Where Are The Best Places To Retire In Michigan?

One can only hope to retire someday. There’s freedom from work which means a person can travel more, pick up hobbies, volunteer, or take a step back and just enjoy life. Michigan residents can retire and collect Social Security benefits any time after age 62. While many Michiganders retire to Florida and other sunny states, there are plenty of Michigan cities to go to and retire.

Niche.com has put together a list of the best places to retire in Michigan and narrowed it down to a list of 25 places. They gathered data and reviews from public data sources including U.S. Census along with millions of reviews from students, parents, and residents on their website.

In Michigan, Charlevoix Township was ranked as Michigan’s top place to retire. With a population of more than 1,800, they offer a suburban rural mix for residents. According to Niche, 33 percent of its population is over the age of 65 years old. One of Charlevoix’s current residents left a review on Niche.com that said, “Beautiful small town! Lakes everywhere. Quiet in the winter, bustling in the summer. Home prices higher for year around residents but who wouldn’t enjoy this little piece of paradise.”

Meanwhile, ranking last on the list at number 25 is Douglas in Allegan County. This Michigan town has a population of over 1,100. 34 percent of its population is over the age of 65 years old.

Also ranked on the list at number 5 is the popular destination Frankenmuth. This city is known for its Bavarian architecture, family-style chicken dinners, and Bronner's, the world's largest year-round Christmas ornament and décor store. “Frankenmuth is a bubble. Rarely is there any criminal activity occurring and when there is, it is at the most minimum of charges,” said one review of the town.

When looking to settle down for your retirement years, consider these spectacular towns in the Great Lakes state. See Niche.com’s full list of rankings here.