The U.S. News & World Report has put together their list of the 150 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2022-2023. A total of six Michigan cities are on that list, but did Grand Rapids make the cut?

 


 

Downtown Ann Arbor, Google
Downtown Ann Arbor, Google
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Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor was the highest ranked Michigan city on the list. They came in at #11, moving up one spot from last year's ranking.

 


 

Google Street View
Google Street View
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Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo came in at #40. That is an increase of 11 places. In 2021, Kalamazoo ranked at #51.

 


 

McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
McConnell Adams, Townsquare Media Lansing
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Lansing

Lansing ranked 65th on the list of the 150 Best Places to Live. Lansing is the only Michigan city to actually drop down in ranking -- but not by much. Last year Lansing was ranked at #64, so they only fell one position.

 


 

Detroit, MI
Photo by GV Chana on Unsplash
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Detroit

Detroit was #112 on the list. Detroit continues to rebound and climb up the list, moving up 15 places from #127 in 2021.

 


 

Sarah Rice, Getty Images
Sarah Rice, Getty Images
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Flint

Despite the problems they have had with their water over the years, Flint made the list at #131. Flint also made the list in 2021 at 144th, so they have jumped up 13 spots.

 


 

Downtown Grand Rapids
Photo: Scott Winters/Townsquare Media
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Grand Rapids

For those of us that live in Grand Rapids, we know that it should be in the list. The city did indeed make the list, finding themselves in the top 20! Grand Rapids ranked 16th on the list of the 150 Best Places to Live in the United States. Grand Rapids also ranked 34th on last year's list. That's a gain of 18 spots!

The report says this about Grand Rapids:

A scenic spot perched on the Grand River – Michigan's longest waterway – Grand Rapids has evolved from its 19th-century roots as a hub of furniture production to the modern-day metro area that is attracting college students and young families with its healthy job market, affordable housing and outdoor recreational activities.

Grand Rapids also ranks
#2 in Best Places to Live in Michigan
#11 in Cheapest Places to Live
#18 in Best Places to Live for Quality of Life
#28 in Best Places to Retire

Where are the Top Cities?

The top five cities in the 150 Best Places to Live list are:

#1 Huntsville, Alabama
#2 Colorado Springs, Colorado
#3 Green Bay, Wisconsin
#4 Boulder, Colorado
#5 San Jose, California

How were the Cities Ranked?

Cities were ranked by looking at their Job Market Index, Value Index (how comfortably a resident can live within their means), Quality of Life Index, Desirability Index, and Net Migration (are people moving to or away from the state). You can read more about the exact methodology here.

See What Grand Rapids Looked Like Almost 100 Years Ago

A look back at what the city of Grand Rapids looked like sometime in the 1920s. The pictures come from a film called "Grand Rapids Gateway to the Playground of a Nation and the Furniture Capital of America". The film was used to get businesses and organizations to have their conventions in the city of Grand Rapids, MI.

ABC's of Grand Rapids

Here is an interesting, alphabetical look at the people and places that played a part in Grand Rapids history.

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