What it's like to live in Midland
Midland is a small city in Michigan with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Midland deals with cold winters, snowy winters, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 49" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Midland compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Midland
Based on Midland's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,096
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,920 a year
- 48% of Midland renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$40,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,390
- Homes cost 2.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 26% below US
$1,048/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,048 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $203,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $203,900 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 62% below US
126 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 500/100k · Midland Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 24% above US
45% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Bottom line
Midland's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,048/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Midland
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