Michigan Cities Largely Predicted to Grow in Next 50 Years Outpacing Much of America

We hope you're ready to gain some new neighbors. When asked to predict Michigan was largely seen as a region on the grow. This may be somewhat surprisingly given decades of decline, particularly in the cites of the Rust Belt, that Michigan has faced. But climate concerns as well as shifts in other regions of the country could spur a population increase in the Great Lakes region in general and Michigan in particular.

The question came up on the Geography subreddit of Reddit asking which American cities will grow and shrink over the next half-century.

Many pointed to climate change making cities like Miami, New Orleans and Phoenix being less desirable while winters could moderate in the Great Lakes and the region's water remains abundant.

READ MORE: This Hungry Michigan City Has Nearly Devoured All of Its Suburbs

My hometown of Grand Rapids is growing quite rapidly and I can see that trend continue. Cost of living is reasonable, quality of life is pretty good, and while climate change is gonna suck for a lot of places it will moderate the harsh winters.

Also, when the water wars start we will rule you all as gods.

Others look at skyrocketing real estate prices and contrast that with the availability of cheap property in cities like Flint and Detroit in urban Michigan. While in rural Michigan like the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower, there remains lots of open space not yet developed.

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This prediction really sums it up for the state:

Michigan - specifically Detroit, Grand Rapids and Traverse City are going to explode. Similarly to how Milwaukee and Chicago will also continue to blow up even more. The Great Lakes are going to be the most important bodies of water, not just in the country but probably the world in the next 30 or so years. Detroit is already seeing a net population increase, Traverse is becoming an actual city and not just a vacation town and Grand Rapids is also developing rapidly. It’s going to be wild. Don’t sleep on it

Several years ago, a magazine predicted Michigan's Sault Ste Marie as the best city in America in 2100.

It's interesting to think of our state as perhaps the hottest growth region but that may just be the case. And it's worth remembering this is a random question of Reddit users and not any kind of official study or governmental or institutional forecast, so take it for what's it's worth. But it may just behoove you to make whatever investments in Michigan you can now because who knows what the future may bring.