Moving to Kentucky from Michigan
What to Expect
Considering a move from Michigan to Kentucky? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Michigan to Kentucky, you would find that Kentucky is 0.4% cheaper than Michigan. A $75,000 salary in Michigan would need to be roughly $73,235 in Kentucky to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bowling Green averages 69°F vs 58°F in Lansing, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Michigan and Kentucky.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,235
To maintain the same standard of living in Kentucky
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 3.4% less
Groceries
pay 2.2% less
Transportation
pay 7.3% less
Housing
pay 3.0% less
Childcare
pay 13.7% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.7% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Kentucky compared to Michigan.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
Michigan performs better than Kentucky across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky generally does better on what about housing?, though Michigan leads in homeownership rate.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Michigan generally does better on infrastructure, though Kentucky leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
Michigan generally does better on employment & economy, though Kentucky leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Michigan performs better than Kentucky across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lansing | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/21°F (2°/-6°C) | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/48°F (20°/9°C) | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 79°/57°F (26°/14°C) | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 47°/32°F (9°/0°C) | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lansing | Bowling Green |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/17°F (-0.8°/-8.3°C) | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) |
| Feb | 34°/19°F (0.9°/-7.4°C) | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) |
| Mar | 44°/27°F (6.7°/-2.8°C) | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 58°/38°F (14.2°/3.3°C) | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) |
| May | 69°/48°F (20.5°/8.9°C) | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C) | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.2°C) | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) |
| Aug | 81°/60°F (27.0°/15.5°C) | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) |
| Sep | 74°/51°F (23.1°/10.8°C) | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) |
| Oct | 60°/41°F (15.8°/5.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) |
| Nov | 47°/33°F (8.6°/0.5°C) | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) |
| Dec | 35°/22°F (1.6°/-5.3°C) | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than Michigan?
Kentucky and Michigan are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Kentucky?
Budget about $18,309 for 3 months in Kentucky (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Kentucky safe?
Kentucky performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Kentucky compared to Michigan?
Michigan performs better than Kentucky across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to Michigan?
The average high temperature in Bowling Green is 69°F, compared to 58°F in Lansing. Bowling Green receives around 49.9 in of rainfall per year, while Lansing gets 32.2 in.
