Midland cost of living
Prices in the Midland, MI metro area run at 91.9 against a national average of 100, ranking it #246 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 66.7.
What drives the number
Prices in Midland run at 91.9 where the national average is 100, so about 8.1 per cent below the country as a whole. It ranks #246 of 387 metro areas. Against Michigan as a whole it is 4.3 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 66.7 against goods at 93.7 and other services at 95.2, so the overall figure of 91.9 understates how affordable the housing itself is. That combination, ordinary prices with cheap rent, is what people are usually looking for and rarely find. Goods at 93.7 are themselves 6.3 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
A salary here goes further than the same salary somewhere at 100. Divide by 91.9 and multiply by 100 to get the nationally comparable figure, and it will come out higher than the headline.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Midland is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 4,830 | $126,310 | $137,443 | $102,950 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 4,680 | $57,730 | $62,818 | $57,440 |
| Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | 3,650 | $48,170 | $52,416 | $47,510 |
| Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | 3,250 | $51,740 | $56,300 | $57,980 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 2,840 | $80,530 | $87,628 | $78,690 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,820 | $28,330 | $30,827 | $30,480 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 2,420 | $60,680 | $66,028 | $63,760 |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,250 | $31,620 | $34,407 | $34,580 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 91.9.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | 100.9 | 125.3 | #69 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 100.3 | 94.7 | #80 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | 95.5 | 86.6 | #158 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | 95.0 | 83.5 | #168 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | 94.8 | 81.6 | #171 |
| Monroe | 93.5 | 74.6 | #197 |
Midland: common questions
Is Midland expensive?
Prices are 8.1% below the national average, a parity of 91.9 where the country is 100. It ranks #246 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against Michigan as a whole it is 4.3 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Midland?
The median worker there earns $52,320, which buys what $56,931 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 66.7 against goods at 93.7. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.