Living in rural Michigan?

[Silly]

Will somebody tell me what it is like living in rural Michigan?

What would be a good location to still live in a rural area but close enough to town for a trip to the Dr. or Home Depot?

For the Average household what are the energy costs? How much is monthly electricity or propane?

How bad is the snow and how well are the roads cleaned? Do you need a 4 wheel drive to get to town or do they clean the roads off rather fast?

They you have city income taxes? Where is the best county to choose to avoid taxes?

What about the rural people? Are people friendly or paranoid? Lets say you want to walk your dog a mile or two down and back to a stop sign or lake. Are people going to give you hard time? Are drugs a problem?

And then what are home and car insurance costs in Michigan?

Would you consider rural Michigan to be similar to say Keillor's Lake Wobegon?

Thank you.

 

[cowboyec]

i've heard there are some bigfoot hot-spots there.
good area to do some squatchin'.

 

[dsturgeon]

I have never been there, but if you own a boat, I bet you could put it to use.

Is lake Wobegon real? We used to listen to those cassettes in the care when I was small

 

[Silly]

I don't know. Not too afraid of the animals. Except are there bears in Michigan?

I found this neat site that has a lot of the Home Companion broadcasts:

https://www.prairiehome.org/index.html

Really good stuff! I enjoyed the broadcasts on public radio. That was a long time ago.

 

[Tabascocat]

I don't know. Not too afraid of the animals. Except are there bears in Michigan?

I found this neat site that has a lot of the Home Companion broadcasts:

https://www.prairiehome.org/index.html

Really good stuff! I enjoyed the broadcasts on public radio. That was a long time ago.

Black bears but they won’t mess with ya

 

[DFWJC]

Like most states, I'm sure one part is very different than others.
I know the upper peninsula of Michigan is very different than the southern areas---which are basically Indiana.

I have work colleagues from up there. They loved it growing up but did not want to live there year-round.
Many have summer places in the upper peninsula and it's supposedly spectacular.
Not winter though.

 

[Vomit]

Black bears but they won’t mess with ya

This is true. They are fairly docile

Like most states, I'm sure one part is very different than others.
I know the upper peninsula of Michigan is very different than the southern areas---which are basically Indiana.

I have work colleagues from up there. They loved it growing up but did not want to live there year-round.
Many have summer places in the upper peninsula and it's supposedly spectacular.
Not winter though.

So I am a lifer of the Upper Peninsula. It's a great area, except in Winter time. Myself I could do without winter. The older I get the less I like moving snow. My antipathy grew in the last 10 years as I have been caring for three places in the winter.....down to two now.

Where I am at, is considered the "banana belt". Relatively warmer and less snow than further north. I know there are places in the Keweenaw Peninsula that challenge the Rocky Mountains for amount of snow. I can do without it. Winter can be tolerable if a) the sun shines b) we get limited snow and c) it stays above zero. Last winter was mild here, the two prior were awful.

Autumn here is beautiful, summer too. We are having a gloriously warm fall right now. Usually by mid November the clouds descend and clear skies are a rumor until April......that is probably the worst part of our local weather,

Lots of trees & wildlife and water. Politically its pretty red up here.....everybody owns at least one firearm so there is that. Most folks are friendly, and its a pretty good place to raise kids.

But there is definitely a redneck element that I really dislike, so I am fine with the social distancing for the foreseeable future.

Any other questions, post 'em, and I will try & answer them.

 

[Cowpolk]

This is true. They are fairly docile



So I am a lifer of the Upper Peninsula. It's a great area, except in Winter time. Myself I could do without winter. The older I get the less I like moving snow. My antipathy grew in the last 10 years as I have been caring for three places in the winter.....down to two now.

Where I am at, is considered the "banana belt". Relatively warmer and less snow than further north. I know there are places in the Keweenaw Peninsula that challenge the Rocky Mountains for amount of snow. I can do without it. Winter can be tolerable if a) the sun shines b) we get limited snow and c) it stays above zero. Last winter was mild here, the two prior were awful.

Autumn here is beautiful, summer too. We are having a gloriously warm fall right now. Usually by mid November the clouds descend and clear skies are a rumor until April......that is probably the worst part of our local weather,

Lots of trees & wildlife and water. Politically its pretty red up here.....everybody owns at least one firearm so there is that. Most folks are friendly, and its a pretty good place to raise kids.

But there is definitely a redneck element that I really dislike, so I am fine with the social distancing for the foreseeable future.

Any other questions, post 'em, and I will try & answer them.

Ever meet the Motor City Madman

 

[Vomit]

Ever meet the Motor City Madman

Fortunately….no.

 

[lukin2006]

Living rural anywhere is the way to go.

I have an aunt and cousin that live in northern Michigan. They love it. No idea about cost. But they love not have many neighbours and that’s 2 across the road…

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Will somebody tell me what it is like living in rural Michigan?

What would be a good location to still live in a rural area but close enough to town for a trip to the Dr. or Home Depot?

For the Average household what are the energy costs? How much is monthly electricity or propane?

How bad is the snow and how well are the roads cleaned? Do you need a 4 wheel drive to get to town or do they clean the roads off rather fast?

They you have city income taxes? Where is the best county to choose to avoid taxes?

What about the rural people? Are people friendly or paranoid? Lets say you want to walk your dog a mile or two down and back to a stop sign or lake. Are people going to give you hard time? Are drugs a problem?

And then what are home and car insurance costs in Michigan?

Would you consider rural Michigan to be similar to say Keillor's Lake Wobegon?

Thank you.

I have several customers in rural Michigan and have read a couple true crime books based in rural (upper) Michigan.

It seems to be much like the area I live in, i.e. western New York.

There's something to be said for living in a rural area, but you're still a close drive (a couple hours at most) of a high population area.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Black bears but they won’t mess with ya

But they do mess with your bird feeders.

I've had a couple destroyed.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Like most states, I'm sure one part is very different than others.
I know the upper peninsula of Michigan is very different than the southern areas---which are basically Indiana.

I have work colleagues from up there. They loved it growing up but did not want to live there year-round.
Many have summer places in the upper peninsula and it's supposedly spectacular.
Not winter though.

Oh yeah!

The upper peninsula folks refer to those "downstate" as flatlanders. lol

The flatlanders tend to migrate north in the spring, summer and fall to help support the peninsula economy, but there seems to be resentment in there.

I know the Amish have found upper Michigan to their liking... Reasonable land prices and good farming land I guess.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

This is true. They are fairly docile



So I am a lifer of the Upper Peninsula. It's a great area, except in Winter time. Myself I could do without winter. The older I get the less I like moving snow. My antipathy grew in the last 10 years as I have been caring for three places in the winter.....down to two now.

Where I am at, is considered the "banana belt". Relatively warmer and less snow than further north. I know there are places in the Keweenaw Peninsula that challenge the Rocky Mountains for amount of snow. I can do without it. Winter can be tolerable if a) the sun shines b) we get limited snow and c) it stays above zero. Last winter was mild here, the two prior were awful.

Autumn here is beautiful, summer too. We are having a gloriously warm fall right now. Usually by mid November the clouds descend and clear skies are a rumor until April......that is probably the worst part of our local weather,

Lots of trees & wildlife and water. Politically its pretty red up here.....everybody owns at least one firearm so there is that. Most folks are friendly, and its a pretty good place to raise kids.

But there is definitely a redneck element that I really dislike, so I am fine with the social distancing for the foreseeable future.

Any other questions, post 'em, and I will try & answer them.

Anywhere near Mio?

 

[Tabascocat]

But they do mess with your bird feeders.

I've had a couple destroyed.

If you didn’t discriminate and had bear feeders for them, it would not be a problem right?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

If you didn’t discriminate and had bear feeders for them, it would not be a problem right?

There you go!

For decades bear around here were more of rumor than fact... Yeah they were around here but rarely seen or heard from.

That's change a lot over the last twenty years or so. Much more numerous– probably due to fewer hunters.

I had a bird feeder torn down about a decade ago, but I didn't see it.

Then last November I saw one destroy one of our suet feeders. Black bear. Not fully grown, but not a toddler either.

Have also seen a couple bear crossing the road while out on drives recently.

And then we have this video taken about an hour south of here:

https://fb.watch/8I5W9ewOKh/

You hit a fully grown black bear with a car and it's going to make a big mess!

Elk from central PA are slowly migrating up this way... Can hardly wait for car-elk accidents!

 

[Tabascocat]

There you go!

For decades bear around here were more of rumor than fact... Yeah they were around here but rarely seen or heard from.

That's change a lot over the last twenty years or so. Much more numerous– probably due to fewer hunters.

I had a bird feeder torn down about a decade ago, but I didn't see it.

Then last November I saw one destroy one of our suet feeders. Black bear. Not fully grown, but not a toddler either.

Have also seen a couple bear crossing the road while out on drives recently.

And then we have this video taken about an hour south of here:

https://fb.watch/8I5W9ewOKh/

You hit a fully grown black bear with a car and it's going to make a big mess!

Elk from central PA are slowly migrating up this way... Can hardly wait for car-elk accidents!

My dad hit a moose late at night in northern Washington years ago. Luckily(for the moose), he was in a rented GEO Metro at the time. The moose stumbled up, huffed at the situation and sorta limped off into the woods. The Metro? Not so lucky and was totaled

 

[Vomit]

But they do mess with your bird feeders.

I've had a couple destroyed.

I had one steal my salt block. Caught him on the act on my game camera.

Oh yeah!

The upper peninsula folks refer to those "downstate" as flatlanders. lol

The flatlanders tend to migrate north in the spring, summer and fall to help support the peninsula economy, but there seems to be resentment in there.

I know the Amish have found upper Michigan to their liking... Reasonable land prices and good farming land I guess.

The Amish just made inroads here a few years ago. Delicious baked goods, I hear.

Anywhere near Mio?

Not really. Mio is in the Northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Was there about 6 years ago for a summer party at a friends camp. Nice area. Very secluded.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I had one steal my salt block. Caught him on the act on my game camera.


The Amish just made inroads here a few years ago. Delicious baked goods, I hear.

Not really. Mio is in the Northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Was there about 6 years ago for a summer party at a friends camp. Nice area. Very secluded.

Yes, we have the Amish moving into this area in great numbers... And yes, fantastic baked goods!

 

[Vomit]

My dad hit a moose late at night in northern Washington years ago. Luckily(for the moose), he was in a rented GEO Metro at the time. The moose stumbled up, huffed at the situation and sorta limped off into the woods. The Metro? Not so lucky and was totaled

We have moose here in the UP. Elks in the lower Peninsula. A few years back a semi hit a moose near my camp. I heard the semi was a mess.....they are big animals.