You Know: Its strategic location along the Grand River made Grandville an important player in Michigan's early logging history.

1. Grosse Pointe Woods

• High School Graduate or Higher: 97.6%
  
• Commute Time: 23.8 minutes
  
• Households With Children Under 18: 31.6%
  
• Residing in Same Home: 93.8%
  
• Income Spent on Housing: 20.4%

Grosse Pointe Woods is one of the smaller communities in the larger Grosse Pointe area, located along the western shore of Lake St. Clair. The city's close proximity to Detroit makes it popular for commuters, but we think it's ideal for families who are looking for top-notch schools and safe neighborhoods. You'll spend about a fifth of your income on housing but homes aren't exorbitantly priced and the median annual salary is over $87,000.

Did You Know: Filmmaker John Hughes spent his early childhood years in the Grosse Pointe area.

Bigger cities like Detroit or Grand Rapids certainly aren't lacking when it comes to things like shopping, entertainment or job opportunities, but you might be on the hunt for something more when you're raising children. The 10 cities we've selected are certainly very different but the one thing they have in common is the superior quality of life they offer to families.