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Michigan’s 25 ‘Worst Places’ to Live

Michigan is a fantastic state, offering everything from the Great Lakes to Motown music to the dynamic automobile industry. That said, one new study has ranked Michigan’s cities from best…

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(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Michigan is a fantastic state, offering everything from the Great Lakes to Motown music to the dynamic automobile industry. That said, one new study has ranked Michigan's cities from best to worst, naming a few areas of the state among the "worst" to live in.

The crew at RoadSnacks.net has put together a list of the "worst places to live in Michigan." The study was done last year, but it uses the latest Census data, and it's the most recent study of its kind by the outlet. "Thrillist just ranked Michigan as the best state in the nation, which should really come as no surprise to anyone," RoadSnacks.net states. "With its four legitimate seasons, natural wonders, regional diversity and seemingly endless waterfront, it’s no wonder that Michigan would top all 49 of the lesser states on any list you might want to throw together. All the same, anyone familiar with Michigan knows there are places that need some real TLC right now. And it's not just Detroit. In fact, there are cities that might need a hug even more than Detroit."

By the way, if you weren't aware, Michigan has a population of nearly 10.12 million and a total area of almost 97,000 square miles, making it the 10th-largest state by population and the 11th-largest by area. Read on for Michigan's worst cities to live in, according to RoadSnacks.net, and find the full study here. Of course, just because a city makes this list, that doesn't mean all hope is lost. "We understand there’s a lot of good in every place," the publication states. The data comes from the Census's most recent American Community Survey and from the FBI Uniform Crime Report. "We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a larger weight — if you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are normally 7x more common and really bias that ranking, they state.

25. Saginaw

24. Melvindale

23. Burton

22. Port Huron

21. Harper Woods

20. Battle Creek

19. Albion

18. Ecorse

17. Sturgis

16. Jackson

15. Hamtramck

14. Niles

13. Muskegon

12. Springfield

11. Inkster

10. Flint

9. Lapeer

8. Muskegon Heights

7. Pontiac

6. Romulus

5. Benton Harbor

4. Highland Park

3. Detroit

2. Dowagiac

1. River Rouge

Even though River Rouge is No. 1, they state that "the river provides scenic views and the community supports a vibrant nightlife."

Worst Places To Live In Michigan

This study is from RoadSnacks.net.

Anne Erickson started her radio career shortly after graduating from Michigan State University and has worked on-air in Detroit, Flint, Toledo, Lansing and beyond. As someone who absolutely loves rock, metal and alt music, she instantly fell in love with radio and hasn’t looked back. When she’s not working, Anne makes her own music with her band, Upon Wings, and she also loves cheering on her favorite Detroit and Michigan sports teams, especially Lions and MSU football. Anne is also an award-winning journalist, and her byline has run in a variety of national publications. You can also hear her weekends on WRIF.