News Story

8 of America’s most expensive cities to heat are in Michigan

Of the top 500 costly cities, 15 are in Michigan

A study of home heating costs in America found that eight of the 50 most expensive cities are in Michigan.

They are, per HVAC Gnome:

  • 4. Flint
  • 10. Detroit
  • 20. Dearborn
  • 22. Southfield
  • 30. Westland
  • 32. Lansing
  • 33. Warren
  • 34. Sterling Heights

The study ranked 500 American cities. Michigan took 15 spots on the list. The lowest-ranked Michigan city was Ann Arbor, at 142.

Tresa Baldas of the Detroit Free Press reported on the study. Richie Bernardo, the author of the study, attributed Michigan’s high rankings to its old housing stock, which is not as energy-efficient as newer construction.

“Despite the affordability of natural gas across Michigan, the state’s older, less energy-efficient homes and longer, colder winters, unfortunately, mean residents have to turn up the thermostat for relatively longer periods of time,” Bernardo said, noting nine of the 15 Michigan cities cited in the study have among the highest percentages of homes built before 2000.

Read the HVAC Gnome study for yourself

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.