Places › Michigan › Burton

Living in Burton, MI

Small city in Michigan

Burton is a small city in Michigan, home to about 30,000 people, with 369,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses with yards.

Is Burton a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $183k and rents for $1,270 a month
  • Mild summers: highs around 81°F
  • Low natural disaster risk: 1 federally declared disaster since 2000
  • Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi

👎 Cons

  • Weaker public schools: test results well below the US average
  • Cloudier than most places
  • Fewer graduates: 16% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Burton ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
30,000
369,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
34°F / 81°F
Average daily highs · 52″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$183k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,270/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
93
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$1,246
State income tax per resident · 1.71% property tax
Safety
1.3× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
1 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, tornadoes
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Poor
Tests well below US average · 17 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
16%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
DTW
56 mi away

Living in Burton: common questions

What is the cost of living in Burton?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $183k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,270 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Burton?

Michigan collects about $1,246 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.71% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Burton safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.3× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Burton?

Public schools in Burton test well below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 17 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Burton?

Burton has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 52″ of snow a year.

Does Burton get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and cold waves: 1 federally declared disaster has hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.77 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Burton?

The nearest major airport is DTW, about 56 mi away.

How Burton scores

Each bar compares Burton with the other 1,990 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).

🏙️City sizeSmall city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateLong, snowy winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingHouses with yards ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketBelow average
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsPoor
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyAverage
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsAverage
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersExcellent
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportGood

Places like Burton

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Saginaw, MISmall city47 $155k$1,440/moVery safe Pekin, ILSmall city45 $153k$1,350/moSafe Bay City, MISmall city48 $130k$1,400/moModerate crime Battle Creek, MISmall city48 $201k$1,410/moHigher crime Beloit, WISmall city55 $222k$1,600/moVery safe Chili, NYSuburb52 $216k$1,900/moNo crime data

Nearby

Flint, MISmall city · 4 mi away48 $70k$1,270/moModerate crime Grand Blanc, MISmall city · 6 mi away60 $269k$1,270/moVery safe Independence, MISuburb · 21 mi away70 $410k$1,720/moVery safe White Lake, MISuburb · 25 mi away69 $376k$1,720/moVery safe Orion, MISuburb · 25 mi away69 $350k$1,720/moVery safe Waterford, MISuburb · 26 mi away67 $283k$1,720/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in Michigan.

Is Burton right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.