Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Michigan instead of North Carolina, you would:
Economy
be 41.2% more likely to be unemployed
In North Carolina, 3.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Michigan, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
Safety
be 23.3% less likely to be a victim of property crime
North Carolina has a property crime rate of 1,998 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 1,533 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 19.6% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
North Carolina has a violent crime rate of 379 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 453 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 16.1% less for a home
The median home value in North Carolina is $259,400 as of 2023, compared to $217,600 in Michigan as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 49.0% less likely to be uninsured
In North Carolina, 9.6% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 4.9% as of 2023.
live in an area that is 20.5% less densely populated
North Carolina has a population density of 86.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 68.5 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.4% more likely to smoke
In North Carolina, 14.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Michigan, that number is 17.0% as of 2022.
be 35.4% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In North Carolina, 4.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 3.1% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), OECD Regional Demography (2023). How we calculate this
