When people hit their golden years, often times their idea of the perfect place to live changes. Some retirees might prefer warmer temperatures, while others want a peaceful place to live away from all the chaos. There are a lot of factors that go into picking that ideal spot to live after retirement. So, what is the best place to retire in Michigan?
Niche.com has put together a list of the best counties to retire in Michigan, using a “comprehensive assessment of key factors that are meaningful for recent or near retirees at the county level.” They add, “This grade takes into account key factors, such as weather, crime rates, residents 65 and older, housing costs, and access to amenities such as restaurants, golf courses, exercise facilities, and doctors, in an attempt to measure the appeal of an area for retirement.” Looking closer at their data, other factors included the percentage of retirees below the poverty line, winter average low temperature, winter average snowfall, access to golf and access to grocery stores, to name a few. Who would have thought golf would be such as important deciding factor?
So, what’s No. 1 in Michigan? According to the study, Leelanau County is the best county to retire in Michigan. It’s population is 21,652, and it has an overall Niche grade of an A. The county also scored an A for being “good for retirees.” It’s hard to beat those scores.
Following Leelanau, No. 2 on Niche’s list was Roscommon County, followed by Emmet County, Charlevoix County and
Gladwin to round out the top five. I’ve been to a few of those counties, and I do agree that they’re in beautiful areas of Michigan. Find the full list here. Where do you think the idea place is to retire in Michigan? Reach out to me on social media and let me know!