10 Worst Places in Michigan for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
It’s possible for a couple to retire to Michigan on just Social Security checks. Just watch out for those Detroit suburbs.
Of the 10 places on GOBankingRates’ worst Michigan destinations for couples living on Social Security, six are located within 25 miles of the Motor City. The other four are within an hour’s drive, depending on traffic. To find values in the Great Lake State, you’ll probably have to look elsewhere.
See: 10 Things Boomers Should Consider Selling in Retirement
Find: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement
There are reasons to look, as Michigan does have an upside for retirees. It includes:
Reasonable housing costs, on balance: Earlier this year, Realtor.com listed Michigan among its lowest-priced housing destinations in the country, with a median home costing less than $270,000.
The great outdoors: Michigan is filled with lakes, forests, gorgeous scenery and outdoor recreation opportunities galore.
Distinct seasons and relatively mild summers: Summers are pleasant in many parts of the state. But be ready for cold, snowy winters.
The average Social Security benefit for a couple these days is about $3,580 a month, according to the Social Security Administration. If you’re on a budget that tight, here are 10 destinations in Michigan you should probably avoid in reverse order from No. 10 to No. 1. You can check out our full methodology at the bottom of the list.
10. Orion
Average rent: $1,766.98
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,506.99
Livability score: 79
There are nice things about Orion, a township found 40 miles northwest of Detroit. But Orion’s combination of a so-so livability score and relatively high cost of living make it our 10th worst place to retire in Michigan if you’re living off Social Security alone. On the positive side, the township includes the Bald Mountain Recreation Area and more than 50 miles of trails.
9. Romulus
Average rent: $1,178.13
Average total monthly cost of living: $2,971.33
Livability score: 60
With the lowest average monthly rent and total cost of living in our top 10, Romulus is affordable. Its livability score comes in at just 60, however — also a list-low. This Detroit suburb is home to about 25,000 residents and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The community maintains six parks, an athletic center and a senior services center.
More: 7 Places to Retire in the Midwest That Are Just Like the Coasts But Cheaper
8. Grand Blanc
Average rent: $1,964.86
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,661.69
Livability score: 80
With an average monthly rent near $2,000 and total cost of living topping $3,600, Grand Blanc could financially challenge many retired couples living on just Social Security. Both figures are the highest in our top 10, and utilities costs (about $356 a month) also top the list. A suburb of Flint located about 70 miles northwest of Detroit, Grand Blanc does have the highest livability score on our list at 80.
7. Livonia
Average rent: $1,833.75
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,598.54
Livability score: 75
Living in Livonia — another Detroit suburb — will stretch most budgets of couples counting on Social Security alone. Livonia does have the highest percentage of residents age 65+ in our top 10, with about 21 percent of its 95,000 or so residents hitting that mark. A retired couple can expect to pay about $388 a month for groceries here.
6. Troy
Average rent: $1,879.51
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,617.72
Livability score: 77
Troy is another Detroit suburb on the far edge of affordability for Social Security-only couples, with a total cost of living topping $3,600 a month. Monthly grocery costs are about $403, the highest in our top 10. The city does boast the Sommerset Collection and Oakland malls, numerous neighborhood and community parks, and the 1880s-themed Troy Historic Village.
5. Inkster
Average rent: $1,294.94
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,118.24
Livability score: 66
You’ll find Inkster about 20 miles southwest of Detroit. It’s more affordable than many of the cities on our list, but its livability score of 66 is among the lowest. Inkster is home to about 26,000 residents, about 10.5 percent of whom are age 65 and older. Groceries here will cost a retired couple only about $357 a month.
4. Howell
Average rent: $1,764.00
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,547.64
Livability score: 76
Howell boasts that “Every Day is an Event!” for its residents and visitors. Located about an hour northwest of Detroit, this city of about 10,000 comes in at 76 on livability. Grocery and utility costs for retired couples in Howell are among the highest on our list. Howell does offer a Sunday farmers’ market and numerous festivals throughout the year.
3. Dearborn
Average rent: $1,709.26
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,556.09
Livability score: 77
Dearborn is home to the headquarters of the Ford Motor Company, as well as roughly 108,000 residents. Its combined cost for groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare is around $1,847 a month for retired couples, the highest in our list. Attractions include the Henry Ford Museum, the Arab American Museum, and the Automotive Hall of Fame.
2. Rochester
Average rent: $1,762.14
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,525.17
Livability score: 74
Downtown Rochester touts itself as a “perfect mix of historic and hip,” with hundreds of shops, salons, restaurants and other businesses that are 85 percent locally owned. But the city of about 13,000 — located about 20 miles north of Detroit — scores a 74 and livability and may be hard to afford for some cost-conscious retirees. A month’s worth of groceries will run a retired couple about $400 in Rochester, with utilities costing about $350.
1. Temperance
Average rent: $1,903.93
Average total monthly cost of living: $3,645.74
Livability score: 67
Sperling’s Best Places gives Temperance a livability score of just 67 and it may be too expensive for Social Security-only budgets. This unincorporated community is located in Michigan’s southeast corner, just north of the Ohio border and about 8 miles north of Toledo. It does offer the Bedford Hills Golf Club and easy access to Lake Erie. About 1 in 5 of Temperance’s roughly 9,000 residents are 65 or older.
Methodology: To find the worst places in Michigan for a couple to live on only Social Security benefits, GOBankingRates gathered populations for cities in Michigan (overall and 65+) through the US Census American Consumer Survey. For each city, GOBankingRates checked cost-of-living indexes from Sperling’s Best Places across multiple expenditure categories including groceries, healthcare, utilities, transportation and miscellaneous. Monthly rental costs were sourced from the Zillow Observed Rental Index. National average expenditure costs were sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey. Livability scores were sourced from AreaVibes, and the average monthly Social Security benefits were sourced from the Social Security Administration. The cost-of-living indexes for each city were multiplied by the national average expenditure cost to find the average expenditure costs for each city. The expenditure costs for each city were added to the average rental cost to find the total monthly cost needed to live in each city. The average Social Security benefits were doubled to find the average needed for a couple, and all cities above the average monthly Social Security benefits were removed. The total population was scored and weighted at 0.75, the percent of the population 65 and over was scored and weighted at 0.75, the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.50, the rental cost was scored and weighted at 1, the expenditure cost was scored and weighted at 1, and the total monthly cost was scored and weighted at 1.25. All the scores were added together and sorted to show the worst places in Michigan for a couple to live on only a Social Security check. All data was collected and is up to date as of November 9th, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 10 Worst Places in Michigan for a Couple To Live on Only a Social Security Check
