Prices, pay, taxes, homes and family budgets, county by county, from the same official data the site's calculators use.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis measures price levels in every state against a national average of 100. Michigan scores 96.2 overall, so a $75,000 salary at average US prices buys what $72,163 buys here. Compare any salary with another state.
| Price level | Michigan (US = 100) | Rank, most expensive first |
|---|---|---|
| Everything | 96.2 | 28th of 51 |
| Rents | 82.3 | 29th of 51 |
| Goods | 96.0 | — |
| Other services | 100.9 | — |
Home electricity averaged 19.30 cents a kilowatt-hour in 2024, against 17.06 across all states. A gallon of regular gas cost $4.17 at the end of August 2026, against $4.12.
Across all 4,403,730 jobs the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts in Michigan, the median pay is $49,270 a year, or $23.69 an hour; that ranks 28th of the 50 states and DC. One worker in ten earns less than $30,290 and one in ten more than $110,650.
Michigan taxes wages at a flat 4.25%. The brackets in Michigan. A single filer on the median $49,270, with no retirement or health deductions, takes home about $39,674 a year, or $1,526 every two weeks, after $3,732 of federal income tax, $3,769 of Social Security and Medicare and $2,094 of state income tax. Work out your own paycheck in Michigan.
The five occupations employing the most people, with their median annual pay:
| Occupation | Jobs | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 112,310 | $44,690 |
| Retail Salespersons | 111,010 | $34,640 |
| Registered Nurses | 104,950 | $94,300 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 103,130 | $28,930 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 95,020 | $35,000 |
Of the 20 largest occupations, the best paid are software developers ($125,570), general and operations managers ($99,530), registered nurses ($94,300). See what common jobs pay in every state.
Across the 83 Michigan counties with their own Zillow home value, the median typical home is worth $229,949, and across the 40 with their own rent figure the median typical rent is $1,341 a month. A typical home costs 2.92 years of the county's median family income, at the median county.
With 10% down at 7.03%, the average 30-year rate on September 24, 2026, that home costs about $1,863 a month with tax, insurance and mortgage insurance, which takes $79,836 a year of income under the usual 28% guideline. The median family can afford its own county's typical home in 43.4% of Michigan's counties, against 44.9% of counties nationally. Try it with your own income.
At the median county, home values changed +5.6% over the past year and +24.7% over five years, and rents +4.7% over the past year.
The most expensive Michigan counties are Leelanau County ($656,811), Emmet County ($449,641) and Washtenaw County ($423,247); the least expensive are Gogebic County ($132,665), Luce County ($133,806) and Ontonagon County ($137,917).
The Economic Policy Institute prices what a modest but adequate standard of living costs in every county: housing, food, transport, healthcare, childcare, other necessities and taxes. In the median Michigan county, that comes to $44,032 a year for one adult and $98,331 for two adults and two children, of which $16,936 is childcare. The national averages are $47,367 and $101,771. Median family income in the median county is $77,229.
| Two adults, two children | Per year, median county | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $11,544 | $962 |
| Food | $11,683 | $974 |
| Transportation | $19,933 | $1,661 |
| Healthcare | $16,313 | $1,359 |
| Childcare | $16,936 | $1,411 |
| Other necessities | $7,279 | $607 |
| Taxes | $13,547 | $1,129 |
Each line is its own median across counties, so the lines do not add up exactly to the total.
The Department of Education's College Scorecard lists 172 colleges in Michigan, 47 of them public. The median public college reports a cost of attendance of $15,788 a year, covering tuition, housing, books and other expenses. Ten years after enrolling, the median school's former students earn $36,496. Compare degrees and schools.
| Alcona County | $200,210 | +7.1% | — | $70,991 | $98,687 |
| Alger County | $221,652 | +9.9% | — | $71,346 | $108,564 |
| Allegan County | $353,476 | +5.3% | $1,424 | $94,103 | $103,256 |
| Alpena County | $199,568 | +6.7% | — | $68,385 | $94,675 |
| Antrim County | $356,162 | +3.8% | $1,950 | $86,451 | $100,478 |
| Arenac County | $168,221 | +7.2% | — | $70,028 | $97,069 |
| Baraga County | $183,709 | +13.3% | — | $71,288 | $105,702 |
| Barry County | $304,222 | +4.9% | $1,772 | $95,874 | $99,316 |
| Bay County | $188,669 | +6.8% | $1,121 | $79,540 | $97,921 |
| Benzie County | $413,917 | +5.9% | — | $88,580 | $109,559 |
| Berrien County | $285,496 | +7.1% | $1,333 | $82,029 | $95,996 |
| Branch County | $211,683 | +6.5% | $1,179 | $76,208 | $95,198 |
| Calhoun County | $194,048 | +3.9% | $1,124 | $77,938 | $93,263 |
| Cass County | $276,008 | +4.6% | — | $85,324 | $93,099 |
| Charlevoix County | $417,886 | +2.6% | $2,200 | $92,266 | $99,030 |
| Cheboygan County | $253,970 | +3.3% | — | $73,032 | $99,204 |
| Chippewa County | $203,966 | +8.1% | — | $79,525 | $98,331 |
| Clare County | $163,476 | +9.7% | — | $60,459 | $99,866 |
| Clinton County | $320,984 | +3.9% | $1,704 | $107,362 | $96,984 |
| Crawford County | $181,996 | +3.5% | — | $72,382 | $96,607 |
| Delta County | $208,169 | +9.0% | — | $74,319 | $101,275 |
| Dickinson County | $184,845 | +3.9% | — | $76,883 | $102,093 |
| Eaton County | $264,236 | +3.1% | $1,330 | $97,148 | $95,277 |
| Emmet County | $449,641 | +9.2% | $1,623 | $90,337 | $98,918 |
| Genesee County | $199,854 | +5.3% | $1,060 | $77,948 | $90,879 |
| Gladwin County | $193,338 | +12.8% | — | $72,443 | $100,822 |
| Gogebic County | $132,665 | +5.7% | — | $67,963 | $105,866 |
| Grand Traverse County | $423,242 | +2.1% | $1,905 | $98,192 | $105,715 |
| Gratiot County | $186,078 | +8.2% | — | $72,416 | $92,375 |
| Hillsdale County | $216,492 | +6.9% | $1,375 | $74,697 | $92,239 |
| Houghton County | $197,278 | +7.3% | $1,526 | $81,611 | $104,675 |
| Huron County | $201,985 | +4.9% | — | $75,121 | $93,866 |
| Ingham County | $229,949 | +2.9% | $1,273 | $90,839 | $92,310 |
| Ionia County | $269,153 | +6.9% | $1,321 | $85,030 | $92,924 |
| Iosco County | $173,597 | +5.0% | — | $62,641 | $96,970 |
| Iron County | $155,291 | +12.1% | — | $71,110 | $104,456 |
| Isabella County | $234,262 | +7.5% | $1,063 | $75,757 | $93,040 |
| Jackson County | $228,996 | +3.2% | $1,102 | $83,211 | $92,296 |
| Kalamazoo County | $281,466 | +4.2% | $1,264 | $94,038 | $97,057 |
| Kalkaska County | $234,028 | −1.5% | — | $76,698 | $100,334 |
| Kent County | $359,960 | +4.2% | $1,622 | $99,116 | $102,445 |
| Keweenaw County | $228,871 | +13.0% | — | $83,375 | $108,758 |
| Lake County | $168,769 | +9.5% | — | $59,133 | $98,865 |
| Lapeer County | $302,461 | +4.6% | $1,349 | $87,850 | $97,535 |
| Leelanau County | $656,811 | +1.4% | — | $108,500 | $122,103 |
| Lenawee County | $247,943 | +5.6% | $1,065 | $79,965 | $97,098 |
| Livingston County | $407,859 | +2.7% | $2,038 | $119,608 | $112,538 |
| Luce County | $133,806 | +4.5% | — | $71,357 | $103,419 |
| Mackinac County | $245,445 | +7.2% | — | $73,424 | $98,793 |
| Macomb County | $274,296 | +2.0% | $1,410 | $95,185 | $103,990 |
| Manistee County | $267,333 | +10.5% | — | $77,229 | $99,156 |
| Marquette County | $264,691 | +9.2% | $1,139 | $84,981 | $111,979 |
| Mason County | $276,738 | +7.7% | — | $80,150 | $96,427 |
| Mecosta County | $236,997 | +7.5% | $1,141 | $71,781 | $94,439 |
| Menominee County | $188,303 | +5.5% | — | $76,813 | $103,149 |
| Midland County | $252,902 | +8.0% | $1,397 | $98,138 | $103,126 |
| Missaukee County | $233,021 | +8.4% | — | $73,280 | $96,474 |
| Monroe County | $275,028 | +6.4% | $1,227 | $94,188 | $98,123 |
| Montcalm County | $243,783 | +7.1% | $1,517 | $73,734 | $91,371 |
| Montmorency County | $185,078 | +3.0% | — | $63,625 | $99,086 |
| Muskegon County | $259,414 | +4.7% | $1,324 | $77,036 | $96,448 |
| Newaygo County | $260,649 | +8.4% | $1,244 | $73,515 | $96,334 |
| Oakland County | $373,377 | +2.6% | $1,736 | $125,653 | $109,135 |
| Oceana County | $259,672 | +7.5% | — | $73,623 | $98,599 |
| Ogemaw County | $185,285 | +6.4% | — | $66,533 | $93,380 |
| Ontonagon County | $137,917 | +10.7% | — | $67,361 | $106,618 |
| Osceola County | $205,949 | +7.1% | — | $69,272 | $97,308 |
| Oscoda County | $150,052 | +3.4% | — | $61,003 | $93,142 |
| Otsego County | $263,714 | +3.8% | — | $83,786 | $96,777 |
| Ottawa County | $400,203 | +4.6% | $1,704 | $105,595 | $105,502 |
| Presque Isle County | $227,299 | +11.7% | — | $72,336 | $97,826 |
| Roscommon County | $194,512 | +1.8% | — | $68,542 | $92,979 |
| Saginaw County | $177,213 | +6.4% | $1,134 | $74,989 | $93,753 |
| Sanilac County | $211,906 | +2.3% | — | $73,268 | $95,428 |
| Schoolcraft County | $202,504 | +10.0% | — | $72,702 | $103,909 |
| Shiawassee County | $217,763 | +4.6% | $1,021 | $81,933 | $94,139 |
| St. Clair County | $264,197 | +4.3% | $1,016 | $85,166 | $99,769 |
| St. Joseph County | $224,570 | +4.8% | — | $77,814 | $92,687 |
| Tuscola County | $193,402 | +6.3% | — | $74,989 | $95,489 |
| Van Buren County | $280,650 | +3.3% | $1,566 | $82,727 | $99,341 |
| Washtenaw County | $423,247 | +2.5% | $2,015 | $122,207 | $122,946 |
| Wayne County | $179,490 | +1.4% | $1,433 | $77,887 | $98,645 |
| Wexford County | $235,132 | +4.0% | — | $77,740 | $96,511 |
A dash means the source publishes no figure for that county. Home values and rents are Zillow's own county figures only; counties Zillow does not cover are left blank rather than filled with a state average.
Detroit, MI (typical rent $1,531), Grand Rapids, MI (typical rent $1,628).
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Run the numbersTake-home pay in Michigan · What a salary is worth in Michigan · How much rent you can afford · What a car costs in Michigan
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County figures are medians across Michigan's counties, each counting once, so they describe the spread of places rather than of people. Property tax and insurance vary widely; the calculators let you use your own.