countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in Michigan 2026

83 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Michigan

1Presque Isle County
70.8
baseline 70.1
2Keweenaw County
70.1
baseline 71.6
3Leelanau County
66.3
baseline 60.9
4Ontonagon County
65.5
baseline 63.5
5Alger County
64.7
baseline 64.3

All 83 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Michigan

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Presque Isle County, MI70.870.1+0.7
2Keweenaw County, MI70.171.6-1.5
3Leelanau County, MI66.360.9+5.4
4Ontonagon County, MI65.563.5+2
5Alger County, MI64.764.3+0.4
6Dickinson County, MI63.958.2+5.7
7Alcona County, MI63.262.1+1.1
8Houghton County, MI62.854.6+8.2
9Montmorency County, MI62.852.5+10.3
10Menominee County, MI61.856+5.8
11Gogebic County, MI60.955.5+5.4
12Alpena County, MI60.652.2+8.4
13Charlevoix County, MI60.555.2+5.3
14Antrim County, MI60.354.7+5.6
15Emmet County, MI6055.3+4.7
16Mason County, MI59.552+7.5
17Lake County, MI59.455.2+4.2
18Oscoda County, MI58.654.3+4.3
19Crawford County, MI5849.5+8.5
20Baraga County, MI57.755.7+2
21Benzie County, MI57.752.8+4.9
22Luce County, MI57.350+7.3
23Missaukee County, MI57.350.2+7.1
24Arenac County, MI57.251.9+5.3
25Chippewa County, MI5752.8+4.2
26Iron County, MI5760.4-3.4
27Osceola County, MI5751.2+5.8
28Schoolcraft County, MI56.955.6+1.3
29Huron County, MI56.655.5+1.1
30Iosco County, MI56.450.3+6.1
31Ionia County, MI56.350.7+5.6
32Otsego County, MI55.750.8+4.9
33Livingston County, MI55.654.6+1
34Grand Traverse County, MI55.250.7+4.5
35Midland County, MI55.252.4+2.8
36Delta County, MI54.449.5+4.9
37Sanilac County, MI54.351.8+2.5
38Roscommon County, MI53.647.4+6.2
39Marquette County, MI53.451+2.4
40Cheboygan County, MI53.151+2.1
41Newaygo County, MI53.150+3.1
42Kalkaska County, MI52.546.2+6.3
43Ottawa County, MI52.352.1+0.2
44Manistee County, MI5242+10
45Gladwin County, MI51.749.4+2.3
46Lapeer County, MI51.649.4+2.2
47Barry County, MI50.946.2+4.7
48Oceana County, MI50.746+4.7
49Mackinac County, MI49.845.9+3.9
50Gratiot County, MI49.243.1+6.1
51Tuscola County, MI49.146.5+2.6
52Ogemaw County, MI48.841.7+7.1
53Clare County, MI48.343.1+5.2
54Hillsdale County, MI4845.3+2.7
55Monroe County, MI46.843.1+3.7
56Cass County, MI45.941.1+4.8
57Mecosta County, MI45.742.1+3.6
58St. Clair County, MI45.742.3+3.4
59Eaton County, MI45.239.8+5.4
60Montcalm County, MI44.538+6.5
61Wexford County, MI44.536.8+7.7
62Oakland County, MI44.443.7+0.7
63Shiawassee County, MI4442.7+1.3
64Bay County, MI43.839.4+4.4
65Allegan County, MI43.440.2+3.2
66Lenawee County, MI42.440.3+2.1
67Ingham County, MI42.137.9+4.2
68Van Buren County, MI41.838.3+3.5
69Clinton County, MI41.233.8+7.4
70Branch County, MI4137.2+3.8
71St. Joseph County, MI40.538.4+2.1
72Isabella County, MI39.935.7+4.2
73Washtenaw County, MI39.138+1.1
74Kent County, MI38.736.8+1.9
75Muskegon County, MI38.533.8+4.7
76Macomb County, MI37.237.3-0.1
77Berrien County, MI3732.7+4.3
78Jackson County, MI3733.3+3.7
79Kalamazoo County, MI35.831+4.8
80Saginaw County, MI34.531.8+2.7
81Genesee County, MI34.431.5+2.9
82Calhoun County, MI30.928.9+2
83Wayne County, MI26.925.6+1.3

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Michigan?

Based on the Retiree lens, Presque Isle County ranks as the top retirement county in Michigan with a County Fit Score of 70.8. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Michigan are ranked for retirement?

We rank 83 counties in Michigan with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse Michigan Counties For

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Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

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