Ranked · Pick an HQ · Michigan
Best cities to put your HQ in Michigan
Cities of 25,000+ residents, scored with the “Pick an HQ” weighting the live tool uses, heaviest on bachelor's degree or higher, avg. weekly wage, corporate income tax, state & local income tax. Scores are relative to this set; open the tool to change the weights and re-rank.
1.Allendale, MI27k residents
65/100bachelor's degree or higher: 42.6% · avg. weekly wage: $1,184/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
2.Grand Rapids, MI199k residents
62/100bachelor's degree or higher: 41.6% · avg. weekly wage: $1,246/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
3.Forest Hills, MI29k residents
62/100bachelor's degree or higher: 70.9% · avg. weekly wage: $1,362/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
4.Ann Arbor, MI122k residents
61/100bachelor's degree or higher: 77.9% · avg. weekly wage: $1,476/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
5.Farmington Hills, MI84k residents
61/100bachelor's degree or higher: 57.6% · avg. weekly wage: $1,362/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
6.Wyoming, MI77k residents
61/100bachelor's degree or higher: 25.5% · avg. weekly wage: $1,246/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
7.Holland, MI34k residents
61/100bachelor's degree or higher: 35.8% · avg. weekly wage: $1,184/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
8.Rochester Hills, MI77k residents
59/100bachelor's degree or higher: 61.4% · avg. weekly wage: $1,362/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
9.Kentwood, MI54k residents
59/100bachelor's degree or higher: 36.7% · avg. weekly wage: $1,362/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
10.East Lansing, MI46k residents
59/100bachelor's degree or higher: 66.6% · avg. weekly wage: $1,366/wk · corporate income tax: 6%
Methodology: each city is scored 0–100 by min–max normalizing every weighted facet across this candidate set (direction-aware), identical math to the tool's “Best fit” tab. A different weighting produces a different order, which is the point: this is a starting shortlist, not a verdict.
- Which city is best to put your HQ in Michigan?
- Allendale, MI ranks first with a fit score of 65/100, followed by Grand Rapids (62) and Forest Hills (62), using the "Pick an HQ" weighting.
- How is this ranking calculated?
- Each of the 10 candidate cities (25,000+ residents) is scored 0 to 100 by min-max normalizing the weighted facets, heaviest on bachelor's degree or higher, avg. weekly wage, corporate income tax, state & local income tax, across this set. Change the weights in the live tool and the order changes with them.