So you’re thinking of making the move out of Ohio and coming to the fine state of Michigan? Well, in this video I am going to give you more than enough reasons to do just that, and I promise you it’s better than just drinking Vernors and having Detroit Style Pizzas. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear about the BIGGEST reason to make the move right this second, or today, or maybe tomorrow. Let’s get to it!
This blog is a direct transcript from the video below. This comes in 3 versions: You are able to watch the video, read the blog for your convenience or listen to the audio experience (which is linked under the video below).
I have been getting A LOT of people from Ohio asking me questions about moving to Michigan. So here you go! And to answer your first question, no we don’t need registration for our kayaks (Ohio does).
The U.S Census bureau threw out some data over the last couple years touching on which state most people move from before finding a new home in Michigan, and in 2019 12,261 people moved from Ohio to Michigan. The question that many people may be wondering is WHY? They are similar in a lot of ways, but different enough to make a difference. In the eyes of Thrillist.com, it’s a BIG difference, ranking Michigan the #1 state in the United States and Ohio #48. I thought maybe the author was a Michigan editor, but he’s actually a Chicago editor, so that’s interesting.
Believe it or not, when people from Texas, California or even the nearby states of Indiana and Wisconsin consider making the move out of state to somewhere North, Michigan and Ohio are often spoken of together in conversation. I’m not saying everyone considers the two, but it’s frequent enough to mention in this video..
It’s like throwing a metaphorical dart at the northern part of the U.S dart board and seeing if it sticks. “Crickets” Oh it’s not like that? Okay then.
One of the biggest and most notable reasons to make the move from Ohio to Michigan is the unbeatable scenery. Since the two state’s share similar climates and are both on the Top 10 list for most populated states in the U.S, according to the World Population Review, and even share a similar cost of living, it made sense to touch on scenery.
Michigan is surrounded by nature and breathtaking coastlines, that is ABSOLUTELY no secret. Take one second to look at a map and see that mitten floating around in the water. The state of Michigan has more than 3,200 miles of shoreline. Ohio has about 312 miles of shoreline, which is Lake Erie, one of Michigan’s great lakes if you didn’t know. In Michigan, you’re always within a short driving distance to one of the state's many lakes and ponds. Each city provides its own unique culture and community, and on top of that we have what is honestly a separate state altogether, the upper peninsula, which further expands on the greatness of Michigan Scenery.
The next point I want to touch on is the job markets. In this example, I'll compare Ann Arbor’s job market with Cincinnati's job market (statistically they are pretty similar, so it just makes sense). Taking a look at this graph provided by bestplaces.net, you can see how the current unemployment rate in Ann Arbor is 3.5%, whereas in Cincinnati's it’s 4.9%.
The two statistics that stick out the most are the future job growth and 10 year job growth. In Ann Arbor, there’s about a 9% difference in future job growth and 4% difference in the 10 year job growth. The reason I wanted to focus on longevity is, with the pandemic smacking our economy around, driving prices, shortages, and hesitation with an unknown virus, there’s a little bit of re-settling that needs to happen for lack of a better term.
As far as median household income, Michigan averages just over $59,000, while Ohio is just over $58,000. So they are very similar when it comes to household income and income per capita.
Another notable factor is the cost of living and real estate. And the interesting thing about this is Ohio and Michigan real estate prices are a seesaw in comparison. Meaning, you’ll save money in one area, but spend it in the next, as it depends on the area. Urban Michigan is more expensive than rural Ohio, but urban Ohio is more expensive than rural Michigan. So before you just take a look at one article and decide your fate, really take a second and figure out where you want to go. Just like Ohio, Michigan has a massive range in affordability. Your budget could be just fine in one spot, but 5 miles down the road you’d have to double it.
In terms of averages, Michigan has an average home price of just over $208,000, whereas Ohio is about $205,000. So again, very similar in that regard, and that’s where you want to make sure you acknowledge that seesaw, and understand what areas you can stretch your dollar more than others.
Jumping on over to another reason to make the move to Michigan, and that’s schools. Of course, Ohio has THE Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and Case Western Reserve University, but in Michigan, there’s of course the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Michigan Tech. These universities may seem similar in comparison, but according to the U.S News and World Report, which ranks 268 public and private four-year colleges, Michigan ranked 29th on the list, whereas Ohio was ranked 54th. According to U.S News Top 50 National Public Universities, Michigan ranked 4th and Ohio ranked 18th. Money Magazine also ranked these two states for best value, and put Michigan in at 22nd and Ohio at 144th, and last but not least, Kiplinger.com also created a list for best value and ranked Michigan 6th, while Ohio ranked 26th, according to an article written by Cleveland.com. Granted those rankings were a few years ago, they still hold true today.
Just to create a larger perspective here, I’ll compare U of M to Ohio State university, sorry sorry. THE Ohio State University. According to the U.S Department of Education, U of M’s graduation rate is 10% higher, graduates earn on average over $23,000 more per year, and students of U of M graduate with around $1,400 lower median federal student loan debt.
I know these rankings and statistics aren’t the most entertaining thing in the world, but they are factual and provide valuable insight to each one of these states and their schools. When you’re in the process of finding a school, I’m sure these stats aren’t a priority, and if they are, then give yourself a pat on the back, but the majority of the time it’s about who accepts you, what school has the degree you want, and of course where your friends may or may not be going. If you’re out of school already, then keep this in mind for the next generation.
The last thing I want to touch on is the moving costs. If you’re truly on the fence about making the move to Michigan from Ohio (or any nearby state for that matter), keep in mind the average cost to move is just over $2,600. This would consist of utilizing a moving company, not just renting a U-Haul and doing it all yourself. Of course this amount depends on the number of belongings in your studio apartment vs. your 2,000 square foot home.
In terms of a U-Haul. Let's say you’re moving from Cincinnati to Detroit which is about 260-300 miles depending on the route you take. Renting a 20 foot U-Haul for up to 2 days and 312 miles, you’d pay a total of $302 ($248 for the truck itself and the rest is damage coverage). If you’re wanting to have additional help it would be around $100-$150 an hour for 2 helpers for 3 hours, multiply that by 2 and you have help in both states.
That sums up why you should consider making the move from Ohio to Michigan.
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the rising stars of Michigan real estate agents. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major and currently resides in White Lake, Michigan.