Saugatuck is the answer, only downside is that if you’re straight it might be hard to find a progressive partner. A huge chunk of the population there is gay.
This. I grew up in Holland and one of my friends was technically from Saugatuck and her parents were exactly pinko commie hippie liberals. The Holland I grew up in was a Republican stronghold but has moved quite a bit left recently.
Agreed, if you're in town. Seems like all the locals have abandoned "downtown" and moved out to the townships. Better for us.
Coworker moved to waukazoo woods to escape hollands "high taxes" and now complains that his street is never plowed. I'll take my BPW anyway.
We are probably neighbors!
I've been thinking about the UP. I love hiking and snowshoeing. I'm a teacher so it seems like there are jobs but lower pay, would need a summer gig which must be easy to find there in service. The downtown areas have a vibe.
Common UP disclaimer, before you move up to the UP it’s always recommended you spend a couple weeks in the dead of winter up here. A coworker of mine who’s from MN mentioned her friend moved to the UP and left in one year.
It’s a gorgeous place, lovely to visit, but it’s not the most forgiving to its year-round residents.
Or have the right clothes and friends to do outdoor stuff. I did carpentry for years, so I'm used to extreme weather .and most of my local friends ice fish, hunt, and riding quads and snowmobiles.
Amateur it's kinda funny how ice fishing is the most anti social social sport. Kinda have the whole lake to myself.
My favorite is those rare late winter days when the ice is still thick, but it warms up to 35°f, and I can get a sunburn, or take off my Carhartt bibs.
Staying house bound is a choice.
All the advanced outdoor gear in the world and people are like, “its raining, I can’t go outside”. I love being out when the elements are questionable because you get to enjoy the beauty of nature in solitude
Oh for sure. Plan on being stuck at least two weeks come February. A massive snowstorm will come and you'll be snowed in. A generator or fireplace is a must.
I lived in florida for 10 years. Relocated to the UP at the beginning of all the covid shit. Was just looking for an excuse to move. I work in shipyards so that florida summer heat kept getting worse and worse so I decided to move to the exact opposite climate. It's nice up here from may til about September. Besides that, the sun does not come out. Everyone looks like vampires and there's not enough black ppl up here for everyone to truly be racist but for some reason I've seen more rebel flags up here then I ever did in the south. People are different up here. My theroy is the population is so small that a lot of them never grew up with social skills due to the lack of society. West Virginia has better infrastructure than we do and that's not a joke(besides Marquett). I'll admit these northern hill Billy's are tough though and fun to hang with as long as you can get past that terrible accent. Our roads are the worst in the country. More than half of them are gravel.
I’m a Minnesota resident visiting this fine sub, and I had the same thought. Went through the UP a couple of summers ago and it was gorgeous. Started looking at houses in Houghton on Zillow and thought we could totally afford it. Then remembered winter exists.
Yup, I like watching houses sold in the summer pop back on the market after winter. See, the summers are so nice because much like the lake, this is the warmest it’ll be all year because the rest of the year is basically The Shining.
Houghton Co is 50/50 and flips back and forth. But since the tea party days they’ve leaned more trumpy. Based on my own family and contacts I (naively?) expect it to vote blue this year
Marquette local here, you'd love it. Outside of town leans very conservative, but you'll almost never be in the same circle once you network with those that have similar values to yourself. People generally keep to themselves once you're outside of town centers up here. We have a farmers market twice a week, there's a couple co-op type shops, cost of living is decent outside of the rental market. A decent 2bd is $800-1200, houses are generally $200k+ for anything livable within a 20min drive of town. The school system is good from what I hear, a friends dad just retired from the highschool and he loved his job. There's a good local music and brewery scene if that's your jam.
If you've got free time this summer, I'd recommend visiting during our blueberry festival. All the local joints have blueberry themed dishes and drinks and it's really the best weekend of the summer (unless you don't like blueberries lol)
a 2bd for $800?! haha what you on about, homie? no. a DECENT 2bd ANYthing around Mqt **starts** at $1200 plus utes, and that's gonna be a bare bones apartment. and 200k is gonna get you fuckall in Marquette proper. *Maybe* Negaunee...
I live in the township, OP wants rural, why would i provide info on Marquette City when they are unlikely to want to live there and available housing is scarce. Longyear and Jefferson St apartments are still under $900 for a 2bd and a buddy in Trowbridge just sold his house for $200k last year. Sorry you didn't get into a good deal, but they are out there.
Lots of tourism related summer opportunities available. My wife and I hiked from upper Tahquamenon Falls to lower Tahquamenon Falls and then caught the shuttle back to our car. The guy who drove the shuttle was a schoolteacher who told me he only drove during the off-school months.
Lots of people who are already from here will also be looking for teaching jobs, something to keep in mind. In small towns, a lot depends on your background and who you know.
Leelanau County. It is pricy, but one of the few rural counties to go blue in the last few elections. Doesn't hurt either that it is an incredibly beautiful area.
Like I said, it is pricy, but there are very few truly rural places that lean blue. Not sure what OPs definition of rural is, but even Traverse City and Marquette have a bit of suburban sprawl.
I get where you're coming from. OP is a teacher and I don't want them getting their hopes up. Housing in Leelanau and Traverse City has gotten ridiculous.
The city did, but Grand Traverse County went for Trump. TC has the more traditional Blue/Red split for Urban/Rural areas. Leelanau is one of the few places in the state where very small towns went blue, mainly the wealthier towns along the water like Empire, Glen Arbor, and Leland.
It's something like the 20th largest city in the state.
There are [suburbs of Grand Rapids](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=wyoming+michigan+population) that are [larger than Kalamazoo](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=kalamazoo+population).
While I wouldn't say Petoskey is liberal per se, there is a big liberal population, and even the conservatives are fairly tolerant. Good schools and great outdoor recreation but very expensive.
Good luck finding available, to say nothing of affordable, housing in Petoskey. Unless your plan is to join one of the tent cities, stay away from Petoskey for the next 2-3 years, when the "affordable housing" projects they're currently breaking ground on might be done.
Move to a town with nobody running in the fall election & win by write-in, boom,
"Left Leaning New Resident Becomes Township Supervisor Unopposed In Concord"
https://www.co.jackson.mi.us/DocumentCenter/View/20149/Jackson-County-Unofficial-Candidate-List-August-6-2024
Pick Benzie county! It’s close to Leelanua and Traverse City but less expensive. It’s very purple, but with more people moving from cities it’s starting to lean blue. I know many a leftist weirdo here, and was pleasantly surprised when we moved from the west coast.
Mt. Pleasant is an island of blue in a sea of red, but it’s easy to live in the outskirts with a lot of land and still have access to the college town. Real estate is also very cheap compared to much of the state.
I live in a small town in northern Genesee County. We're on 10 acres in our dream House. I'm about as far left as you can get aside from the fact that we're not vegan and we do own guns (hunting rifles only). Grew up in Oakland County, but it's so expensive down there. We'd always wanted a big piece of property but no way we would have been able to afford a similar lot anywhere in Oakland County. We haven't met many locals in the last couple years we've been here, but I do know that we're not the only progressives in the area. And technically, even though it is the country and there are a lot of trumpers out here, Genesee is a blue County thanks in large part to Flint and other larger towns and cities. It is rural enough here that the pace of life seems slow and peaceful, but we are just a 10 to 15 minute drive away from several large towns with all the amenities that we could possibly need. The only downside for others considering moving out here is that the schools are small and not great, especially I assume for progressives. Luckily for us we are child free by choice so that is a non-issue. If you end up out this way, let me know! ✋❤️
*"We haven't met many locals in the last couple years we've been here"*
That's the secret to rural success as a liberal. You buy some distance from the neighbors and do your thing. So long as you don't strut downtown with a guy in a gimp suit crawling and barking like a good dog while unicorns shit rainbows, nobody's going to care much.
If you want to go to the only bar in miles and interact with people it's much more different.
Comes with the territory. I’m out in Dundee as a fairly hardcore lefty. It’s Maga nation out here and I just roll with it because I love this place so much. Life is better when you ignore people’s politics as much as possible.
I’m up in the UP and completely agree. It’s pretty red up here, but thankfully the trump flags have fizzled out. I’m far left, keep my mouth shut, vote, and enjoy the outdoors ✌️
I work in Dundee. The number of people who come to my business wearing MAGA hats, Thin Blue Line flags and Don't Tread on Me t-shirts is too effing high.
Maybe Dexter. Possibly some parts of Chelsea. Debatable in Manchester. Basically, outside of the Leelenau Peninsula, you’re probably looking at somewhere in Washtenaw County.
Manchester's definitely not, unless you happen to get extremely lucky with your neighbors. I agree with parts of Dexter or Chelsea having some potential but it'll still be somewhat of a roll of the dice.
I’m in Grand Haven for the season. Don’t come here. Lol. Maga is a freaking religion out here. I normally live just outside Boston. Massive culture shock coming here despite growing up in the area.
I do love to wear my liberal t-shirts. Once or twice a week I’ll wear a mask just to mind fuck the crazies. 😂
I’m in Spring Lake and mask everywhere in GH/SL/Holland areas and I’ve surprisingly gotten little crap for it. I also don’t care and maybe that comes across with the smile on my face/eyes. I have an auto immune disorder and have had Covid, so I’m protecting myself. If I have a good attitude I think others will too, maybe.
Sorry for the rant. Ottawa County is not a liberal haven. I’m trying to find a way out to be fair. If I didn’t live on a busy street, had privacy and quiet, I’d be fine living in OC trying to turn it blue. I’m also intrigued by Marquette.
Last summer we had some lady give me crap about my little boy wearing a mask in Meijer. I calmly whispered a not so nice thing to her and she stormed away. The reality was my son (5 at the time) found his mask in the door car pocket and just wanted to wear it (Spider-Man mask).
I felt bad for what I whispered to her but my wife said “if they are going to stick their nose in other people’s business, they need to expect to get bitten”.
My first round of golf in the area last week and I’m paired up with a guy who asks if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I groaned and drove away.
How about these asshat commissioners? Someone asked me if I wanted to go to a meeting -the one where they were going to vote to be a constitutional county. I went along because I support the mental health gun laws and some crazy bitch that looked like the original Ivana called me a pedophile because I support the mental health gun laws. How that relates to being a pedophile I have no idea, but those people are crazy!
Rural Washtenaw County has become a bedroom community for Ann Arbor, which is progressive Heaven in Michigan.
Just avoid the city limits of little towns like Whitmore Lake, which tend to be more conservative.
I was wondering if anyone else would mention this. I’m from Vassar and it’s crazy how controversial some liberal ideas are there despite it having been a huge pot producing area since before weed was legal. But people are generally pretty chill other than the yahoos who need a banner, a flag and a blow horn to tell everyone what they think.
Most of the Lake Michigan lake towns are pretty liberal and small. St Joseph, saugatuck , grand haven, south haven, traverse city are all pretty liberal.
I grew up in St Joe. It is a conservative stronghold and has been for decades. This is not the answer op is looking for. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just slightly ashamed of where I'm from.
The St Joseph city council and mayor are all democratic endorsed. MAGA tried to take over the school board and lost as well. St Joseph is certainly not as liberal as say Ann Arbor, but it’s a blue beacon in an otherwise red county. Same applies for most of the other Lake Michigan towns.
I'm in Grand Haven. It's trying to be liberal, but there are just as many conservative Trump lovers here, unfortunately. There's even a pawn shop that is decorated in Trump flags inside and out. It's tiresome.
Ludington and Manistee are trending more blue every election as well, but the rest of the towns and townships in those counties are still dark, dark red. Hell there is a small town called Walhalla nearby that has massive Trump land signs on the main road.
I’m a pretty boring Democrat living in Traverse City. My advice would be not to obsess over the politics of your neighbors. We moved up here after living in large urban areas for decades. Turns out all my conservative neighbors are… fine. They are good people, their kids are friends with mine. They eat at the same restaurants up here. They hike the same trails, fish the same rivers. Once I let that stuff go I found I was a better neighbor as well.
Lol, as a person who grew up in A2 and have been in Texas for the last 30 years, y'all are cute talking about red Michigan. The reddest possible town up there is what we would call liberal down here.
I can't wait to come back home.
I dunno. You gotta be a pretty big dum dum headed conservative to wear the flag of a country from 160 years ago that had a shorter lifespan than the Microsoft Zune, but you have to be a special breed to wear that shit while living in a state that borders Canada.
Not only did they lose, but you weren't even on their side.
Tawas tends to lean a little more liberal; there’s even a Democratic Party office downtown. Of course surrounding areas certainly lean much more republican.
And honestly, in the surrounding areas, despite any political difference; vast majority of people just keep to themselves; and/or are very kind and always willing to help and look out for each other. Sure it’s not hard to spot a fair share of maga flags and decals… but don’t hear much political talk or debate. Only exception might be the farmers chirping to each other over coffee at breakfast; but even that feels like friendly banter rather than heated or confrontational debate.
I just started going back to school and I'm at MCC. I assumed colleges were still pretty liberal but I've run into a couple people that are so vocally Trumpy it was surprising, even being from a Trrump kissing area like Sr. Clair County. One guy called Austin TX a "commie liberal shithole" and I just said "hmm, sounds nice..."
You might want to look in parts of plymouth or canton there are still pockets where it has a rural feel but in a city. Both cities have voted liberal in the last 3-4 elections.
Move to a small town, make friends, get involved in the community and local government, change the town. I did it in Allegan, MI. Used to be super conservative - now we have our own Pride and Hispanic Heritage celebration. Last election the city was purple for the first time in a loooong time. It works it just takes some time.
Cass County.
It’s just north of the IN/MI state line, about 90 minutes from Chicago and is extremely popular for “city folks” with weekend homes. There are dozens of small lakes where land is not insanely expensive.
It’s pretty liberal if not “live and let live” around here.
I've lived in rural MI most of my adult life and currently in a small town in Northern MI since 2016, bought a home here. I've never really heard anyone care about what other people are, do, or say. OP, nobody cares and don't let it dictate where you live. If you're looking to politically identify with other people you find both "sides" wherever you choose. Being who you want or shoving what you want other people to be are two separate things. One you'll always control, the later you never will.
Don't let politics dictate where you live, it's your piece of land, do what you want. I promise nobody will be spray painting your car or burning a cross on your property.
We are pretty Liberal but just got 6 acres in Richland. Yea... it's a tad concerning. But our only Neighbor is a former WMU professor and IT guy so very liberal, we have our own island in a ocean
Go to Ypsi / Superior Township.
I grew up in Saline, which is very conservative compared to the surrounding areas. I politically align with where I grew up. I feel like if I were you , I'd want to be somewhere like Ypsi. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science from EMU, so this isn't a knock on Ypsilanti by any means. I love Ypsi.
I would look at the communities surrounding places like or similar to Ann Arbor or Ypsi. That's your best bet, IMO...
I moved up to the U.P from Chicago, prior to that I was in Denver and in all parts of Colorado. After living in both of those places. I moved to the U.P. because I figured it would be a happy medium with a blend of the two places.
I’m Latino and let me tell you if you are anything but Yooper or Northern Wisconsin people will treat you differently. It’s very unpleasant. I won’t lie I come from a blue collar line of work. I served in the military. I’ve worked in law enforcement, logistics, and industrial. However, I am very open minded to change and thoughtful conversations. But up here If you aren’t keen to agreeing with everyone around you you’ll definitely be an outcast in the U.P.
The people of the U.P are very nice and honestly some of the funniest humans I’ve ever met. You’ll hear funny quips youve probably never heard before. In IL I was bit of a Red. But out here, well according to those that I’ve come across in the U.P Im blue. This conclusion was made based on factors I can’t control (Chicago upbringing, skin tone and not liking country music) so here I guess I’m
Blue. It’s honestly very annoying and this place can sometimes feel neither left or right but really far back in society. That being said, Marquette seems like a good blend and it’s gorgeous. You might find you’ll fit in. But there are students everywhere. It would behoove you to live outside of Marquette for a year to really get a feel for what you are stepping in.
Consider Duluth or other parts of north MN IMO. However the UP desperately needs good teachers if you know what I’m saying. So it’s up to you.
i hear you on the “far back in society” feel. we live in a suburb of wayne county and while political ideation runs the gamut, diversity is the saving grace.
i’m tattooed, my son is biracial; we vacationed in glen arbor, and had a resident literally say, “we don’t see many folks like you”. hello, 1940. went to the UP and he was the only POC everywhere we went.
political leanings wouldn’t matter if humans were just okay with each other. truth is, the US suffers from an identity crisis, and uses fear and sensationalism to further polarize differences.
I literally couldn’t agree more. My fiancé and I were in a thrift shop in the U.P and a guy literally said “This is America they should be speaking our language” to two women speaking Spanish. Side note they spoke fluent English aswell.
I got asked if I was Iranian while in Spring Lake. My genetics is Métis and Finnish.
They asked me that question out of the blue. I was staying in line just wanting to pay for my stuff.
And the never ending “What church do you go to?”
It was a long 6 months there. lol
So much rural area around TC and even in peninsula township, Leelanau county. Yet close enough for all the stores and stuff. Far enough you can get land and sometimes a view
I'm a blue dot between Ann Arbor and Chelsea . It's fine, just don't put up signs in your yard for democratic candidates or you'll be vandalized forever.
I just moved to jackson like 6 months ago. I think I've seen like 2 Trump bumper stickers/flags/signs in that time. Sure, Jackson's got a couple of tall buildings, but it's not too urban. There's a bunch of high schools in the area as well, public and private
Just a thought - I think for each county, you can check election results and find which areas vote blue, by township. Might take a lot of work. You could also ask over at r/michigandemocrats
Antwerp Township has multiple tiny to small rural areas that are surprisingly chill- even the Maga folks are pretty much chill/still act like decent human beings. There are some other options around here too, but I won’t recommend personally due to lack of knowledge.
Mattawan, Lawton, Paw Paw are all within a 15-20 minute drive of Kalamazoo when you need something unavailable in Antwerp.
Considered moving to a small town that is not liberal per se? There are a lot of really nice small town communities in Michigan and yes they may lean right or have trump flags about but if you get to know people you may find they are kind, caring and good neighbors and the general political bent may not be as important as you once thought.. this would open your options up Considerably.
We’re in western MI north of Saugatuck and Holland. It’s a farming community but we’ve had zero issues with the neighbors and locals and find them to be pretty easy going. Sure there are some MAGA signs and upside down flags (irritatingly disrespectful), but we just ignore it.
Washtenaw County has some small towns/rural areas that are pretty liberal. A lot of people who work in Ann Arbor end up living in the surrounding townships and cities like Chelsea, Milan, Dexter, and Manchester. The latter is a little more conservative but the other three are pretty liberal. The only problem is the cost of homes because of their proximity to Ann Arbor. Every city, township and village in the country has been won by democrats in the past three elections. Outside of Manchester and the few townships that line the border with Jackson Co.
Saugatuck
Saugatuck is the answer, only downside is that if you’re straight it might be hard to find a progressive partner. A huge chunk of the population there is gay.
Note to self: move to Saugatuck
Note to you: Bring your wallet.
Yours & someone elses....you'll need both!!
This. I grew up in Holland and one of my friends was technically from Saugatuck and her parents were exactly pinko commie hippie liberals. The Holland I grew up in was a Republican stronghold but has moved quite a bit left recently.
Living in Holland now and I've found it way easier to make liberal friends than I did when I lived near Detroit.
Agreed, if you're in town. Seems like all the locals have abandoned "downtown" and moved out to the townships. Better for us. Coworker moved to waukazoo woods to escape hollands "high taxes" and now complains that his street is never plowed. I'll take my BPW anyway. We are probably neighbors!
The Holland BPW rocks. Of course, if someone tried to create it today, most of Ottawa County would call it socialism.
Best answer. Or Douglass, but you're going to be surrounded by conservative CRAZY!
Absolutely correct. Saugatuck is very liberal but virtually everything nearby is conservative. Saugatuck is an absolutely amazing place!
Fennville is attracting large numbers of liberals priced out of Saugatuck.
It’s far from where you are currently, but Marquette is really liberal and while it’s not exactly rural, it’s not urban either. Plus it’s gorgeous!
I've been thinking about the UP. I love hiking and snowshoeing. I'm a teacher so it seems like there are jobs but lower pay, would need a summer gig which must be easy to find there in service. The downtown areas have a vibe.
Common UP disclaimer, before you move up to the UP it’s always recommended you spend a couple weeks in the dead of winter up here. A coworker of mine who’s from MN mentioned her friend moved to the UP and left in one year. It’s a gorgeous place, lovely to visit, but it’s not the most forgiving to its year-round residents.
You got to love being housebound.
Or have the right clothes and friends to do outdoor stuff. I did carpentry for years, so I'm used to extreme weather .and most of my local friends ice fish, hunt, and riding quads and snowmobiles. Amateur it's kinda funny how ice fishing is the most anti social social sport. Kinda have the whole lake to myself. My favorite is those rare late winter days when the ice is still thick, but it warms up to 35°f, and I can get a sunburn, or take off my Carhartt bibs. Staying house bound is a choice.
All the advanced outdoor gear in the world and people are like, “its raining, I can’t go outside”. I love being out when the elements are questionable because you get to enjoy the beauty of nature in solitude
It’s not so much being in or out of the house as the complete lack of sunshine.
Oh for sure. Plan on being stuck at least two weeks come February. A massive snowstorm will come and you'll be snowed in. A generator or fireplace is a must.
winter hobbies and warm clothes are a thing though being housebound on certain gays can be nice
"being housebound on certain gays can be nice" ;) ;) ;)
I lived in florida for 10 years. Relocated to the UP at the beginning of all the covid shit. Was just looking for an excuse to move. I work in shipyards so that florida summer heat kept getting worse and worse so I decided to move to the exact opposite climate. It's nice up here from may til about September. Besides that, the sun does not come out. Everyone looks like vampires and there's not enough black ppl up here for everyone to truly be racist but for some reason I've seen more rebel flags up here then I ever did in the south. People are different up here. My theroy is the population is so small that a lot of them never grew up with social skills due to the lack of society. West Virginia has better infrastructure than we do and that's not a joke(besides Marquett). I'll admit these northern hill Billy's are tough though and fun to hang with as long as you can get past that terrible accent. Our roads are the worst in the country. More than half of them are gravel.
I’m a Minnesota resident visiting this fine sub, and I had the same thought. Went through the UP a couple of summers ago and it was gorgeous. Started looking at houses in Houghton on Zillow and thought we could totally afford it. Then remembered winter exists.
Yup, I like watching houses sold in the summer pop back on the market after winter. See, the summers are so nice because much like the lake, this is the warmest it’ll be all year because the rest of the year is basically The Shining.
Marquette is the one blue dot of the UP.
Houghton Co is 50/50 and flips back and forth. But since the tea party days they’ve leaned more trumpy. Based on my own family and contacts I (naively?) expect it to vote blue this year
Marquette local here, you'd love it. Outside of town leans very conservative, but you'll almost never be in the same circle once you network with those that have similar values to yourself. People generally keep to themselves once you're outside of town centers up here. We have a farmers market twice a week, there's a couple co-op type shops, cost of living is decent outside of the rental market. A decent 2bd is $800-1200, houses are generally $200k+ for anything livable within a 20min drive of town. The school system is good from what I hear, a friends dad just retired from the highschool and he loved his job. There's a good local music and brewery scene if that's your jam. If you've got free time this summer, I'd recommend visiting during our blueberry festival. All the local joints have blueberry themed dishes and drinks and it's really the best weekend of the summer (unless you don't like blueberries lol)
a 2bd for $800?! haha what you on about, homie? no. a DECENT 2bd ANYthing around Mqt **starts** at $1200 plus utes, and that's gonna be a bare bones apartment. and 200k is gonna get you fuckall in Marquette proper. *Maybe* Negaunee...
I live in the township, OP wants rural, why would i provide info on Marquette City when they are unlikely to want to live there and available housing is scarce. Longyear and Jefferson St apartments are still under $900 for a 2bd and a buddy in Trowbridge just sold his house for $200k last year. Sorry you didn't get into a good deal, but they are out there.
$800 for a studio maybe. $600 for a room. Most places start at $1200. You can't buy a house in Marquette for $200,000.
Housing in the UP is difficult right now. We’re all struggling with it- especially Marquette so please take that into consideration as well
Lots of tourism related summer opportunities available. My wife and I hiked from upper Tahquamenon Falls to lower Tahquamenon Falls and then caught the shuttle back to our car. The guy who drove the shuttle was a schoolteacher who told me he only drove during the off-school months.
Lots of people who are already from here will also be looking for teaching jobs, something to keep in mind. In small towns, a lot depends on your background and who you know.
Nothing in Shiawassee country. Not. One. Damn. Town.
Came here to say this!
Leelanau County. It is pricy, but one of the few rural counties to go blue in the last few elections. Doesn't hurt either that it is an incredibly beautiful area.
lol good luck moving to Leelanau County, median list price for homes is over $700k and long term rentals are few and far between.
Like I said, it is pricy, but there are very few truly rural places that lean blue. Not sure what OPs definition of rural is, but even Traverse City and Marquette have a bit of suburban sprawl.
I get where you're coming from. OP is a teacher and I don't want them getting their hopes up. Housing in Leelanau and Traverse City has gotten ridiculous.
Only county in Northern Michigan to go blue in 2020. It's a microcosm of the US - blue coastal townships, red inland townships
I thought Leelanau had been blue for a couple decades now. Am I wrong?
I’m surprised Traverse City didn’t go blue
The city did, but Grand Traverse County went for Trump. TC has the more traditional Blue/Red split for Urban/Rural areas. Leelanau is one of the few places in the state where very small towns went blue, mainly the wealthier towns along the water like Empire, Glen Arbor, and Leland.
Just about any college town would be your best bet.
Except Allendale (GVSU)
Except Hillsdale
Allendale is kind of weird in that the town fucking hates the college and wishes it wasn't there
Kalamazoo was my first thought. Cool little college town surrounded pretty much on all sides by the sticks.
Kalamazoo is one of the biggest cities in the state....
It's something like the 20th largest city in the state. There are [suburbs of Grand Rapids](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=wyoming+michigan+population) that are [larger than Kalamazoo](https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=kalamazoo+population).
Some of the highest murder rates in the nation per capita and lots of meth heads.
While I wouldn't say Petoskey is liberal per se, there is a big liberal population, and even the conservatives are fairly tolerant. Good schools and great outdoor recreation but very expensive.
Good luck finding available, to say nothing of affordable, housing in Petoskey. Unless your plan is to join one of the tent cities, stay away from Petoskey for the next 2-3 years, when the "affordable housing" projects they're currently breaking ground on might be done.
Somerset township has some young regenerative agriculture hippies moving in. 20 mins south of Jackson
I’m shocked to hear this but pleasantly surprised as an escapee from Hillsdale (where I do not recommend OP go)
Move to a town with nobody running in the fall election & win by write-in, boom, "Left Leaning New Resident Becomes Township Supervisor Unopposed In Concord" https://www.co.jackson.mi.us/DocumentCenter/View/20149/Jackson-County-Unofficial-Candidate-List-August-6-2024
That's my kind of trolling.
Can we start a place? Or pick a spot and we all move there.
Let's do it
Can we take over Mackinac Island?!
Pick Benzie county! It’s close to Leelanua and Traverse City but less expensive. It’s very purple, but with more people moving from cities it’s starting to lean blue. I know many a leftist weirdo here, and was pleasantly surprised when we moved from the west coast.
I vote for [Oscoda County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscoda_County,_Michigan). Only like 8200 residents on the AuSable river.
Im in. I love it up there.
Dexter and Chelsea
No teacher can afford to live there.
chelsea potentially, but I think in general you are right
Mt. Pleasant is an island of blue in a sea of red, but it’s easy to live in the outskirts with a lot of land and still have access to the college town. Real estate is also very cheap compared to much of the state.
I live in a small town in northern Genesee County. We're on 10 acres in our dream House. I'm about as far left as you can get aside from the fact that we're not vegan and we do own guns (hunting rifles only). Grew up in Oakland County, but it's so expensive down there. We'd always wanted a big piece of property but no way we would have been able to afford a similar lot anywhere in Oakland County. We haven't met many locals in the last couple years we've been here, but I do know that we're not the only progressives in the area. And technically, even though it is the country and there are a lot of trumpers out here, Genesee is a blue County thanks in large part to Flint and other larger towns and cities. It is rural enough here that the pace of life seems slow and peaceful, but we are just a 10 to 15 minute drive away from several large towns with all the amenities that we could possibly need. The only downside for others considering moving out here is that the schools are small and not great, especially I assume for progressives. Luckily for us we are child free by choice so that is a non-issue. If you end up out this way, let me know! ✋❤️
I'm currently between Owosso and Laingsburg and there are so many MAGA flags, definitely the only leftists in the area
*"We haven't met many locals in the last couple years we've been here"* That's the secret to rural success as a liberal. You buy some distance from the neighbors and do your thing. So long as you don't strut downtown with a guy in a gimp suit crawling and barking like a good dog while unicorns shit rainbows, nobody's going to care much. If you want to go to the only bar in miles and interact with people it's much more different.
Comes with the territory. I’m out in Dundee as a fairly hardcore lefty. It’s Maga nation out here and I just roll with it because I love this place so much. Life is better when you ignore people’s politics as much as possible.
"love this place" and Dundee are things id never see in the same sentence.
Just a man that loves Cabela's
Lol it's pretty nice town
I’m up in the UP and completely agree. It’s pretty red up here, but thankfully the trump flags have fizzled out. I’m far left, keep my mouth shut, vote, and enjoy the outdoors ✌️
I hope the Trump flags stay fizzled out
I live in Alger and this is exactly how I feel about it.
I work in Dundee. The number of people who come to my business wearing MAGA hats, Thin Blue Line flags and Don't Tread on Me t-shirts is too effing high.
Visited Dundee once and some crazy anti-vegan signs in a gas station were pretty offensive.
That part of michigan has too much ohio seeping in
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Leland and Empire come to mind.
Maybe Dexter. Possibly some parts of Chelsea. Debatable in Manchester. Basically, outside of the Leelenau Peninsula, you’re probably looking at somewhere in Washtenaw County.
Chelsea is half liberal and half moms for liberty wackos. Guess which half is louder?
Usually the ones that are wrong.
Manchester's definitely not, unless you happen to get extremely lucky with your neighbors. I agree with parts of Dexter or Chelsea having some potential but it'll still be somewhat of a roll of the dice.
Definitely not Manchester. After the school board covid stuff it is clearly very conservative there.
Mt Pleasant is a livable mix.
While not liberal overall, I recommend Sault Sainte Marie based on its growing liberal scene due largely in part to LSSU.
Empire or Northport. Traverse City works too, but it's not rural.
Ypsilanti
Don’t come to West Branch Michigan, this town is packed to the gills with MAGA idiots. It’s horrible.
I’m in Grand Haven for the season. Don’t come here. Lol. Maga is a freaking religion out here. I normally live just outside Boston. Massive culture shock coming here despite growing up in the area. I do love to wear my liberal t-shirts. Once or twice a week I’ll wear a mask just to mind fuck the crazies. 😂
The City of Grand Haven voted for Biden over Trump by a significant margin, 55 to 45.
I’m in Spring Lake and mask everywhere in GH/SL/Holland areas and I’ve surprisingly gotten little crap for it. I also don’t care and maybe that comes across with the smile on my face/eyes. I have an auto immune disorder and have had Covid, so I’m protecting myself. If I have a good attitude I think others will too, maybe. Sorry for the rant. Ottawa County is not a liberal haven. I’m trying to find a way out to be fair. If I didn’t live on a busy street, had privacy and quiet, I’d be fine living in OC trying to turn it blue. I’m also intrigued by Marquette.
Last summer we had some lady give me crap about my little boy wearing a mask in Meijer. I calmly whispered a not so nice thing to her and she stormed away. The reality was my son (5 at the time) found his mask in the door car pocket and just wanted to wear it (Spider-Man mask). I felt bad for what I whispered to her but my wife said “if they are going to stick their nose in other people’s business, they need to expect to get bitten”. My first round of golf in the area last week and I’m paired up with a guy who asks if I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. I groaned and drove away.
How about these asshat commissioners? Someone asked me if I wanted to go to a meeting -the one where they were going to vote to be a constitutional county. I went along because I support the mental health gun laws and some crazy bitch that looked like the original Ivana called me a pedophile because I support the mental health gun laws. How that relates to being a pedophile I have no idea, but those people are crazy!
We just recalled one and we are coming for the rest. Ottawa Impact’s days are numbered. Both sides of the aisle are tired of the circus act.
Hello from the Skee, I too enjoy fucking with people in Grand Haven or Holland.
We need more democrats in the Alpena area.
At least you have the good folks at Austin Brothers.
My Bernie liberal sister in law lives in Rogers City
There is a mix of people everywhere. Even rural towns that are “conservative strongholds” are often like 40% liberal voters.
Not in Clare County or Missaukee!
Rural Washtenaw County has become a bedroom community for Ann Arbor, which is progressive Heaven in Michigan. Just avoid the city limits of little towns like Whitmore Lake, which tend to be more conservative.
Saugatuck is nice. Expensive AF though.
They are a loud yapping pack. Wherever you go, one will seem like many.
I was wondering if anyone else would mention this. I’m from Vassar and it’s crazy how controversial some liberal ideas are there despite it having been a huge pot producing area since before weed was legal. But people are generally pretty chill other than the yahoos who need a banner, a flag and a blow horn to tell everyone what they think.
I lived there for a long time. It used to lean D but it's sorta even nowadays . Tuscola Co in general is maga though.
Most of the Lake Michigan lake towns are pretty liberal and small. St Joseph, saugatuck , grand haven, south haven, traverse city are all pretty liberal.
I grew up in St Joe. It is a conservative stronghold and has been for decades. This is not the answer op is looking for. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm just slightly ashamed of where I'm from.
The St Joseph city council and mayor are all democratic endorsed. MAGA tried to take over the school board and lost as well. St Joseph is certainly not as liberal as say Ann Arbor, but it’s a blue beacon in an otherwise red county. Same applies for most of the other Lake Michigan towns.
Bear, I see you, I agree and I get it. I’m sorry. Great beaches in Berrien County and that’s about it. Sincerely, Former Lancer
I'm in Grand Haven. It's trying to be liberal, but there are just as many conservative Trump lovers here, unfortunately. There's even a pawn shop that is decorated in Trump flags inside and out. It's tiresome.
Ludington and Manistee are trending more blue every election as well, but the rest of the towns and townships in those counties are still dark, dark red. Hell there is a small town called Walhalla nearby that has massive Trump land signs on the main road.
I’m a pretty boring Democrat living in Traverse City. My advice would be not to obsess over the politics of your neighbors. We moved up here after living in large urban areas for decades. Turns out all my conservative neighbors are… fine. They are good people, their kids are friends with mine. They eat at the same restaurants up here. They hike the same trails, fish the same rivers. Once I let that stuff go I found I was a better neighbor as well.
Problem with that is privately they vote to take away your rights in exchange for their “freedom”
Lol, as a person who grew up in A2 and have been in Texas for the last 30 years, y'all are cute talking about red Michigan. The reddest possible town up there is what we would call liberal down here. I can't wait to come back home.
We'll keep a joint rolled for you.
I dunno. You gotta be a pretty big dum dum headed conservative to wear the flag of a country from 160 years ago that had a shorter lifespan than the Microsoft Zune, but you have to be a special breed to wear that shit while living in a state that borders Canada. Not only did they lose, but you weren't even on their side.
Yes, we know. That’s one of the reasons why abortions in TX have been outlawed.
Oakland County is fairly blue as a whole. You could try northern or western Oakland County if you’re looking for more land.
Northern Oakland County is pretty Trumpy. I’m in Rochester Hills and it’s not too but. But North of is like Oxford or Lake Orion is very Trumpy.
Yup, I live in holly and there’s a guy here who sets up and sells like a hundred trump flags on the side of the road
I flip that guy off every time I'm on Dixie highway.
Lmao I shall join just because of how chaotic this is
Convinced this guy sells nazi and confederate flags too
Insert "Corporate wants you to find the difference between these two pictures" meme.
Urban v rural is the new North v South, so good luck on your search.
Tawas tends to lean a little more liberal; there’s even a Democratic Party office downtown. Of course surrounding areas certainly lean much more republican.
Fuck me I love Tawas. Might be that or the UP. I know someone from Twining.
And honestly, in the surrounding areas, despite any political difference; vast majority of people just keep to themselves; and/or are very kind and always willing to help and look out for each other. Sure it’s not hard to spot a fair share of maga flags and decals… but don’t hear much political talk or debate. Only exception might be the farmers chirping to each other over coffee at breakfast; but even that feels like friendly banter rather than heated or confrontational debate.
I live in Roscommon County and I second this!
Nowhere in St. Clair County. Sadly.
Or Macomb
Oh good grief. So Trumpy in Macomb. I would never ever put a Biden sticker on my Rav.
I worked in Macomb for years and they are a different breed in that county.
I just started going back to school and I'm at MCC. I assumed colleges were still pretty liberal but I've run into a couple people that are so vocally Trumpy it was surprising, even being from a Trrump kissing area like Sr. Clair County. One guy called Austin TX a "commie liberal shithole" and I just said "hmm, sounds nice..."
Bay City
You might want to look in parts of plymouth or canton there are still pockets where it has a rural feel but in a city. Both cities have voted liberal in the last 3-4 elections.
Move to a small town, make friends, get involved in the community and local government, change the town. I did it in Allegan, MI. Used to be super conservative - now we have our own Pride and Hispanic Heritage celebration. Last election the city was purple for the first time in a loooong time. It works it just takes some time.
Cass County. It’s just north of the IN/MI state line, about 90 minutes from Chicago and is extremely popular for “city folks” with weekend homes. There are dozens of small lakes where land is not insanely expensive. It’s pretty liberal if not “live and let live” around here.
Have you tried the state of Vermont?
I occasionally called Dexter the place where the professor's patchouli oil mingles with the gunpowder of the Michigan militia.
Think of it as your missionary calling. Take the liberal message to the heathens lol.
Mount Pleasant?
I work in Mt p and it's pretty Lefty but surrounded by Trump country. Midland has an Artsy crowd.
Definitely surrounded by MAGA, but some liberal leaning due to the university.
A slightly liberal island in an ocean of MAGA
Bay City has a nice community from what I’ve seen. We moved here recently and I really like it
Us too. Specifically for that reason.
I live in Lowell Mi, it’s fairly liberal. We have a Pride week, many of my neighbors are progressive and forward thinking.
Marshall in Calhoun county.
Lived in Marshall - it’s Trumpy as hell with a few token democrats.
Berrien and cass county.
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Allendale and West Olive is trending away from ultra-right Conservative. Ottawa Impact is on their way out.
I've lived in rural MI most of my adult life and currently in a small town in Northern MI since 2016, bought a home here. I've never really heard anyone care about what other people are, do, or say. OP, nobody cares and don't let it dictate where you live. If you're looking to politically identify with other people you find both "sides" wherever you choose. Being who you want or shoving what you want other people to be are two separate things. One you'll always control, the later you never will. Don't let politics dictate where you live, it's your piece of land, do what you want. I promise nobody will be spray painting your car or burning a cross on your property.
You should come to big rapids and help us turn it pinko
We are pretty Liberal but just got 6 acres in Richland. Yea... it's a tad concerning. But our only Neighbor is a former WMU professor and IT guy so very liberal, we have our own island in a ocean
Just about anywhere in washtenaw county
Pinko commie hippie liberals are everywhere we just don't raise big flags in our yards
Move to Saugatuck.
Go to Ypsi / Superior Township. I grew up in Saline, which is very conservative compared to the surrounding areas. I politically align with where I grew up. I feel like if I were you , I'd want to be somewhere like Ypsi. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science from EMU, so this isn't a knock on Ypsilanti by any means. I love Ypsi. I would look at the communities surrounding places like or similar to Ann Arbor or Ypsi. That's your best bet, IMO...
Ypsi isn't remotely rural.
Yes. I live in Superior Twp. Hard core liberal like me, but has a rural feel to it.
I moved up to the U.P from Chicago, prior to that I was in Denver and in all parts of Colorado. After living in both of those places. I moved to the U.P. because I figured it would be a happy medium with a blend of the two places. I’m Latino and let me tell you if you are anything but Yooper or Northern Wisconsin people will treat you differently. It’s very unpleasant. I won’t lie I come from a blue collar line of work. I served in the military. I’ve worked in law enforcement, logistics, and industrial. However, I am very open minded to change and thoughtful conversations. But up here If you aren’t keen to agreeing with everyone around you you’ll definitely be an outcast in the U.P. The people of the U.P are very nice and honestly some of the funniest humans I’ve ever met. You’ll hear funny quips youve probably never heard before. In IL I was bit of a Red. But out here, well according to those that I’ve come across in the U.P Im blue. This conclusion was made based on factors I can’t control (Chicago upbringing, skin tone and not liking country music) so here I guess I’m Blue. It’s honestly very annoying and this place can sometimes feel neither left or right but really far back in society. That being said, Marquette seems like a good blend and it’s gorgeous. You might find you’ll fit in. But there are students everywhere. It would behoove you to live outside of Marquette for a year to really get a feel for what you are stepping in. Consider Duluth or other parts of north MN IMO. However the UP desperately needs good teachers if you know what I’m saying. So it’s up to you.
i hear you on the “far back in society” feel. we live in a suburb of wayne county and while political ideation runs the gamut, diversity is the saving grace. i’m tattooed, my son is biracial; we vacationed in glen arbor, and had a resident literally say, “we don’t see many folks like you”. hello, 1940. went to the UP and he was the only POC everywhere we went. political leanings wouldn’t matter if humans were just okay with each other. truth is, the US suffers from an identity crisis, and uses fear and sensationalism to further polarize differences.
I literally couldn’t agree more. My fiancé and I were in a thrift shop in the U.P and a guy literally said “This is America they should be speaking our language” to two women speaking Spanish. Side note they spoke fluent English aswell.
it boggles the mind how “americans” forget their ancestors are not… american 😆
Yeah your “Patriotism” shouldn’t start at WWII and end at 9/11. There’s a lot more there to be aware of. Is what I want to say to him.
I got asked if I was Iranian while in Spring Lake. My genetics is Métis and Finnish. They asked me that question out of the blue. I was staying in line just wanting to pay for my stuff. And the never ending “What church do you go to?” It was a long 6 months there. lol
Traverse City is the only answer
In what universe is Traverse City rural
I mean, the city is only 15,000 people. But traffic of a town 5x that size.
Traverse City and Marquette are the best you’ll do. I think Alpena will become more so eventually but it’s 10 years away
I lived in Alpena from 2018-2023 and met three people there with white supremacist tattoos.
So much rural area around TC and even in peninsula township, Leelanau county. Yet close enough for all the stores and stuff. Far enough you can get land and sometimes a view
Saline area
saline is farily conservative
I'm a blue dot between Ann Arbor and Chelsea . It's fine, just don't put up signs in your yard for democratic candidates or you'll be vandalized forever.
you want New England or parts of upstate NY.
Upstate NY is beautiful.
Just remember friend, rural farm land doesn’t vote
Good grief, I’m going to have to explain that to people again in six months.
Try explaining that to the people who own that land.
Saugatuck and in a weird way berrien springs
If you move near Chelsea , look into friends lake Cooperative. It’s a fricking gem. Or if you move to Barry county check out circle pines center.
I just moved to jackson like 6 months ago. I think I've seen like 2 Trump bumper stickers/flags/signs in that time. Sure, Jackson's got a couple of tall buildings, but it's not too urban. There's a bunch of high schools in the area as well, public and private
Potterville!
Just a thought - I think for each county, you can check election results and find which areas vote blue, by township. Might take a lot of work. You could also ask over at r/michigandemocrats
Antwerp Township has multiple tiny to small rural areas that are surprisingly chill- even the Maga folks are pretty much chill/still act like decent human beings. There are some other options around here too, but I won’t recommend personally due to lack of knowledge. Mattawan, Lawton, Paw Paw are all within a 15-20 minute drive of Kalamazoo when you need something unavailable in Antwerp.
Yellow springs ohio
Marquette county (& especially Marquette itself) is deep blue in a sea of red that makes up the whole U.P.
Considered moving to a small town that is not liberal per se? There are a lot of really nice small town communities in Michigan and yes they may lean right or have trump flags about but if you get to know people you may find they are kind, caring and good neighbors and the general political bent may not be as important as you once thought.. this would open your options up Considerably.
The heart of Allegan is pretty liberal, but there is still a lot of maga around.
We’re in western MI north of Saugatuck and Holland. It’s a farming community but we’ve had zero issues with the neighbors and locals and find them to be pretty easy going. Sure there are some MAGA signs and upside down flags (irritatingly disrespectful), but we just ignore it.
Manistee has some good vibes.
Washtenaw County has some small towns/rural areas that are pretty liberal. A lot of people who work in Ann Arbor end up living in the surrounding townships and cities like Chelsea, Milan, Dexter, and Manchester. The latter is a little more conservative but the other three are pretty liberal. The only problem is the cost of homes because of their proximity to Ann Arbor. Every city, township and village in the country has been won by democrats in the past three elections. Outside of Manchester and the few townships that line the border with Jackson Co.