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Best Cities for Families in Michigan

Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.

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.

Schools · 25% Safety · 20% Home Affordability · 15% Low Poverty · 10% Jobs · 10% Short Commute · 10% Education · 10%

Top 12 Families Cities in Michigan

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 88.1
Ferrysburg, MI
2,949 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 145/100K
Home Affordability $225,400
#2
Score 87
Dexter, MI
4,495 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 81/100K
Home Affordability $401,800
#3
Score 86.9
North Muskegon, MI
4,089 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 53/100K
Home Affordability $241,100
#4
Score 85.6
Spring Lake, MI
2,530 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 145/100K
Home Affordability $271,100
#5
Score 85.1
Berkley, MI
15,084 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 58/100K
Home Affordability $289,200
#6
Score 85.1
Ann Arbor, MI
121,179 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 251/100K
Home Affordability $435,100
#7
Score 85.1
Auburn, MI
2,045 residents
Schools 6.2
Safety 118/100K
Home Affordability $157,500
#8
Score 84.8
Beverly Hills, MI
10,507 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 19/100K
Home Affordability $488,800
#9
Score 84.5
Saline, MI
8,976 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 64/100K
Home Affordability $310,600
#10
Score 84.5
Royal Oak, MI
57,880 residents
Schools 6.1
Safety 102/100K
Home Affordability $305,900
#11
Score 84.4
Brighton, MI
7,576 residents
Schools 6.3
Safety 117/100K
Home Affordability $302,800
#12
Score 84.1
Norton Shores, MI
25,000 residents
Schools 6.4
Safety 150/100K
Home Affordability $214,000

Full Ranking, Michigan

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

1 Ferrysburg MI 88.1
2 Dexter MI 87
3 North Muskegon MI 86.9
4 Spring Lake MI 85.6
5 Berkley MI 85.1
6 Ann Arbor MI 85.1
7 Auburn MI 85.1
8 Beverly Hills MI 84.8
9 Saline MI 84.5
10 Royal Oak MI 84.5
11 Brighton MI 84.4
12 Norton Shores MI 84.1
13 Grand Haven MI 83.9
14 Midland MI 83.8
15 Whitmore Lake MI 83.6
16 Rochester MI 83.6
17 Harbor Springs MI 83.4
18 Rochester Hills MI 83.1
19 South Lyon MI 83
20 Roosevelt Park MI 82.9
21 Troy MI 82.8
22 Sylvan Lake MI 82.8
23 Lake Fenton MI 82.8
24 Wolverine Lake MI 82.7
25 Wacousta MI 82.7
26 Swartz Creek MI 82.6
27 Clawson MI 82.5
28 Bingham Farms MI 82.5
29 Houghton MI 82.4
30 Farmington Hills MI 82.3
31 Novi MI 82.1
32 Elk Rapids MI 81.8
33 Lake Orion MI 81.8
34 Lathrup Village MI 81.6
35 Franklin MI 81.5
36 DeWitt MI 81.2
37 Utica MI 81.1
38 Coleman MI 81
39 Milford MI 81
40 Wixom MI 81
41 Keego Harbor MI 81
42 Argentine MI 80.9
43 Tecumseh MI 80.8
44 Petoskey MI 80.6
45 Durand MI 80.5
46 Pinckney MI 80.5
47 Auburn Hills MI 80.3
48 Birmingham MI 80.2
49 Walled Lake MI 80
50 Lake Victoria MI 80

Ferrysburg, MI tops the list with a composite score of 88.1 out of 100, followed by Dexter and North Muskegon. MI dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for families.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Schools, Safety, Home Affordability, Low Poverty, Jobs, Short Commute, Education. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to families, 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 Young Professionals
High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Safest Cities → Most Affordable → Most Educated →