Living in Kalamazoo, MI
Small city in Michigan
Kalamazoo is a small city in Michigan, home to about 73,000 people, with 288,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Kalamazoo a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $231k and rents for $1,530 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 1 federally declared disaster since 2000
- Mild summers: highs around 81°F
- Easy flying: GRR is 42 mi away
👎 Cons
- Cloudier than most places
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Smaller job market: about 288,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer graduates: 37% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Kalamazoo ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Kalamazoo: common questions
What is the cost of living in Kalamazoo?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $231k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,530 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 95, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Kalamazoo?
Michigan collects about $1,246 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 1.67% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Kalamazoo safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Kalamazoo?
Kalamazoo has long, snowy winters: winter days average around 34°F and summer days around 81°F, with roughly 65″ of snow a year.
Does Kalamazoo get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, tornadoes and hail: 1 federally declared disaster has hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.32 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Kalamazoo?
The nearest major airport is GRR, about 42 mi away.
How Kalamazoo scores
Each bar compares Kalamazoo 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).
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Nearby
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Is Kalamazoo right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.