Cost of Living in Michigan
What it costs to live in Michigan, how much tax you'll pay, and what common jobs keep after rent and everyday costs.
- Population
- 10,140,459
- Median household income
- $72,389
- State income tax
- Flat 4.3%
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 96.2
What a typical paycheck keeps in Michigan
The typical Michigan worker earns $49,270 (BLS). After taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs, $9,139 is left. Pick a city for local rents and pay.
- Typical salary
- $49,270
- Federal income tax
- −$3,732
- Payroll taxes
- −$3,769
- State income tax
- −$1,843
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$13,212
- Everyday costs
- −$17,575
a year, or $762 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS statewide median. Rent: HUD FY2027, population-weighted across Michigan.
Cost of living in Michigan
Prices across Michigan run 4% below the US average (BEA, 2024).
- Housing18% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)4% below the US average
- UtilitiesAbout the same as the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% above the US average
- All items4% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,101 | $13,212 |
| Food | $474 | $5,688 |
| Transportation | $375 | $4,500 |
| Healthcare | $355 | $4,260 |
| Utilities | $261 | $3,132 |
| Total before taxes | $2,566 | $30,792 |
Rent is the statewide average of county fair market rents, weighted by population. City rents differ.
Michigan taxes
State income tax, single filer (2026)
| Taxable income over | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 | 4.3% |
City income taxes are in the local tax table.
Taxes on the median household income
$72,389 of wages, one single filer (Census 2024 median).
| Federal income tax | −$7,096 |
| Payroll taxes | −$5,538 |
| State income tax | −$2,826 |
| Effective tax rate | 21.4% |
Cities in Michigan
What a typical worker keeps after taxes, rent and everyday costs in each Michigan city we cover.
What common jobs keep in Michigan
The 15 jobs that keep the most: statewide median pay, and what's left after taxes, a statewide 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Dentist | $169,930 | $89,655 |
| Pharmacist | $137,860 | $69,099 |
| Physician assistant | $131,510 | $65,028 |
| Nurse practitioner | $131,450 | $64,989 |
| Lawyer | $130,520 | $64,393 |
| Software engineer | $125,570 | $61,220 |
| Veterinarian | $125,390 | $61,105 |
| Lineman | $106,890 | $48,948 |
| Mechanical engineer | $104,890 | $47,626 |
| Project manager | $100,970 | $45,036 |
| Physical therapist | $100,900 | $44,988 |
| Data scientist | $100,590 | $44,784 |
| Financial analyst | $95,420 | $41,366 |
| Registered nurse | $94,300 | $40,626 |
| Civil engineer | $92,100 | $39,171 |
Salary pages in Michigan, A–Z
Pay range, what’s kept and the best cities for each job.
- Accountant
- Auto mechanic
- Carpenter
- Civil engineer
- Data scientist
- Dental assistant
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Diesel mechanic
- Electrician
- Financial analyst
- Firefighter
- HVAC technician
- Lawyer
- Licensed practical nurse
- Lineman
- Mechanical engineer
- Medical assistant
- Nurse practitioner
- Nursing assistant
- Occupational therapist
- Paralegal
- Paramedic
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy technician
- Physical therapist
- Physician assistant
- Plumber
- Police officer
- Project manager
- Radiologic technologist
- Registered nurse
- Respiratory therapist
- Social worker
- Software engineer
- Speech-language pathologist
- Teacher
- Truck driver
- Veterinarian
- Welder
Top-paying jobs in Michigan
Median pay, jobs with at least 1,000 workers (BLS OEWS). Linked jobs have a salary page.
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $255,560 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $247,010 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $214,070 |
| Pediatricians, General | $204,690 |
| Dentists, General | $169,930 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $166,930 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $163,760 |
| Physicians, All Other | $155,480 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $149,990 |
| Purchasing Managers | $142,120 |
| Financial Managers | $139,370 |
| Human Resources Managers | $138,930 |
| Marketing Managers | $138,510 |
| Pharmacists | $137,860 |
| Sales Managers | $136,870 |
Living in Michigan
Michigan against the US (Census Bureau, ACS 2024).
| Measure | Michigan | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $254,200 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,168 | $1,487 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 13.5% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 33.3% | 36.9% |
| Average commute, one way | 24.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 11.2% | 13.3% |
Nearby states
Compare Michigan with another state or city: what a job keeps in each, side by side.
Questions people ask
What is the cost of living in Michigan?
Prices in Michigan are 4% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). The statewide fair market rent for a 1-bedroom is $1,101 a month (HUD, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person come to about $1,465 a month.
Does Michigan have a state income tax?
Yes. Michigan's income tax rate is flat 4.3%. On a typical wage of $49,270, a single filer pays about $1,843 a year in state income tax.
How much do you need to earn to live in Michigan?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom at the statewide fair market rent needs about $37,300 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs. The typical worker in Michigan earns $49,270 and keeps $9,139 after those costs.
Where in Michigan does a paycheck go furthest?
Of the Michigan cities we cover, a typical worker keeps the most in Lansing ($12,576 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs) and the least in Grand Rapids ($3,895).
What jobs pay the most in Michigan?
Among jobs with at least 1,000 workers, the highest median pay in Michigan goes to Chief Executives ($255,560); Nurse Anesthetists ($247,010); Family Medicine Physicians ($214,070) (BLS OEWS).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
- HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate