That’s according to a 1999 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA created an index for what it deemed “natural amenities” and ranked every county in the lower 48.
The environmental qualities the index favored were mild, sunny winters, temperate summers, low humidity, topographic variation, and access to a body of water.
In short, the counties that performed well on the index had four things that Michigan has in short supply—warm winter days, hours of winter sun, dry summers, and hills—and two that we have in spades—temperate summers and water access.
The counties along the California coast and in South Florida got top billing, and the western half of the U.S. did much better than the eastern half.
Though we dominate in the two categories, it wasn’t enough to help. Our best-performing county ranked 832 out of 3,111 counties. Most of Michigan, especially its population centers, fared much worse.
Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties all came in around 2,500th place, and Kent County fared even worse.
Most of Michigan performed similarly on average January temperature (between 17 and 25 degrees Fahrenheit), hours of January sunlight (between 95 and 116 hours), and July humidity (between 59% and 67%).
The counties that ranked highest in the study were all at the top of the Lower Peninsula. Let’s call them the fingernail counties.
Why did they fare better? Water access. The relatively large inland lakes in this region mean that the water scores for Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse, Antrim, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Alpena, and Alcona counties are off the charts.
Between Lake Charlevoix, Hemingway’s Walloon Lake, and the frontage on Lake Michigan, Charlevoix County is one wet place. Our second-highest-ranking county, Manistee County, is pretty wet too, and its relative hilliness also helps.
You feel the scenic drama in these places. In the town of Charlevoix, you could throw a rock in any direction and hear a splash. And on the far side of Lake Charlevoix sits Boyne City, home to some of the best skiing in the state. This county is basically our Lake Tahoe.
And what does the index say is the worst county in Michigan? That distinction belongs to Gratiot County, home of Alma and Ithaca. This county has some of the hottest summers in the state, no lakes worth mentioning, and is flat as a pancake. Good farmland maybe, but not a place the USDA favors.
Our state might not rank well compared with California on this old index, but a place is more than hills, dales, lakes, and temps. It’s also history, family, business, religion—a sense of home.
Hard to measure that.
Mark Naida is editor of Michigan Enjoyer.
