Are Toll Roads Coming to Michigan?

Michigan's roads are always being fixed, because, well, we live in the kind of climate that rips up the road infrastructure. So, are toll roads in the future of Michigan?

It's possible. Lawmakers in Lansing are discusses a new report that says making Michigan highways to toll roads could help our road issues.

The Michigan Department of Transportation, HNTB, a Missouri-based engineering firm, and CDM Smith, a Boston-based engineering firm, put together this research. They looked at all 31 highways in Michigan. Of those, the report states that 14 could become toll roads. It's not a popular idea. But, it's an idea. The report suggests that Michigan could collection $1 billion a year to help the roads by local charging drivers tolls. Those tolls, by the way, would be electric. A sign would show drivers what they are going to be charged. Cameras would be used to snap a picture of your license plate, and you would get an invoice later on.

According to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office, the are looking at the findings and “committed to continue fixing the damn roads and bridges." I honestly don't think this idea will get far, but time will tell.

If you're wondering which cities in Michigan have residents with the lowest median household income, we have the tally for you. This list just goes to show how the cost of living varies greatly throughout Michigan- and, of course, the same is true of the U.S. After all, Michigan is diverse demographically, so it's to be expected that some areas of the state have a higher cost of living than others.

The staff at Zip Atlas has published a fresh list of the median household incomes across Michigan using a variety of data. The site offers a “structured collection of zip code, area code, city and state demographic, social and economic profiles,” according to their official website. They add, “Here you will find employment and unemployment rates, industry statistics, household and personal income reports, property value assessment, housing unit occupancy and vacancy breakdown, mortgage and rent analysis, age, gender, ancestry and racial profiles, education attainment levels and school enrolment among many others.”

If you're wondering, according to the study, none of the 10 cities in the U.S. with the highest median household income are in Michigan. No. 1 is Short hills, New Jersey, at $185,466, followed by Purchase, New York and Villa Maria, Pennsylvania. Michigan didn't even make the top 100 cities in the U.S. when it came to highest median household income. As for the lowest median household income, Michigan starts at $11,667 and goes up from there.

So, which Michigan cities have the lowest median household incomes? View the list of cities below, and see if your city made the cut. For more information, visit the Zip Atlas website here. Note that some of these are college towns, so that factors into the median household income. In reality, the non-students in those cities likely have a higher median household income.

Source: ZipAtlas.com

$11,667.00

$14,375.00

$16,576.50

$17,105.00

$17,917.00

$18,750.00

$19,375.00

$19,716.00

$20,833.00

$21,250.00

$21,250.00

$21,500.00

$21,659.00

$22,109.00

$22,608.00

$22,717.00

$23,125.00

$23,194.00

$23,444.00

$23,750.00

$23,750.00

$23,854.00

$23,889.00

$24,000.00

$24,125.00

$24,125.00

$25,139.00

$25,417.00

$25,711.00

$25,777.00

$25,962.00

$25,968.00

$26,150.00

$26,233.00

$26,250.00

$26,250.00

$26,250.00

$26,265.00

$26,361.00

$26,429.00

$26,477.00

$26,478.00

$26,667.00

$26,771.00

$26,773.00

$26,773.00

$26,782.00

$26,973.92

$27,019.00