Which metro areas in Michigan are people moving to?
Traverse City, MI (6.3 per 1,000 residents), Lansing-East Lansing, MI (1.8 per 1,000 residents) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI (0.7 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Michigan metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 5 ranked Michigan metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Traverse City, MI | 6.3 | +987 | 156,972 |
| 2 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 1.8 | +846 | 479,722 |
| 3 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 0.7 | +812 | 1,183,645 |
| 4 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | −1.3 | −5,850 | 4,390,913 |
| 5 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | −2.6 | −828 | 324,538 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Michigan gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Traverse City, MI: 6.3 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Lansing-East Lansing, MI (1.8 per 1,000 residents) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI (0.7 per 1,000 residents), of 5 Michigan metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.