Living in Ann Arbor, MI
College town in Michigan
Ann Arbor is a college town in Michigan, home to about 121,000 people, with 1.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
In short: A walkable university town with strong schools and a lively downtown. Long winters.
Is Ann Arbor a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 5 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Low natural disaster risk: 3 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Mild summers: highs around 82°F
- Dog-friendly: 11 dog parks within 9 mi
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Ann Arbor ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Ann Arbor: common questions
What is the cost of living in Ann Arbor?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $471k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,990 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 101, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Ann Arbor?
Michigan collects about $1,246 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.66% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Ann Arbor safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 82°F, with roughly 59″ of snow a year.
Does Ann Arbor get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and cold waves: 3 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.5 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Ann Arbor?
The nearest major airport is DTW, about 20 mi away.
How Ann Arbor scores
Each bar compares Ann Arbor with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Ann Arbor
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 23 aspects.
Nearby
See all the best places to live in Michigan.
Is Ann Arbor right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.