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. 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 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. The numbers behind daily life in Kentucky compared to Michigan. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Kentucky performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics. 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. 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. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Michigan generally does better on infrastructure, though Kentucky leads in average commute. 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. 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: Kentucky and Michigan are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way. 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. Kentucky performs significantly better than Michigan across all safety metrics. Michigan performs better than Kentucky across all health & wellbeing metrics. 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. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
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) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Kentucky than Michigan?
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Is Kentucky safe?
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What's the weather like in Kentucky compared to Michigan?
