Best Counties for Remote Workers in Michigan 2026

83 counties ranked by cost of living, income, safety, and disaster resilience.

Top 5 Remote Work Counties in Michigan

1Ontonagon County

All 83 Remote-Work-Ranked Counties in Michigan

Rank	County	Persona Score	Overall Score
1	Ontonagon County, MI	68	63.5
2	Presque Isle County, MI	67	70.1
3	Dickinson County, MI	63	58.2
4	Keweenaw County, MI	63	71.6
5	Baraga County, MI	63	55.7
6	Alger County, MI	62	64.3
7	Charlevoix County, MI	61	55.2
8	Leelanau County, MI	61	60.9
9	Ionia County, MI	60	50.7
10	Chippewa County, MI	59	52.8
11	Midland County, MI	59	52.4
12	Antrim County, MI	59	54.7
13	Benzie County, MI	59	52.8
14	Gogebic County, MI	58	55.5
15	Menominee County, MI	58	56
16	Emmet County, MI	58	55.3
17	Iron County, MI	58	60.4
18	Houghton County, MI	58	54.6
19	Arenac County, MI	57	51.9
20	Schoolcraft County, MI	57	55.6
21	Oscoda County, MI	56	54.3
22	Alcona County, MI	55	62.1
23	Livingston County, MI	55	54.6
24	Lake County, MI	55	55.2
25	Otsego County, MI	55	50.8
26	Lapeer County, MI	55	49.3
27	Montmorency County, MI	55	52.5
28	Mason County, MI	55	52
29	Missaukee County, MI	54	50.2
30	Barry County, MI	54	46.2
31	Huron County, MI	53	55.5
32	Alpena County, MI	53	52.2
33	Iosco County, MI	53	50.3
34	Newaygo County, MI	52	50
35	Gladwin County, MI	52	49.4
36	Crawford County, MI	52	49.5
37	Osceola County, MI	51	51.2
38	Mackinac County, MI	50	45.9
39	Sanilac County, MI	50	51.8
40	Luce County, MI	50	50
41	Grand Traverse County, MI	50	50.7
42	Ottawa County, MI	49	52.1
43	Oceana County, MI	49	46
44	Kalkaska County, MI	48	46.2
45	Delta County, MI	48	49.5
46	Tuscola County, MI	48	46.5
47	Cheboygan County, MI	48	51
48	Van Buren County, MI	47	38.2
49	Manistee County, MI	47	41.9
50	Roscommon County, MI	47	47.4
51	Eaton County, MI	46	39.7
52	Marquette County, MI	46	51
53	Cass County, MI	45	41.1
54	Monroe County, MI	45	43.1
55	Ogemaw County, MI	45	41.7
56	Hillsdale County, MI	44	45.3
57	Gratiot County, MI	44	43.1
58	Allegan County, MI	44	40.2
59	Wexford County, MI	44	36.8
60	St. Clair County, MI	43	42.3
61	Montcalm County, MI	43	38
62	St. Joseph County, MI	43	38.4
63	Shiawassee County, MI	43	42.7
64	Oakland County, MI	43	43.7
65	Clare County, MI	43	43.1
66	Lenawee County, MI	42	40.3
67	Clinton County, MI	41	33.8
68	Branch County, MI	41	37.2
69	Bay County, MI	40	39.4
70	Mecosta County, MI	39	42.1
71	Ingham County, MI	38	37.9
72	Macomb County, MI	38	37.3
73	Washtenaw County, MI	37	38
74	Kent County, MI	35	36.8
75	Jackson County, MI	34	33.3
76	Muskegon County, MI	33	33.8
77	Isabella County, MI	32	35.7
78	Berrien County, MI	31	32.7
79	Kalamazoo County, MI	31	31
80	Saginaw County, MI	30	31.8
81	Genesee County, MI	29	31.5
82	Calhoun County, MI	29	28.9
83	Wayne County, MI	21	25.6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for remote workers in Michigan?

Based on our analysis of cost of living, income, safety, and disaster risk, Ontonagon County ranks as the top remote work county in Michigan with a remote worker score of 68.

How many counties in Michigan are ranked for remote workers?

We rank 83 counties in Michigan for remote work suitability, scoring each on cost of living (30%), income (30%), safety (25%), and disaster risk (15%).

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Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.