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Residential comparison · 13 facts

Muskegon, MI vs Norton Shores, MI

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Muskegon needs about $90,000 in Norton Shores to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Norton Shores, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Muskegon.

A few differences

Muskegon vs Norton Shores · facet by facet
FacetMuskegon, MINorton Shores, MI
Median home price$142,300$234,800
2-bedroom rent$1,084/mo$1,366/mo
Property tax rate1.35%1.35%
State & local income tax5.25%5.25%
Sales tax6%6%
Cost of living index7988
Groceries index9595
Utilities$175/mo$175/mo
Median household income$44,735$76,579
Unemployment rate4.1%4.1%
Crime index45/10045/100
School rating5.3/105.3/10
Sunny days / year175 days175 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Muskegon, MI · Norton Shores, MI
Questions & answers
Is Muskegon cheaper than Norton Shores?
Muskegon has the lower day-to-day cost index (79 vs 88 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Norton Shores equals $85,000 in Muskegon?
A household earning $85,000 in Muskegon needs about $90,000 in Norton Shores to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Norton Shores lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Muskegon.