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Cost of Living
With a cost of living far below the national average, doing business in Southwestern Michigan also has a strong financial incentive when recruiting workers and retaining management.
ACCRA Cost of Living Index -- Second Quarter 2004
|
Area
|
Total Composite
|
Grocery
|
Housing
|
Utilities
|
Transportation |
Health Care
|
| Chicago, IL | 131.1 | 123.7 | 168.6 | 109.9 | 107.9 | 132.8 |
| Minneapolis, MN | 111.2 | 100.1 | 124.2 | 110.7 | 105.9 | 113.3 |
| Cleveland, OH | 101.2 | 112.4 | 96.1 | 113.5 | 101.2 | 99.1 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 96.8 | 102.6 | 87.9 | 99.1 | 105.3 | 95.4 |
| Southwest, MI* | 95.6 | 89.6 | 92.6 | 107.3 | 96.9 | 103.5 |
Recreation
Southwestern Michigan's four-season outdoor lifestyle includes more than two-dozen picture-perfect golf courses, over 300 area lakes and rivers, and the lure of nearby Lake Michigan with miles of beautiful sand beaches.
We have no clogged rush hours or nerve-shattering commutes. The average commute is a leisurely 20 minutes without traffic --
so our workers have time and energy to spare to take full advantage of our very special way of life.
• Sail, swim, boat or fish in the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan, or on the sparkling waters of any one of hundreds of smaller rivers and lakes.
• Camp, canoe or cast for world class salmon and steelhead along the lovely St. Joseph River.
• Downhill or cross-country ski on our challenging slopes and rolling hillsides. Snowmobile along dozens of dedicated trails covering hundreds of miles. Ice-skate or ice-fish on our many inland lakes.
• Walk, run, horseback ride, bike, hike, or just plain meander across thousands of acres of parks, nature trails, bike paths, or even a restored prairie, all within minutes of your home in the Southwestern Michigan Corridor.
Housing
A wide range of diverse, affordable choices characterizes Southwestern Michigan's housing market. From wide-windowed waterfront living, to log-cabin wooded seclusion, to neighborly suburban living, to bustling apartment life, you’ll find it here, and finance it easily!
No matter what choice you make, housing costs in our area are well below both the national and regional levels for the median cost of a single-family home.
| Metropolitan Area |
Cost
|
|
United States |
$183,800 |
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Midwest |
$150,300 |
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Chicago, IL |
$263,300 |
| Minneapolis, MN |
$218,000
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| Grand Rapids, MI |
$135,500
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Indianapolis IN |
$125,900 |
| Southwestern Michigan |
$ 93,800
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| Based on 2004 figures from the Association of Realtors. | |
Health Care
Outstanding health care facilities, services and practitioners are found in Southwestern Michigan at prices designed to help keep your cost of benefits well in hand.
Our region offers six acute-care accredited hospitals -- three operated by Lakeland Regional Health System, including a state-of-the-art acute-care and trauma facility in nearby downtown Niles. Others are:
• Lakeland Regional of Niles, MI
• Lakeland Regional of St. Joseph, MI
• Lakeland Regional of Berrien Center, MI
• Memorial Hospital of South Bend, IN
• St. Joseph Medical Center of South Bend, IN
• St. Joseph Hospital of Mishawaka, IN
In total, the area boasts more than 1,000 acute-care and long-term beds in our immediate area along with an extensive network of convenient outpatient and immediate-care centers.
And good health is good business! Each major health-care provider also offers special employer services for customized health and wellness programs.
Arts and Culture
From Smokey Robinson to Andrew Lloyd Weber to an annual professional performance of The Nutcracker at the nearby Morris Civic Auditorium, arts and culture come to life in Southwestern Michigan.
The Mendel Center for the Performing Arts hosts a wide variety of talent that passes through our area between Chicago and Detroit. From the classical music of the South Bend Symphony, golden oldies by the Southwestern Michigan Symphony at the Shadowland Pavillion, or Sousa's rousing marches each summer Sunday by the St. Joseph Municipal Band in the lakefront bandshell, our area’s dedication to symphonic music remains strong. In addition, the Howard Performing Arts Center at Andrews University and the Marie P. DeBartolo Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Notre Dame also host a variety of musical performances.
From the Krasl Art Center to the Natural History Museum at Andrews University to a quiet walk through a local gallery or a intimate concert at Waterfront Park in Niles, there’s plenty of culture for the kids as well.
Your quest for an entertaining afternoon or evening is destined to be limited only by your imagination!
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©2005 Southwest Michigan Economic Growth Alliance, Inc.
1105 N. Front Street, Niles MI 49120 ph: 269-683-1833 fx: 269-683-7515 contact@michigan-business.info |
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