MAIN Home Life House & Home Moving Michigan
Although
Michigan is still often thought of as the center of the U.S auto
industry, the state is also among the nation's top leaders
in a variety of industries including biotechnology and hi-tech,
banking, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, foods & cereals.
Michigan's
tourism industry is also fueled by four of the five Great
Lakes, from which visitors and residents are never more than
85 miles away. Michigan
beach resorts and boating docks dot the fresh water
shoreline, the longest in the world, along wihich also lies Michigan's most expensive real estate.
Together with low taxes and generally affordable housing costs (perhaps the state's best kept secret) Michigan is primed for growth in the future despite the news coming from economically hard hit Detroit.
Although summers may provide endless opportunities for outdoor recreation, winters can be quite harsh - especially in northern Michigan due to lake effect snows. Yet residents may boast that even this is offset by some of the nation's most spectacular fall foliage rivaling even New England in sheer beauty.
Michigan quality-of-life statistics
Demographics
: (Michigan
Census Data)
Major cities: Lansing (capital), Detroit, Grand Rapids,
Flint, Warren, Sterling Heights
Population : 10,095,643
White : 81.3%
Black, African American : 14.3%
Hispanic : 3.8%
High school graduates : 83.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher : 21.8%
Average household income: $44,409
Cost
of Living: Sperling's
Best Places - Michigan - Compared to the rest of the
country, Michigan's cost of living is 16.63% lower than
the U.S. average.
Property
Taxes : Michigan
Tax Climate - Combined state/local property tax
collections are $1,186 per capita, ranking Michigan 15th
highest nationally in property tax payments.
Housing
& Real Estate Overview : also see Zillow
- Michigan Real Estate
Home ownership rate : 73.8%
Average home price: $112,665
Average travel time to work : 24.1 minutes
Personal Income Taxes: Michigan imposes a flat rate of 4.35% of federal adjusted gross income, scheduled to decline gradually to 3.9% by 2015. Michigan residents are required to file income taxes using Form MI-1040 each year by April 15.
Schools
: see Michigan
Department of Education
Weather
: While warmer in the southern and central parts of
the Lower Peninsula, northern Michigan typically experiences
milder summers and longer winters where lake effect snow is
a very common winter weather phenomenon.
Crime
: see Michigan
State Police Crime Reporting
also
see -> Michigan
Eviction Laws | Michigan
Taxes | Michigan
Tourism
Michigan Shopping Outlets | Michigan
Fall Foliage | Michigan
Wineries
Christmas
in Michigan | Michigan
Kids Party Locations
More
about relocating to Michigan around the Web:
About
Michigan - The official Michigan State government site with helpful
information on its economy, taxes, voter information, expanding
or locating a business within the state, plus story features
on Michigan history, fun facts & trivia.
DetroitYES - Online community hub including recent
posts on city happenings & festivals, Detroit neighborhood
guides, beaches & recreation, local sports teams, general
news & information and complete virtual tour.
Flint
- New Residents - The official Flint city Web site
with facts & information on local utilities & phone
service, voter registration, schools & libraries, entertainment &
recreation, community resources.
A
Community Profile of the Ann Arbor Region - Helpful
overviews of neighborhoods and nearby towns, jobs & business
opportunities, Ann Arbor leading area businesses, health care
& hospitals, public schools, local transportation, entertainment
& recreational facilities.
Michigan
real estate, apartments & job classifieds:
Detroit
: Free
Press | News
Lansing
: State Journal
Grand
Rapids : Press
Flint
: Journal |