Those of us living in Michigan know it's a great place to live. The Great Lakes surround it, there are views you won't get anywhere else, and the people here are much more than just "Midwest Nice".

Many Michiganders assume that most of their neighbors are native Michiganders - born and raised in the Mitten State. But, that's not the case.

👇BELOW: Check Out These Tiny Michigan Counties With Less Than 10,000 Residents👇

Michigan has seen a huge influx of residents who are transplants from other states around the U.S. over the past few decades. (And, for the record, we welcome them with open arms.)

Why Do People From Other States Decide to Move to Michigan?

What brings them here? Is it work? Family? Wanting to raise their kids in a great place? School? There are a variety of reasons that people find themselves relocating to the Great Lakes State.

READ MORE: The A to Z of Michigan's U.P. 

While our roads may constantly be under construction, one could argue that traffic is far better in Michigan, even in the bigger cities, than it is in many other areas of the country.

One of the biggest factors could be that Michigan has a much lower cost of living than many other states. In fact, according to World Population Review, there are only fourteen states with a lower cost of living.

Not to mention the bigger metropolitan areas in the state like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and even Kalamazoo have seen a huge revitalization over the years and are extremely attractive to large companies (meaning there are a lot of jobs to be had.) Detroit even has an entire Housing and Revitalization Department!

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As an added bonus, Michigan is the only state where you can use your hand as a map to show where you live! (Sit down, Wisconsin, you're wrong.)

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Which States Are People Moving to Michigan From?

But, where are the newcomers to Michigan moving here from? I started wondering this after looking at this list of people moving to New Jersey and not being surprised at all by the top results.

I was shocked when I learned that some of the top states with people relocating to The Mitten State are those where you'd think people would want to hang around - especially because of their weather.

Here is where the "Michigan Invasion" is coming from.

LOOK: States sending the most people to Michigan

Stacker compiled a list of states where the most people are moving to Michigan using data from the Census Bureau.

Gallery Credit: Stacker

If you're looking to move to Michigan and want that small-town feel, check out these tiny counties throughout the state.

These Tiny Michigan Counties Have Less than 10,000 Residents

These are the counties in Michigan where you can really feel detached from society. Each of these counties have less than 10,000 people living there.
Note: population counts are via Wikipedia and 2023 estimates.

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