Does This Michigan City Really Have the Worst Quality of Life in the Nation?

A new study ranking the quality of life in 500 major American cities says the worst two are in Michigan, but it's not all doom and gloom for the Mitten State.

Lawnstarter just released its list of "2025’s Leading Cities for Quality of Life", and if you scroll... scroll... scroll to the bottom of the list, that's where you'll find Detroit, narrowly ranking better than Flint.

Before you dismiss this study as just another one dogging Michigan, let's dig in and see what factors were considered that led to those dismal rankings.

What the Study Considered

Lawnstarter evaluated the 500 biggest cities in America regarding safety, education, access to healthcare, and 10 other metrics.

Why Flint and Detroit Ranked Poorly

Flint ranked dead last for economic stability and physical health. The city ranked second worst for housing and infrastructure, and among the 10 worst for mental health.

Detroit didn't fare much better, coming in second last overall. It's America's worst city for housing and infrastructure, according to Lawnstarter. Detroit came in second worst for economic stability, and ranked among the nation's bottom 10 when it comes to safety and mental health.

READ MORE: These Are the 9 Safest Small Cities in Michigan

The study wasn't all bad news for Flint and Detroit, however. It places Flint among the 200 best cities in the United States for healthcare access (#186), and in the top half (#220) for air and water quality — rather remarkable, considering the work that's been done over the last 10 years to mitigate the Flint Water Crisis. Detroit showed up at #175 among the 500 cities in the study for social and personal freedoms.

Michigan Cities That Shined

A total of 15 Michigan cities made appearances in Lawnstarter's quality of life study. Some shining revelations:

• Four cities among the 100 with best quality of life in the U.S.: Rochester (#32), Troy (#62), Ann Arbor (#74), and Farmington Hills (#82);
• Rochester ranks 9th in the nation for safety and 10th for recreational facilities;
• Michigan has three of the nation's best 20 cities for housing and infrastructure: Troy (#15), Southfield (#17), and Farmington Hills (#18), with another seven Michigan cities making the Top 100;
• Ann Arbor comes in 12th for education; and
• Lansing is 20th in the country for air and water quality.

Full Rankings and Methodology

The full study, including rankings and methodology, can be found here.

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