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2 Michigan Cities Rank Among Top 50 Most Educated in the Nation

Author Kayla Morgan

Cities strive to attract highly educated individuals to support their economic growth and generate more income. This is because higher education levels typically correspond to higher incomes. As graduates earn more, they also contribute more tax revenue over the long term, as highlighted by the Economic Policy Institute. As a result, educated people prefer to live in places where they can reap the benefits of their educational investments.

Recently, WalletHub compiled a list of the most and least educated cities in America. To determine where the most educated Americans are putting their degrees to work, they compared the 150 largest metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs, across 11 key metrics. Their data set ranges from the share of adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or higher to the quality of the public school system to the gender education gap.

Two Michigan college towns made it onto the list

According to the ranking, two college towns in Michigan have made it onto the list of the 50 most educated cities in America. Ann Arbor claimed the top spot in the rankings, with the highest number of diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate or professional degrees among all U.S. cities. Besides the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is also home to Concordia University and Washtenaw Community College. Meanwhile, San Jose, California, and Washington, D.C. secured the second and third positions, trailing closely behind Ann Arbor. The only area where Ann Arbor fell short was in the racial and gender distribution of degrees, ranking outside the top five in both categories.

The Lansing-East Lansing metropolitan area earned the 34th position on the list. This area is home to the Michigan State Capitol, as well as Michigan State University, Lansing Community College, and Great Lakes Christian College.

Grand Rapids-Kentwood landed at number 62, while Detroit-Warren-Dearborn ranked 77th. These two metropolitan areas house multiple higher education institutions, including Grand Valley State University, University of Detroit Mercy, and University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Flint was the only other Michigan city on the list, ranking at 125. This mid-Michigan city is home to the University of Michigan-Flint.

Check out the complete ranking here.

Living Large: Michigan's Wealthiest Counties

Wealthy areas are the kind of places where you’ll find beautiful homes, well-manicured streets, and a sense of luxury in the air. Along with the stunning residences, these areas offer top-notch services like private schools, exclusive clubs, and upscale shopping centers. Safety is a priority too, with gated communities, private security, and advanced security systems ensuring peace of mind. Of course, you can’t forget about wealthy areas flooded with well-kept parks, golf courses, and country clubs. But what is the wealthiest county in Michigan?

A recent study by SmartAsset shows the wealthiest counties in the U.S. To figure out which counties are rolling in the dough, they looked at investment income, property value, and how much cash each person is raking in on average.

“We started the analysis by calculating the Investment Index for each county by evenly weighing the Ordinary Dividends, Qualified Dividends, and Net Capital Gains. From there, we calculated the Median Home Value and the Per Capita Income for each county, and ranked them on all three metrics,” SmartAsset wrote.

The study revealed that Leelanau County, nestled near Traverse City and known for its wineries along the Lake Michigan coast, takes the crown as Michigan’s wealthiest county. With its picturesque Leelanau Peninsula and a population of approximately 23,000, this small northern Michigan county has the highest per-capita wealth in the state. Nationally, Leelanau County had an overall rank of 266.

Wealthiest Counties in The U.S.

When it comes to the richest counties in the nation, California counties consistently find themselves at the top of the ranking. San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, and Marin County all secured spots in the top five richest counties in the United States. However, breaking California’s streak, Nantucket County in Massachusetts claimed the fifth spot on the ranking.

Check out the full study here. And take a look below to see which counties in Michigan are the wealthiest.

  • 5. Grand Traverse County

    Traverse City Michigan aerial view

    Gary Ennis/ Getty Images

    Median Income: $69, 393
    Investment Income: $47, 522
    Median Home Value: $373, 836
    National Rank: 497

     

  • 4. Oakland County

    Median Income: $86, 275
    Investment Income: $48, 897
    Median Home Value: $334, 448
    National Rank: 310

    Oakland County road sign

    Thomas Pajot/ Getty Images

  • 3. Livingston County

    Median Income: $88, 908
    Investment Income: $25, 044
    Median Home Value: $362, 766
    National Rank: 287

    On the roads of Michigan

    Pierre-Olivier Valiquette/ Getty Images

  • 2. Washtenaw County

    Median Income: $79, 198
    Investment Income: $44, 796
    Median Home Value: $373, 627
    National Rank: 271

    Aerial View of Downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Better Planet Media/ Getty Images

  • 1. Leelanau County

    Median Income: $72, 709
    Investment Income: $56, 192
    Median Home Value: $509, 272
    National Rank: 266

    Leland Michigan lake view with boats

    MGSmith/ Getty Images

Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it. She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel. A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community. She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.

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