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Most Affordable Cities in Michigan

The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Michigan

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Home Prices · 30% Rent · 20% Cost Index · 25% Rent Burden · 15% Jobs · 10%

Top 12 Affordability Cities in Michigan

Ranked by composite score across 5 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 68.7
Essexville, MI
3,344 residents
Home Prices $121,200
Rent $707
Cost Index 96
#2
Score 67.4
Brownlee Park, MI
2,037 residents
Home Prices $73,200
Rent $587
Cost Index 96
#3
Score 67.3
Baraga, MI
1,948 residents
Home Prices $101,000
Rent $434
Cost Index 96
#4
Score 65.5
K. I. Sawyer, MI
2,791 residents
Home Prices $69,300
Rent $762
Cost Index 96
#5
Score 65.2
Roscommon, MI
1,029 residents
Home Prices $81,600
Rent $544
Cost Index 96
#6
Score 65.1
Bessemer, MI
1,778 residents
Home Prices $76,100
Rent $504
Cost Index 96
#7
Score 64.9
Ontonagon, MI
1,266 residents
Home Prices $92,100
Rent $557
Cost Index 96
#8
Score 64.8
Marcellus, MI
1,113 residents
Home Prices $112,500
Rent $790
Cost Index 96
#9
Score 64.7
Iron River, MI
3,009 residents
Home Prices $75,000
Rent $435
Cost Index 96
#10
Score 64.7
Level Park-Oak Park, MI
3,367 residents
Home Prices $128,100
Rent $763
Cost Index 96
#11
Score 64.6
Kent City, MI
1,218 residents
Home Prices $134,100
Rent $325
Cost Index 96
#12
Score 64.5
Bronson, MI
2,183 residents
Home Prices $93,900
Rent $775
Cost Index 96

Full Ranking, Michigan

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Essexville MI 68.7
2 Brownlee Park MI 67.4
3 Baraga MI 67.3
4 K. I. Sawyer MI 65.5
5 Roscommon MI 65.2
6 Bessemer MI 65.1
7 Ontonagon MI 64.9
8 Marcellus MI 64.8
9 Iron River MI 64.7
10 Level Park-Oak Park MI 64.7
11 Kent City MI 64.6
12 Bronson MI 64.5
13 Morenci MI 64.4
14 East Jordan MI 64.4
15 Pinconning MI 64.2
16 Harbor Beach MI 64.1
17 Quincy MI 64.1
18 Sebewaing MI 64
19 Munising MI 64
20 Benton Heights MI 63.9
21 Farwell MI 63.6
22 Montrose MI 63.5
23 L'Anse MI 63.4
24 St. Helen MI 63.4
25 Fowler MI 63.2
26 Crystal Falls MI 63.2
27 Pigeon MI 63.2
28 Bellevue MI 63
29 Ovid MI 62.9
30 Edmore MI 62.9
31 Lakewood Club MI 62.8
32 Reed City MI 62.8
33 Fennville MI 62.7
34 Iron Mountain MI 62.7
35 Centreville MI 62.7
36 Rogers City MI 62.7
37 Hesperia MI 62.6
38 Nashville MI 62.4
39 Shepherd MI 62.4
40 Au Sable MI 62.4
41 Constantine MI 62.4
42 Bad Axe MI 62.4
43 Athens MI 62.4
44 Harrison MI 62.4
45 Montague MI 62.2
46 Kalkaska MI 62.1
47 Deckerville MI 62.1
48 Escanaba MI 62
49 Carson City MI 61.9
50 Luna Pier MI 61.9

Essexville, MI tops the list with a composite score of 68.7 out of 100, followed by Brownlee Park and Baraga. MI dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for affordability.

Rankings combine 5 independent metrics: Home Prices, Rent, Cost Index, Rent Burden, Jobs. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to affordability, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Best Cities for Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Lowest Rent → Lowest Income → Safest Cities →