Like all states, Michigan has certain places that are going on hard times. These Michigan places have an above-average percentage of people living in poverty, out of work, or not making as much as they should be.
Even as the economy continues to improve, it’s worthwhile to look at the places in each state struggling to make ends meet. So we set our sites on locating the poorest places in Michigan.
To do so, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the newest Census data from the American Community Survey for the 154 cities in Michigan with more than 5,000 people.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Poorest Places In Michigan For 2024:
What’s the poorest city in Michigan? According to the facts, River Rouge is the poorest place in Michigan for 2024.
This isn’t a commentary on the people that live there or the vibrant culture and traditions of these places. Instead, it’s just a look at the facts.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
- The poorest states in the US
- The poorest cities in the US
The 10 Poorest Cities In Michigan For 2024
1. River Rouge
/10
Population: 7,200
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Income: $26,343 (lowest)
Poverty Rate: 43.9% (2nd highest)
People In Poverty: 3,157
More on River Rouge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
River Rouge, unfortunately, ranks as the poorest place in Michigan thanks to combination of low pay and and a lack of jobs.
The city of 7,200 people averages the lowest median household income in Michigan and the 2nd highest poverty rate. At the very least, the cost of living ranks in the bottom 15% of place in the state, so things like housing are relatively affordable.
2. Benton Harbor
/10
Population: 9,101
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Income: $26,592 (2nd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 44.2% (highest)
People In Poverty: 4,022
More on Benton Harbor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The second poorest city in Michigan is Benton Harbor.
The city ranks as having the highest incidence of poverty and 2nd lowest median household income. However, the unemployment rate ‘only’ ranks as the 2nd highest in the Wolverine State.
3. Highland Park
/10
Population: 9,032
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Income: $30,341 (4th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.6% (4th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,394
More on Highland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Placing as the third poorest city, Highland Park’s median income ranks as the 4th lowest.
And that’s a sign that there’s a relatively substantial jump in the quality of the economy from second to third place on our list. The poverty rate is 37.58% and ranks near the bottom of places in the state.
But what makes up for the relatively low incomes of the city is its low cost of living. The income you do make here goes further than in most parts of the Wolverine State.
4. Houghton
/10
Population: 8,303
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Income: $29,821 (3rd lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.9% (7th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,894
More on Houghton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Houghton ranks as the fourth poorest place in Michigan.
The town ranks as having the 3rd lowest median household income and the 7th highest incidence of poverty in the state.
That being said, there’s still a ton of cultural diversity in the city as it hosts many events throughout the year.
5. Muskegon Heights
/10
Population: 9,954
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 5)
Median Income: $35,216 (5th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 36.5% (5th highest)
People In Poverty: 3,630
More on Muskegon Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The fifth poorest city in Michigan is Muskegon Heights.
The city ranks as having the 5th lowest median income in the state. However, an extremely low cost of living prevents a good number of folks from living in poverty as the poverty rate only ranks as the 5th highest in Michigan.
Still not the best news for Muskegon Heights.
6. Saginaw
/10
Population: 44,316
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Income: $35,521 (7th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 34.5% (8th highest)
People In Poverty: 15,271
More on Saginaw: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Saginaw ranks as the sixth poorest place in the Wolverine State.
It ranks as having the 8th highest incidence of poverty and the 13th highest unemployment rate.
7. Hamtramck
/10
Population: 27,842
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Median Income: $39,648 (14th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 37.8% (3rd highest)
People In Poverty: 10,510
More on Hamtramck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Hamtramck places as the seventh poorest city in Michigan.
The city of over 27,842 ranks as having the 3rd highest incidence of poverty in the state. However, it has a very low cost of living which helps to pay the bills each month.
8. Inkster
/10
Population: 25,839
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Income: $38,381 (11th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 35.1% (6th highest)
People In Poverty: 9,066
More on Inkster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Inkster ranks as the eighth poorest city in Michigan.
The big issue for the town is the unemployment rate which ranks as one of the highest in the state.
9. Flint
/10
Population: 81,863
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Income: $35,451 (6th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.3% (12th highest)
People In Poverty: 27,260
More on Flint: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Flint couldn’t stay out of the top ten poorest places in Michigan; it ranks number 9.
While the median income is the 6th lowest, there are a substantial number of people that live below the poverty line. Overall, Flint ranks as having the 12th most people living in poverty of all the places we analyzed in Michigan.
10. Big Rapids
/10
Population: 7,915
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 5)
Median Income: $36,058 (9th lowest)
Poverty Rate: 33.6% (11th highest)
People In Poverty: 2,656
More on Big Rapids: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
And rounding out the top ten poorest cities in Michigan is Big Rapids.
The city of 7,915 people ranks in the bottom 20% for both median income and poverty rate in the Wolverine State.
Methodology: How We Determined The Poorest Places In Michigan for 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the poorest places is to simply the poverty rate. That is, the number of people living below a federally established level of income for a household of a certain size.
However, we don’t think that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “poorest places”. So we used Saturday Night Science to look at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey:
- Poverty Level
- Median Household Income
After we collected the data for all 154 places with more than 5,000 people in Michigan, we ranked each place from 1 to 154 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the poorest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Poor Score” with the place having the lowest overall Poor Score, River Rouge, crowned the “Poorest Place In Michigan For 2024”.
This report has been updated for 2024, which is our tenth time ranking the poorest places in Michigan.
Summary: The Poorest Cities In Michigan For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the poorest places in Michigan, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Michigan.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very bottom of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the richest cities in Michigan, according to data:
-
Richest: Huntington Woods
2nd Richest: East Grand Rapids
3rd Richest: Beverly Hills
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Worst Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Michigan
Detailed List Of The Poorest Places To Live In Michigan
| Rank | City | Population | Poverty Rate | Median Income | People In Poverty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | River Rouge | 7,200 | 43.9% | $26,343 | 3,157 |
| 2 | Benton Harbor | 9,101 | 44.2% | $26,592 | 4,022 |
| 3 | Highland Park | 9,032 | 37.6% | $30,341 | 3,394 |
| 4 | Houghton | 8,303 | 34.9% | $29,821 | 2,894 |
| 5 | Muskegon Heights | 9,954 | 36.5% | $35,216 | 3,630 |
| 6 | Saginaw | 44,316 | 34.5% | $35,521 | 15,271 |
| 7 | Hamtramck | 27,842 | 37.8% | $39,648 | 10,510 |
| 8 | Inkster | 25,839 | 35.1% | $38,381 | 9,066 |
| 9 | Flint | 81,863 | 33.3% | $35,451 | 27,260 |
| 10 | Big Rapids | 7,915 | 33.6% | $36,058 | 2,656 |
| 11 | Detroit | 636,787 | 31.5% | $37,761 | 200,651 |
| 12 | Melvindale | 12,639 | 33.2% | $38,918 | 4,193 |
| 13 | Mount Pleasant | 21,826 | 34.4% | $41,512 | 7,516 |
| 14 | Pontiac | 61,965 | 26.7% | $40,307 | 16,569 |
| 15 | Springfield | 5,268 | 26.1% | $40,091 | 1,377 |
| 16 | Dowagiac | 5,680 | 32.8% | $41,864 | 1,861 |
| 17 | East Lansing | 45,403 | 34.3% | $44,094 | 15,564 |
| 18 | Ypsilanti | 20,204 | 27.3% | $41,914 | 5,507 |
| 19 | Albion | 7,732 | 26.7% | $41,594 | 2,064 |
| 20 | Adrian | 20,607 | 23.4% | $40,797 | 4,813 |
| 21 | Jackson | 31,420 | 24.0% | $41,988 | 7,547 |
| 22 | Muskegon | 38,286 | 22.9% | $40,900 | 8,752 |
| 23 | Bay City | 32,664 | 24.8% | $45,026 | 8,110 |
| 24 | Ecorse | 9,292 | 25.0% | $45,473 | 2,323 |
| 25 | Kalamazoo | 73,342 | 26.8% | $48,649 | 19,662 |
| 26 | Escanaba | 12,403 | 19.0% | $38,457 | 2,361 |
| 27 | Niles | 11,871 | 21.7% | $42,181 | 2,576 |
| 28 | Alma | 9,436 | 21.8% | $44,375 | 2,059 |
| 29 | Alpena | 10,200 | 20.9% | $43,613 | 2,134 |
| 30 | Port Huron | 28,881 | 22.2% | $47,906 | 6,423 |
| 31 | Lapeer | 9,034 | 24.0% | $50,510 | 2,168 |
| 32 | Hillsdale | 8,005 | 21.2% | $47,205 | 1,698 |
| 33 | Coldwater | 13,704 | 21.7% | $48,531 | 2,971 |
| 34 | Cadillac | 10,400 | 19.7% | $45,123 | 2,045 |
| 35 | Marquette | 20,673 | 23.1% | $51,599 | 4,765 |
| 36 | Ironwood | 5,088 | 13.6% | $35,722 | 690 |
| 37 | Ludington | 7,691 | 20.1% | $49,503 | 1,549 |
| 38 | Sault Ste. Marie | 13,409 | 20.8% | $50,284 | 2,790 |
| 39 | Battle Creek | 52,469 | 19.2% | $49,684 | 10,089 |
| 40 | Lansing | 112,986 | 20.0% | $50,747 | 22,574 |
| 41 | Davison | 5,114 | 16.7% | $48,750 | 854 |
| 42 | Allegan | 5,180 | 13.7% | $42,162 | 709 |
| 43 | Belding | 5,942 | 18.6% | $52,083 | 1,104 |
| 44 | Dearborn Heights | 62,474 | 21.7% | $58,335 | 13,575 |
| 45 | Menominee | 8,429 | 13.7% | $46,821 | 1,156 |
| 46 | Lincoln Park | 39,807 | 19.8% | $55,777 | 7,873 |
| 47 | Wayne | 17,568 | 17.6% | $52,709 | 3,097 |
| 48 | Three Rivers | 7,923 | 14.4% | $49,018 | 1,140 |
| 49 | St. Louis | 6,932 | 13.5% | $47,662 | 934 |
| 50 | Sturgis | 11,050 | 18.8% | $56,337 | 2,074 |
| 51 | Mount Clemens | 15,679 | 16.8% | $55,154 | 2,627 |
| 52 | Harper Woods | 15,296 | 20.1% | $60,030 | 3,066 |
| 53 | Dearborn | 108,414 | 23.6% | $64,600 | 25,639 |
| 54 | Burton | 29,568 | 16.2% | $55,698 | 4,790 |
| 55 | Eastpointe | 34,087 | 17.2% | $57,953 | 5,876 |
| 56 | Monroe | 20,400 | 16.4% | $57,779 | 3,343 |
| 57 | Ishpeming | 6,191 | 14.1% | $53,202 | 874 |
| 58 | New Haven | 6,200 | 21.6% | $63,424 | 1,336 |
| 59 | Owosso | 14,678 | 13.1% | $51,794 | 1,924 |
| 60 | Grand Rapids | 198,096 | 19.0% | $61,634 | 37,717 |
| 61 | Gladstone | 5,231 | 15.9% | $59,133 | 831 |
| 62 | Ionia | 13,081 | 16.4% | $60,413 | 2,149 |
| 63 | Taylor | 62,937 | 15.8% | $59,352 | 9,975 |
| 64 | Hazel Park | 15,065 | 15.5% | $59,576 | 2,333 |
| 65 | Greenville | 8,866 | 10.3% | $50,332 | 914 |
| 66 | Roseville | 47,476 | 13.4% | $57,274 | 6,357 |
| 67 | Westland | 84,806 | 14.4% | $59,930 | 12,237 |
| 68 | Grand Haven | 10,961 | 12.1% | $57,650 | 1,329 |
| 69 | Richmond | 5,852 | 17.3% | $64,154 | 1,010 |
| 70 | Iron Mountain | 7,522 | 10.7% | $53,215 | 801 |
| 71 | St. Johns | 7,711 | 14.4% | $60,991 | 1,108 |
| 72 | Oak Park | 29,495 | 14.5% | $61,991 | 4,288 |
| 73 | Wyandotte | 24,857 | 15.3% | $62,111 | 3,808 |
| 74 | Center Line | 8,493 | 9.8% | $52,067 | 831 |
| 75 | Holly | 5,997 | 11.6% | $58,957 | 693 |
| 76 | Manistee | 6,248 | 11.2% | $57,813 | 699 |
| 77 | Flat Rock | 10,448 | 16.3% | $65,374 | 1,707 |
| 78 | Warren | 138,588 | 13.5% | $61,633 | 18,737 |
| 79 | Ann Arbor | 122,216 | 23.3% | $78,546 | 28,525 |
| 80 | Hastings | 7,504 | 8.6% | $54,118 | 645 |
| 81 | Madison Heights | 28,521 | 12.0% | $63,224 | 3,433 |
| 82 | Kingsford | 5,127 | 10.2% | $59,106 | 521 |
| 83 | Utica | 5,195 | 7.8% | $52,247 | 405 |
| 84 | Fraser | 14,668 | 10.7% | $61,039 | 1,570 |
| 85 | Romulus | 25,055 | 11.8% | $63,854 | 2,951 |
| 86 | Southfield | 76,107 | 11.3% | $63,980 | 8,638 |
| 87 | Garden City | 27,203 | 10.8% | $63,630 | 2,937 |
| 88 | Eaton Rapids | 5,201 | 10.2% | $62,708 | 528 |
| 89 | Holland | 34,186 | 11.6% | $69,152 | 3,965 |
| 90 | Wyoming | 76,732 | 10.9% | $67,234 | 8,379 |
| 91 | Zeeland | 5,701 | 8.2% | $60,505 | 468 |
| 92 | Southgate | 29,948 | 9.7% | $62,792 | 2,916 |
| 93 | Traverse City | 15,468 | 11.2% | $70,700 | 1,730 |
| 94 | Howell | 10,067 | 5.5% | $53,953 | 556 |
| 95 | Walled Lake | 7,262 | 9.8% | $65,031 | 709 |
| 96 | Kentwood | 54,042 | 9.9% | $66,945 | 5,366 |
| 97 | Charlotte | 9,273 | 9.8% | $65,507 | 904 |
| 98 | Auburn Hills | 24,593 | 11.5% | $77,724 | 2,830 |
| 99 | St. Clair | 5,496 | 9.1% | $71,771 | 499 |
| 100 | Midland | 42,404 | 9.2% | $71,809 | 3,918 |