Want to live and work in Michigan?

Michigan has a below-average national cost of living. In Detroit, a one-bedroom apartment in good neighborhoods (Midtown, Corktown, Downtown) rents for $900 to $1,500. In Grand Rapids, $1,000 to $1,500. In Ann Arbor, more expensive because of the university: $1,500 to $2,000. In smaller cities, $700 to $1,100.

Groceries and restaurant meals are below the American average. A meal at a casual restaurant runs $12 to $18. Gas is cheaper than in coastal states. Energy is reasonable, though winter heating adds to the budget.

Salaries reflect the cost. Professionals in automotive engineering, healthcare, technology, and industry are well paid. Families with a combined income of $80,000 can live very comfortably in Grand Rapids or Detroit's suburbs. In Ann Arbor, $100,000 is a good family income.

The automotive industry is the historic pillar. Ford (headquartered in Dearborn), General Motors (headquartered in Detroit), and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler, in Auburn Hills) employ tens of thousands directly, and hundreds of thousands through suppliers (Magna, Lear, Adient, BorgWarner). Automotive engineers, designers, mechanics, and line operators are common positions.

Healthcare is the second-largest sector, with hospitals like Henry Ford Health (Detroit), Beaumont Health, Spectrum Health (Grand Rapids), and University of Michigan Hospitals (Ann Arbor) employing many people. The University of Michigan, Michigan State, and Wayne State are also major employers. In Grand Rapids, Steelcase and Herman Miller (office furniture) are long-established.

Technology is growing in Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, with companies like Rocket Companies (Quicken Loans, headquartered in Detroit, which gave new life to the downtown). Electric vehicle and autonomy engineering is gaining strength with Ford and GM investments, and new players like Rivian. The Arab community in Dearborn has many of its own businesses in food, retail, and services.

The US has no universal public system. In Michigan, those in formal employment receive an employer-provided plan. Family premiums can exceed $1,200, with the company covering part. Without employment, state marketplace plans (healthcare.gov) with subsidies are available.

Michigan expanded Medicaid (called the Healthy Michigan Plan) in 2014, so low-income families have easier access. Documented immigrants with a green card for more than 5 years may qualify. The best hospitals are University of Michigan Hospitals (Ann Arbor), Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit), Spectrum Health (Grand Rapids), and Beaumont (Detroit suburbs).

Rural areas and the Upper Peninsula have a shortage of specialist doctors. Health indicators in the state are at the national average, with specific problems in Detroit (especially access) and in some industrial areas (historical pollution). For those arriving without insurance, avoid the emergency room: a visit can cost $1,000 to $3,000.

Michigan is the car state par excellence. Even Detroit, the world's car capital, has weak public transit for its size. The DDOT (city bus system) and the QLine (a downtown streetcar) are limited. The People Mover is more of a tourist curiosity than real transportation. A car is necessary for everyday life.

In Grand Rapids, there are reasonable buses (The Rapid) for a mid-sized city. In Ann Arbor, there are good university and municipal buses (AAATA). Throughout the rest of the state, a car is mandatory. Michigan's roads are notorious for potholes due to winter and the freeze-thaw cycle, with maintenance always lagging.

The main airport is Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW), a Delta hub with direct flights to many US cities, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. In Grand Rapids, the Gerald R. Ford Airport (GRR) serves regional flights and some major cities. Lansing and other cities have smaller airports. Amtrak trains connect Detroit to Chicago and Pontiac.

The auto industry is part of the identity. Cities like Detroit and Flint grew with the factories; cars are a source of local pride. The Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS) draws a worldwide audience. Henry Ford is a mythical figure in the state. Detroit's reinvention (after the 2013 bankruptcy) is an important recent narrative: revitalization, new restaurants, street art, startups.

Motown Records was born in Detroit. Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and The Supremes, and The Jackson 5 all started there. Today, Eminem and Kid Rock represent Detroit in rap and rock. The cultural scene is strong in jazz, soul, and techno (Detroit is considered the global birthplace of techno music).

Sports are a passion: the Detroit Tigers (baseball), Pistons (basketball), Lions (football), and Red Wings (hockey). University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State Spartans in college football draw huge crowds. Outdoor life on the lakes: sailing, fishing, beach in summer, skiing and snowmobiling in winter. Mackinac Island is a historic, car-free destination, accessible only by carriage and bicycle.

Michigan is home to about 750,000 people born outside the United States, close to 7% of the population. The Detroit region holds most of them. Sterling Heights and the northern suburbs are home to the largest Iraqi-Chaldean community in the United States, with Chaldean Catholic churches, markets, and bakeries lining Dequindre Road. Dearborn, next to Detroit, has one of the largest Arab concentrations in the country, with a strong Lebanese and Yemeni presence. Mexicans and Central Americans live in southwest Detroit and in Pontiac, and Hamtramck, enclaved within Detroit, has become a Muslim-majority city with a strong Bangladeshi and Yemeni community. Indians cluster in Troy, Novi, and Canton, tied to the auto industry, engineering, and medicine. Ann Arbor, East Lansing, and Kalamazoo host Chinese, Korean, and Iranian university communities.

The Consulate-General of Mexico in Detroit serves the entire state, alongside consulates of Canada, India, and Iraq. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is the leading statewide legal aid organization for immigrants and refugees. ACCESS, in Dearborn, is the largest Arab-American organization in the country and provides health, legal, and educational services. The Chaldean Community Foundation serves Chaldean families in Sterling Heights. Community clinics and public schools offer services in Arabic, Spanish, Bengali, and Swahili across most of the metropolitan area.