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Finding Great Places to Retire Since 2006!
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Finding Great Places to Retire Since 2006!
Marquette, Michigan
Pretty Marquette Sits Along Lake Superior and Boasts a Scenic Waterfront, Two Beaches, Dozens of Parks, a University and More
Marquette (population 22,000) is a pretty town along the shores of sprawling Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.), a rural, remote region that is an oasis for outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Farther north than Montreal, Canada, Marquette was named after a French Jesuit missionary and is home to Northern Michigan University (7,000 students) and a regional medical center. It has a gentle spirit and has won national recognition as a great place to live.
As one of the snowiest city in the contiguous United States, Marquette receives an average of 11 feet of the white stuff each winter. Despite the weather, residents seem to love this town, praising its strong community spirit, Midwestern friendliness and lush natural beauty.
The median home price is $375,000, reflecting a 6% increase from a year ago, and the cost of living is 7% below the national average. Thirty five percent of residents are age 45 or better. Crime is but a concept. Nearly 40% of locals hold at least a four year college degree, and politics lean to the left. Marquette has maintained its population during the last decade.
The waterfront is dotted with green spaces and is home to all sorts of moored boats. Ships carrying iron ore frequently offload their cargo at the city's two huge docks.
The downtown has the traditional look of the industrial Midwest, with interesting red brick buildings, brownstones and Beaux Arts architecture from the mid-19th century and early-20th century. The structures are in good shape, housing flower shops, pottery stores, art galleries, yarn shops, bookstores, jewelry stores, coffee houses, clothiers, pharmacies and more.
Restaurant menus are eclectic, serving everything from Cajun and Thai to tacos and pastries.
Locals enjoy a dozen or so public parks, including forested Presque Isle Park. Designed by the same landscape architect that sculpted New York City's Central Park, it is nestled along the coast and juts out into Lake Superior. It is an amazing place to watch the sunset.
Marquette also has public beaches, one with a lighthouse. Boating and water activities are simply a way of life.
Miles of bicycling and cross country skiing paths wind around town, and Marquette Golf Club meanders through a rolling valley with jagged outcroppings.
Just outside of town, miles of untamed territory are perfect for camping, fishing, boating, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, hiking, birding, bicycling and even quiet contemplation.
NMU's Forest Roberts Theatre, the Black Box Theatre and the Lake Superior Theatre, a semi-professional summer stock group, guarantee year round productions. The Peter While Library is home to the Marquette Cultural Arts Center and is a warm, welcoming oasis during the U.P.'s long winters. University athletic events and lectures happen year round.
City festivals include the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, Art on the Rocks, Harbor Fest, the Marquette Area Blues Fest and more.
Marquette General Hospital provides medical care and is the only Level II trauma center in the U.P.
The Marquette Senior Center offers a wide variety of health, education, nutrition, fitness and recreation programs, as well as the services of state-licensed social workers.
The city is walkable, but MarqTran provides limited bus service throughout town.
Winter temperatures are in the single digits, teens and 20s, and snow often falls for days at a time. Summers are cool and short, with up to 20 inches of rain and temperatures topping out in the 70s and 80s. Autumns are exhilarating.
It is worth noting that a branch of Michigan State Prison is located here, but it is "protected with a concrete wall, razor-ribbon wire, electronic detection systems and eight gun towers." Marquette's poverty rate is also above the national average, but much of this is attributed to the number of students, who tend to be everywhere. The University does not, however, have a party school reputation.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, often called the U.P., is a rugged and scenic region known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and small-town charm. Bordered by three of the Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, and Huron—it offers hundreds of miles of shoreline, waterfalls, forests, and trails, making it a haven for hiking, fishing, hunting, and snow sports.
Winters are long and snowy, with some areas receiving over 200 inches of snow annually, while summers are mild and pleasant, ideal for camping and lake activities.
The U.P. has a slower pace of life and a strong sense of community, with historic towns like Marquette, Houghton, and Sault Ste. Marie reflecting the area’s mining, shipping, and Native American heritage.
While more remote than the Lower Peninsula, and with fewer big-city conveniences, the Upper Peninsula is beloved for its unspoiled landscapes and year-round opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
The name Michigan comes from the Ojibwa Indian words Mishi-gama (meaning "large lake").
The world's first air-conditioned automobile was built by Detroit's Packard Motor Car Company in 1939.
No point in Michigan is farther than six miles from a body of water.
Although Michigan's nickname is the "Wolverine State," no wolverines live in the state.
Michigan is the only U.S. state to have two peninsulas.
The state produces 70% of the tart cherries grown in the United States.
Michigan has about 150 lighthouses, more than any other state.
The state is considered tax-friendly for retirement.
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