Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Michigan instead of Pennsylvania, you would:
Health
live 0.8 years less
In Pennsylvania, the average life expectancy is 77 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Michigan, that number is 76 years (76 years for men, 80 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 29.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Pennsylvania, 3.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Michigan, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.
be 12.4% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Pennsylvania, 11.3% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Michigan, however, that number is 12.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 71.4% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Pennsylvania has a violent crime rate of 264 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 453 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 2.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in Pennsylvania takes 26.6 minutes as of 2023. In Michigan, it takes 24.4 minutes as of 2023.
be 10.9% less likely to be uninsured
In Pennsylvania, 5.5% 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 38.9% less densely populated
Pennsylvania has a population density of 112.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In Michigan, that number is 68.5 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 24.7% more likely to be food insecure
In Pennsylvania, 9.3% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Michigan, that number is 11.6% as of 2021.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2020–2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
