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Places in Michigan

2018 Best Places to Raise a Family in MichiganAbout this List

Explore the best places to raise a family based on public schools, crime rates, cost of living, and family-friendly amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other data sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Best for Families
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  2. Beverly Hills

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 15
    1 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I really enjoy living in Beverly Hills. There is a great school district. The police station is very central and the people are really friendly!
    Read 15 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 10,450 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  3. East Grand Rapids

    • Suburb of Grand Rapids, MI
    • 17
    2 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: AMAZING LITTLE TOWN!! I have lived here all my life and I couldn't think of anywhere else to live in Michigan. Everyone knows everyone else your super close with your neighbors and block. The East stereotypes aren't really that amazing though. People in other towns call us the stuck-up rich kids because the houses are big and expensive. You're super close to downtown EGR almost wherever you live. There are a few stores including Starbucks, Kilwins, A grocery store, Restaurants, and an Athleta. There are lots more but those are the most popular. We also have a local hot dog and fries shop called Crazy Charlie's which has amazing food and I highly recommend. (Can be busy because kids walk there after school). All the schools (middle and High) are less than a 5-minute walk to all these places. There is little to no crime. Overall I highly recommened raising your family in East.
    Read 17 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 11,297 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  4. Okemos

    • Town in Michigan
    • 63
    3 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I love everything about Okemos! I grew up here and hope to raise my family here as well. The public schools are by far the best in Mid-Michigan. I felt extremely prepared to go into college and was well above many other students. The math classes I took in college were even easier than the ones I took at Okemos. In addition, it is very safe and clean. There are some good restaurants, my favorite being Dusty's, but this is an area I think they can improve in.
    Read 63 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 22,493 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Birmingham

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 53
    4 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Nearby Resident: It's a beautifully groomed area with some of the nicest real estate and schools in Michigan. There is no shortage of good food, shopping, and entertainment including two cinemas. Visitors can stay at the Townsend Hotel, the best hotel in the state outside of those in Detroit. It's located in a convenient, central location. If you have enough money, and you will need a lot of it, you will never be bored. It's not without flaws, however. The parking meters are a downer and parking in general can be a pain. Sometimes the parking garages will accept people inside while reaching full occupancy. You're best off if you know someone in the area and can park at their house, have someone drop you off, or use alternate transportation to get there. Along with this, everything closes rather early. That seems to be a thing in Michigan, though, honestly. The property prices and taxes are significantly high, whether you're looking at private or commercial real estate.
    Read 53 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 20,653 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Franklin

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 3
    5 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Former Resident: In all of Michigan, this has got to be my favorite town to live. I've been everywhere in Michigan and Franklin just has the best of the best. Professional citizens, charming estate style homes, quaint downtown. Only the best of everything and people who really care! The Police and businesses are nothing but AMAZING! I really like that there aren’t a lot of crisp dollars flying around this town.
    Read 3 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 3,262 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  8. Grosse Pointe Farms

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 31
    6 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: This is a wonderful lakefront community that has the feel of a small town. Neighbors still know one another in this tightly knit community. Did you say you needed help, or a cup of milk? Yes, neighbors still care about one another. As a bordering suburb of Detroit, GP Farms remains one of the safest communities in the region, boasting top ranked public schools for both academics and sports. With private access to beautiful Lake St. Clair, via Pier Park, this is the closest to a dream for raising a family. Ten minutes from Downtown Detroit, with a sense of timelessness that Peter Pan would have loved! No shoveling snow from your walk, putting trash to the curb, or bagging leaves, either. GP Farms city services are the best. Lastly, the AAA credit rating makes GP Farms economically responsible for continued, long term success!
    Read 31 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 9,265 Population
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  10. Huntington Woods

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 14
    7 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Close knit community, centrally located, schools are highly rated . The school options include public and several private schools within a 15 minute drive.
    Read 14 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 6,330 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Northville

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 30
    8 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I love the peacefulness and overall atmosphere of Northville. Everyone is very kind and the environment looks great! The schools are fantastic, and there is honestly very little I would want changed about Northville.
    Read 30 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 5,986 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Lodi Township

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 13
    9 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Niche User: Not much crime that I know of. Have heard of some major issues, murder, bank robbery, etc. but very rare.
    Read 13 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 6,320 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Grosse Pointe Park

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 23
    10 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Grosse Pointe Park and the surrounding Grosse Pointes are very nice communities to live in. The houses are clean-looking and the community is safe so it's a really good place to raise a family. It's also good for families because the Grosse Pointe school district is really great; one of the best in the state. It's a good community to guarantee a good education for your kids and their safety as well. Although the Grosse Pointes are big, almost everyone knows or knows of everyone, making it a tight knit community. The public parks are very nice facilities and the village (a string of shops and restaurants) is really convenient. The location of houses in proximity to the village, libraries, parks, and schools, is almost always in walking distance. One of the only downsides of living in Grosse Pointe is that some of the "old money" families living on the lake do live up to their snotty reputations. Other than that, Grosse Pointe Park is a pretty enjoyable and safe community to live in!
    Read 23 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 11,276 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Grosse Pointe

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 7
    11 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Former Resident: I grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. From a child standpoint, it was a wonderful place to grow up. The public school system was impeccable, and it was an incredibly safe neighborhood. It is a suburb for families, mostly middle class families. As I got older, however, I started to notice its' flaws. I lived with my single mother and 3 older sisters. We were not a wealthy family, to say the least, and therefore did not "fit in". I had found out my mother was completely segregated from social life with other members of the community because of her financial situation. Grosse Pointe is also not diverse at all, made up almost completely of white individuals like myself. There is no nightlife in Grosse Pointe, as many people my age joked that the city "shuts down" at 9 p.m. Overall, I think this city is a safe environment to grow up and attend school at, but it is not a place for the unwealthy or individuals without children.
    Read 7 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 5,256 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Bloomfield Charter Township

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 68
    12 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I was very fortunate to be able to grow up in this town. We are located close to lakes, downtown Detroit, and few hours away from beautiful northern Michigan. The neighborhood where I grew up in had welcoming, friendly faces from both adults and kids alike.
    Read 68 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 41,973 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  18. Northville Township

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 27
    13 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: It's a pretty area with lots of shopping and great food choices available. Great access point to get all over the Detroit area. Located between Detroit and Ann Arbor, not far from Ohio, or Canada it's easy to get places!
    Read 27 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 28,724 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  19. Forest Hills

    • Suburb of Grand Rapids, MI
    • 75
    14 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I love that Forest HIlls is such a safe community. They have a great school system, and the and it is extremely family friendly. It is quite pricey, and the society as a whole is very affluent. There are lots of opportunities for kids to play sports and participate in clubs, and many school options. There are Spanish Immersion and Mandarin Immersion school programs available nearby. The location is ideal, since it is a few minute's drive from Grand Rapids, but not too close, and relatively close to Lake Michigan.
    Read 75 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 27,667 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  20. Ann Arbor

    • City in Michigan
    • 338
    15 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Ann Arbor is an amazing town to live in. My overall experience has been a very good one. Having grown up here in Ann Arbor, and now being a college graduate from Michigan State University, I was able to experience all the great events and activities thrown by the city. The art fair in July is one of my favorites, even though its always brutally hot, its amazing to see the amount of artists as well as beautiful and very interesting pieces of art. I feel that it represents the city as a whole; Ann Arbor is a very whimsical supportive place to live in and i've loved every moment of it!
    I gave it 4 stars, not 5, only because like most great cities...theyre great yea but they are also not perfect. There is crime in Ann Arbor and sometimes not all agree and fights and protests occur, especially due to the University of Michigan Students who are sharing the city.
    Overall great music, food, bars, drinks, and town
    Read 338 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 118,087 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  21. Troy

    • Town in Michigan
    • 181
    16 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Visitor: Cool town needs more diversity. The town people should be more diverse and it would feel better because more people would feel welcome. Socially and business wise. It should be open to new economy where more people would want to live there. therefore creating interest in the city of Troy. People would be interested in buying property because it is already a great community in Troy, MI. New people will generate more money and more interest in the community. It could become a thriving place where people would be drawn to I hope they would take a suggestion from this essay and present it to a planning committee for ideas in the city. More development where there is already some but more customer friendly. With these things for the city it would be improved for the future. Everyone who visits the community would see some difference in area because of more businesses and people. All it is is adding to what already is a great landscape.
    Read 181 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 82,982 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Grosse Pointe Woods

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 27
    17 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Grosse Pointe Woods has much to offer for visitors and tourists alike. From its beautiful beaches and docks to its bustling downtown, Grosse Pointe Woods is a great place to visit for a sunny summer day or cool fall afternoon. Come to Grosse Pointe Woods today!
    Read 27 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 15,785 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  25. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 2
    18 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I like the people within the city. Everyone is so nice and thoughtful and typically there is nothing to worry about. It is a safe neighborhood where everyone fits in.
    Read 2 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 2,933 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Novi

    • Town in Michigan
    • 130
    19 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I have lived in Novi my whole life and love it! It is a fairly diverse city with lots of fun for all ages lots of shopping, has a great movie theater, dog park, kid attractions like airtime, bars and tons more. The schools are fantastic with real knowledgable teachers always willing to help as well as have fun learning too. Novi has fun deals around town with food and shopping and is always looking to continue this thriving city. The police do a great job watching over the city.
    Read 130 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 58,233 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Bloomfield Hills

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 15
    20 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: A very modern and welcoming community that accepts people of all race and religion. There is an excellent school district that caters to the specific student. The teachers really care about the kids and their education. Besides the academics, there are places of worship for many religious affiliations. This adds to the welcoming atmosphere of the city. The wide variety of restaurants is another appealing aspect of this city. The restaurants have many different options depending on what you are looking for. All of the different institutions as well as the wonderful people are what make Bloomfield Hills an amazing city.
    Read 15 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 3,984 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Dexter

    • Town in Michigan
    • 8
    21 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Family oriented, safe, close knit town. Dexter is a rural community which means you'll need to travel to Ann Arbor for any kind of night life. Most places close down by 9 or 10pm, even on the weekends. Otherwise, I love living here!
    Read 8 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 4,319 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  29. Plymouth

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 20
    22 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: I moved to Plymouth about two months ago. Since then I've been exploring the area. The people are wonderful! The downtown area is super cute, with a little park right at the center. They have events every week whether it be performers or sidewalk sales or the farmers market, there's always something local going on.
    Read 20 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 8,956 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  32. Rochester Hills

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 92
    23 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Niche User: Rochester Hills is a really really beautiful area. I lived out there for two years while attended college and I loved it. There's so much to do and to see. Downtown Rochester is must, it's so cute! There's Yates Cider Mill, which has the absolute BEST donuts and cider; perfect for the fall weather. Everything is relatively close and there is always something to do or somewhere to go.
    Read 92 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 72,987 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  33. Pittsfield Charter Township

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 60
    24 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Current Resident: Pittsfield Charter Township is a quiet and cozy place to live. The neighbors are very friendly and I feel safe living here. Here, we have Pittsfield Charter Township taxes, which are lower than Ann Arbor, but we are still a part of the Ann Arbor public school system, so we get the benefit of having one of the best school systems around the area. We are perfectly centered inside the areas of Saline, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and Milan. We are just a few minutes from Eastern Michigan University, and only 20 minutes from the University of Michigan.
    Read 60 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 37,225 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  34. Saline

    • Suburb of Detroit, MI
    • 15
    25 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan

    Nearby Resident: Saline is a very affluent community, right outside of Ann Arbor. It's close enough to the city to adopt some of its culture, but far enough from it to keep a nice suburban feel. Everyone in this community is close-knit and works together to solve small town problems. Our parks and municipal buildings are well-maintained, and our downtown area is flourishing. It truly gives a small-town feel while having a "big" city nearby.
    Read 15 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • A+
      Good for Families
    • 9,082 Population
    View Nearby Homes
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2018 Best Places to Raise a Family in Michigan