See If You Make the Michigan Living Wage

Perhaps once in a while you've wondered if you make a living wage. That number has been going up for quite a while now. So, maybe you're wondering if what you make is still considered a living wage, amid inflation. Now, you can see if you make the current Michigan living wage.

Livingwage.mit.edu has a current tally of the living wage in every state and even many cities. So, what is a living wage? "The living wage shown is the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support his or herself and their family," they explain. "The assumption is the sole provider is working full-time (2080 hours per year)." Their stats also include information for households where two adults are working, as well as for people without children and with children. It's not surprising that the living wage for people with children is much higher than those without. Their stats also include the current state minimum wage, so you can see how it stacks up to the living wage. Also, note that this study uses hourly wages, not annual salaries.

Let's get to the Michigan living wage. Right now, according to Livingwage.mit.edu, the living wage for someone with no children is $16.27. If you have one child, that goes up to $36.81. If you have two children, that raises to $50.92. For three children, it's $68.59. Also, if you have two adults with only one working, the living wage is $26.04 with no children.

Now, let's get to the poverty wage in Michigan. Here, for a single person, the poverty wage is $6.53 with no children, $8.80 with one child, $11.07 with two children and $13.34 with three children. As for the state minimum wage, it's currently $10.10. That means, according to these numbers, if someone is working a full-time, 40-hour-per-week job at minimum wage, they are under the living wage. Find more on Michigan and its living wage here.

Wealthy areas are the kind of places where you’ll find beautiful homes, well-manicured streets, and a sense of luxury in the air. Along with the stunning residences, these areas offer top-notch services like private schools, exclusive clubs, and upscale shopping centers. Safety is a priority too, with gated communities, private security, and advanced security systems ensuring peace of mind. Of course, you can’t forget about wealthy areas flooded with well-kept parks, golf courses, and country clubs. But what is the wealthiest county in Michigan?

A recent study by SmartAsset shows the wealthiest counties in the U.S. To figure out which counties are rolling in the dough, they looked at investment income, property value, and how much cash each person is raking in on average.

"We started the analysis by calculating the Investment Index for each county by evenly weighing the Ordinary Dividends, Qualified Dividends, and Net Capital Gains. From there, we calculated the Median Home Value and the Per Capita Income for each county, and ranked them on all three metrics," SmartAsset wrote.

The study revealed that Leelanau County, nestled near Traverse City and known for its wineries along the Lake Michigan coast, takes the crown as Michigan's wealthiest county. With its picturesque Leelanau Peninsula and a population of approximately 23,000, this small northern Michigan county has the highest per-capita wealth in the state. Nationally, Leelanau County had an overall rank of 266.

When it comes to the richest counties in the nation, California counties consistently find themselves at the top of the ranking. San Mateo County, San Francisco County, Santa Clara County, and Marin County all secured spots in the top five richest counties in the United States. However, breaking California's streak, Nantucket County in Massachusetts claimed the fifth spot on the ranking.

Check out the full study here. And take a look below to see which counties in Michigan are the wealthiest.

Median Income: $69, 393
Investment Income: $47, 522
Median Home Value: $373, 836
National Rank: 497

Median Income: $86, 275
Investment Income: $48, 897
Median Home Value: $334, 448
National Rank: 310

Median Income: $88, 908
Investment Income: $25, 044
Median Home Value: $362, 766
National Rank: 287

Median Income: $79, 198
Investment Income: $44, 796
Median Home Value: $373, 627
National Rank: 271

Median Income: $72, 709
Investment Income: $56, 192
Median Home Value: $509, 272
National Rank: 266