Livingston County Has Michigan's Highest County Income: What the Numbers Show

Among the ten Michigan counties tracked on Michigan Signals, Livingston County sits at the top of the economic ladder by a wide margin. Its median household income of $103,737 (Census SAIPE 2023) is nearly double Wayne County's ($57,418) and 24% higher than the second-place Oakland County ($92,230). Understanding why requires looking at what Livingston actually is: a low-density suburban county positioned between Ann Arbor and the Detroit metro.

Explore the full data at Michigan Signals / Livingston County.

Who Lives in Livingston County

Livingston County has 196,757 residents — the smallest population in the Michigan Signals dataset. It has no large cities: Brighton, Howell, and Hartland Township are its largest communities. The county functions primarily as residential suburbia, drawing workers who commute to Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Detroit metro employment centers.

That commuter profile shapes the income data. Residents working in Oakland County's auto industry headquarters, Washtenaw County's university and technology sectors, and Wayne County's healthcare and business services bring those salaries home to Livingston County's comparatively affordable housing.

Poverty Rate: 5.6%

Livingston's poverty rate of 5.6% is the lowest in the Michigan Signals group. The national rate sits around 11%; Wayne County's is 20.6%. This reflects both the income level of residents and the county's limited social housing and affordable rental stock — factors that shape who can afford to live there at all.

Employment and Labor Market

Livingston County's unemployment rate of 3.3% is the lowest in the Michigan Signals dataset. This again reflects the resident-worker dynamic: most employed residents work elsewhere, and the county attracts few lower-wage service workers who face higher unemployment risk.

Housing Costs

Livingston County home values have risen to $399,793 (Zillow ZHVI, April 2026), the second-highest in the Michigan Signals group behind Washtenaw County ($418,402). The median rent index reaches $2,056 — matching Washtenaw at the top of the rental cost spectrum.

Even with the county's high income, these housing costs produce some affordability pressure. A household at the $103,737 median spending $2,056/month on rent pays about 24% of gross income on housing — manageable, but leaving less room than the absolute numbers suggest.

Health Indicators

Livingston County's health data reflects its affluence. Obesity rate is 31.9% — among the lowest in Michigan Signals — smoking is 12.0%, and the uninsured rate of 5.1% is the lowest in the dataset. Depression prevalence at 26.6% is notable: the county ranks near the middle on this metric despite its economic standing, consistent with national research finding that suburban isolation and social factors affect mental health independent of income.

Data Sources

• Census SAIPE (2023): Income and poverty data. Census SAIPE
• Census PEP (2023): Population estimates. Census PEP
• BLS LAUS: Unemployment. BLS LAUS
• Zillow ZHVI/ZORI (April 2026): Housing market data. Zillow Research data
• CDC PLACES (2024): Health behavior estimates. CDC PLACES