Michigan

Michigan became the 26th U.S. state on January 26, 1837. With a current population of 10.0 million, Michigan is the 10th-most populous state in the country. The state ranks in the lowest third of the best states to live in based on key measures like unemployment, poverty and average life expectancy at birth.

The state’s population has grown much more slowly than that of most states in recent years. Over the 10-year period to 2019, Michigan’s population grew by 0.3%, well below the comparable national population growth rate of 6.6%.

Michigan’s unemployment rate in 2018 was 4.1%, higher than the national rate of 3.9%. A stronger job market would likely lead to greater financial security for more state residents, as Michigan’s poverty rate of 14.1% is considerably higher than the national average of 13.1%.

Crime in Michigan

Michigan’s violent crime rate of 449.4 incidents for every 100,000 residents is well above the national average of 380.6 per 100,000. In 2018, there were 551 murders in the state, fewer than in two-thirds of all states.

The state’s incarceration rate of 508 adults per 100,000 residents 18 or older is lower than in most other states. There were 44,918 violent crimes committed in the state in 2018, with about half occurring in Detroit. Muskegon Heights, just south of the Lower Peninsula city of Muskegon, is the most dangerous city in the state with 1,238.8 violent crimes for every 100,000 people.

The Michigan Economy

With a 2018 gross domestic product (GDP) of $528.0 billion, Michigan’s economy is among the largest third of the 50 states. Its largest industry is ambulatory health care services, which employs 206,999 people statewide and generates about 4.0% of the state’s total GDP. Between 2013 and 2018, the total economic output of the state’s top industry rose by 12.4%. Overall economic growth in Michigan totaled 2.7% in 2018, below the national average economic growth of 2.9%.

Michigan’s underemployment rate (which accounts for unemployment and people who have taken part-time work out of necessity) is 7.6%, ranking the state in the middle third among the most difficult states in which to find full-time work.

Employment opportunities tend to go up with educational attainment. In Michigan, less than a third (31.9%) of the state’s adults have a bachelor’s degree, below the national average of 32.6%. And 90.9% of the adults in the state have at least a high-school diploma, above the national rate of 88.3%.

Michigan’s median household income of $56,697 is well below the national median of $63,179.

Lastest Stories Featuring Michigan

What’s better than a pumpkin spice latte and unlikely to go out of fashion? Autumn foliage. Nearly every state goes through a dramatic, multicolored transformation as temperatures drop in the fall....
The diner is a uniquely American institution. Historians trace its origins back to the horse-drawn lunch wagons that began appearing on the East Coast in the 1870s. These evolved into restaurants on...
The United States spends more per capita on health care than any other large developed country — and without a single-payer national health care system, much of that spending is shouldered...
“There’s one thing that’s really great about waking up early,” the comedian Kathy Griffin apparently once said, “and it’s not jogging or greeting the day —...
The United States is a large and diverse country with many traditions and laws varying from state to state. It’s no surprise then that some citizens look at people living in far-off states as...
Property crimes — a category that includes burglary, motor vehicle theft, and larceny — are the most commonly reported crimes nationwide, according to the FBI. There were about 7.2...
America’s first Chinese restaurant is said to have been Canton, which opened in San Francisco in 1849. Today there are more than 40,000 such eating places nationwide. It’s hard to find a city or...
As the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 continues to increase in the United States, health organizations and government officials are continuing to warn the most at-risk populations, urging them...
Along with other measures being recommended or instituted to combat the spread of COVID-19, epidemiologists and government officials most strongly highlight the value of social distancing —...
“America runs on Dunkin’,” goes the slogan of the widespread chain formerly called Dunkin’ Donuts (it dropped “Donuts” as of January 2019). That might be...
Individual income taxes are the largest source of income for the federal government, accounting for 48% of federal tax revenue. Income taxes are similarly important to the vast majority of state...
Individual income taxes are the largest source of income for the federal government, accounting for 48% of federal tax revenue. Income taxes are similarly important to the vast majority of state...
School district quality is one of the most important factors homebuyers consider when looking for a place to live — particularly for new or expecting parents. A good school district can greatly...