This Is The Wealthiest Small Town In MI

MICHIGAN — Wealth can commonly be found in some of the nation's biggest cities, but what about in the small towns?

A new GoBankingRates study that set out to find pockets of wealth in the nation’s quieter communities found that the richest small town in Michigan is Orchard Lake Village. There, the median annual income is $203,750. That's compared to a statewide median income of $69,750 in 2023.

Orchard Lake Village is located on Orchard Lake in Oakland County. It has a population of just a little more than 2,000 and is roughly 27 miles from downtown Detroit. Residents in the small community are surrounded by pristine lakes, woodlands, wetlands and other natural features.

Most homes in the village sell for more than $1 million, including a mansion, which is listed on Realtor for $11 million.

The village also cracked Niche's top 35 for Michigan's best suburb, best place to raise a family and best overall place to live.

For the study, GoBankingRates analyzed income data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. “Small town” was defined as having between 500 and 15,000 households. Data is current as of May 16, 2023. Alaska wasn’t included because it doesn’t have enough data.

The top five wealthiest small towns in the nation are:

• Orinda, California (median income $248, 984)
• Noroton, Connecticut (median income $248,125)
• Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania (median income $247,930)
• University Park, Texas ($247,045)
• Flower Hill, New York ($246,533)

The least affluent of these wealthy small towns are:

• Shelburne, Vermont (median income $96,976)
• Cassville, West Virginia (median income $105,440)
• Inniswold, Louisiana (median income $106,759)
• Hickman, Nebraska (median income $107,604)
• Helena Valley Northeast, Montana (median income $115,833)