These Are The 10 Dumbest Cities In Michigan

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According to a recent Washington Post study that ranked the intelligence of all 50 states, Michigan is the 21st smartest state in America – not too great, but not too bad either.

But some of Michigan’s cities are making the state seem dumber than it really is.

After crunching the numbers, we came up with this list of the ten dumbest cities in the Wolverine State:

1. Benton Harbor (Photos)
2. Pontiac (Photos)
3. Lincoln Park (Photos)
4. Hamtramck (Photos)
5. Muskegon Heights
6. Detroit (Photos)
7. Taylor (Photos)
8. Mount Clemens (Photos)
9. Jackson (Photos)
10. Saginaw (Photos)

How we determined the dumbest cities in the Wolverine State

We realize that formal education isn’t everything when it comes to being smart, but on the other hand not knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.

So we narrowed down our criteria to focus both on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.

In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Michigan:

• % of city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
• % of high school dropouts (Ages 16-19)

Note: We only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 149 cities in Michigan to rank. We also looked at the graduation rates of the entire population, not the current rates for high schoolers.

1. Benton Harbor

Population: 10,056
Adults Without High School Diploma: 28.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 17.0%

Located in the southwestern part of Michigan, Benton Harbor unfortunately ranks as the dumbest city overall in the state.

Benton Harbor has the second highest rate of uneducated adults in Michigan, with 28.3% of residents over the age of 25 lacking a high school degree.

The up-and-coming generation also heavily contributes to Benton Harbor’s #1 ranking; with 17% of teenagers dropping out of high school each year, Benton Harbor’s dropout rate is more than four times higher than the average for Michigan cities with populations over 5,000.

2. Pontiac

Population: 59,658
Adults Without High School Diploma: 23.0%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 14.7%

Located just 30 miles north-northwest of Detroit, Pontiac’s economy used to be based on manufacturing cars, but the population and the economy have been dwindling since the 1980’s.

Apparently a lot of the intelligence has also left the city, as Pontiac ranks as the second dumbest place in all of Michigan.

23% of adults living in Pontiac lack a GED, which is more than twice as high as the state average.

Teenagers in Pontiac are also dropping out of high school at more than triple the rate as the rest of Michigan, with nearly 15 of every 100 Pontiac high schoolers opting out of basic education.

3. Lincoln Park

Population: 37,648
Adults Without High School Diploma: 19.8%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 11.3%

This city tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it didn’t even matter; Lincoln Park is still the third dumbest city in Michigan.

Located just southwest of Detroit, Lincoln Park has both the eleventh highest rate of uneducated adults and the 11th most teenage high school dropouts in the state, making it a fairly dumb city overall.

About 2 in 10 of Lincoln Park’s adult residents lack a high school diploma and, even more worrisome, 11.3% of the city’s teenagers are dropping out of high school each year.

4. Hamtramck

Population: 22,256
Adults Without High School Diploma: 32.7%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.4%

Hamtramck is almost completely surrounded by Detroit, which ranks a little lower on this list.

The city has the highest rate of uneducated adults anywhere in Michigan, with just about 1 in 3 residents over the age of 25 lacking a high school degree.

While the current dropout rate for Hamtramck’s teens isn’t as bad as the other cities in the top five, it’s still more than twice as high as the state average.

5. Muskegon Heights

Population: 10,807
Adults Without High School Diploma: 19.1%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 11.3%

Located in the west-central part of Michigan, Muskegon Heights ranks as the fifth dumbest city in the state.

19.1% of adults living in Muskegon Heights lack a GED, which is part of the reason it ranks so high.

The bigger factor, though, is the fact that 11.3% of the city’s teenagers are dropping out of school each year, which is just about three times higher than the state average.

6. Detroit

Population: 695,437
Adults Without High School Diploma: 22.2%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.5%

Everyone knows Detroit has had plenty of issues in recent years; bankruptcy and a very rapid exodus of people leaving the city have left the city in a shaky position.

So it’s no surprise that Detroit hasn’t been doing great in terms of education either; the city has the seventh highest rate of uneducated adults in Michigan, with 22.2% of residents over the age of 25 lacking a high school diploma.

On top of that, the current high school dropout rate for teens in 9.5%, well worse than twice as bad as the state average.

7. Taylor

Population: 62,331
Adults Without High School Diploma: 16.9%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 12.5%

Just a short drive southwest of Detroit, Taylor is the seventh dumbest city in the state of Michigan.

Taylor’s high school dropout rate for teenagers is even worse than Detroit’s. With 12.5% of high school students dropping out each year, Taylor’s dropout rate more than triples the state average and ranks as the ninth highest rate in Michigan.

Also, about 17 of every 100 adults living in Taylor never completed high school, which gives the city a pretty poor smartness score overall.

8. Mount Clemens

Population: 16,345
Adults Without High School Diploma: 15.4%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 18.0%

Located roughly 25 miles northeast of Detroit, Mount Clemens has the fourth highest teenage high school dropout rate in Michigan.

The city’s dropout rate is more than quadruple the state average, with 18 of every 100 teenagers opting out of basic education each year.

The rate of uneducated adults is also 4.6% higher in Mount Clemens than the Michigan average, but it’s still the lowest rate on this list.

9. Jackson

Population: 33,317
Adults Without High School Diploma: 15.8%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 9.8%

Jackson, a city about 35 miles south Lansing and 40 miles west of Ann Arbor, ranks as the ninth dumbest city in Michigan.

Just about 16 of every 100 adults living in Jackson lack a GED, and about 1 in 10 teenagers drop out of high school in Jackson each year.

10. Saginaw

Population: 50,700
Adults Without High School Diploma: 21.3%
Teenage High School Dropouts: 6.7%

Saginaw is the least stupid city to make this list.

Saginaw does have the lowest teenage high school dropout rate on this list, ranking 29th worst out of the 149 Michigan cities we looked at data for.

But in terms of uneducated adults, Saginaw has the ninth highest rate in the state, with 21.3% of residents over the age of 25 lacking a high school education.

Putting a dunce cap on our analysis

If you’re measuring the locations in Michigan where there are a high number of teenage dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious, here are the five smartest cities in Michigan, in order: Birmingham, Huntington, Rochester, Beverly Hills, and Grosse Pointe Woods.

All five of these cities are suburbs of Detroit. The first four cities are located in Oakland County, and Grosse Pointe Woods is in Wayne County. So that’s where you want to head if you’re looking for the intellectual crowd in Michigan.

Other notable cities: Michigan’s capital, Lansing, ranked as the 23rd dumbest city in the state, with a teenage high school dropout rate 2.5 times worse than the state average.

Grand Rapids was close behind Lansing, ranking as the 25th dumbest city in Michigan with a much lower teenage dropout rate than the capital, but a higher rate of uneducated adult residents.

Warren ranked as the 27th dumbest city, and Flint ranked as the 16th dumbest city in the state.

Ann Arbor ranked as the 13th smartest city in the state.

Detailed List Of Dumbest Cities In Michigan

City	Rank	Population	Adults Without High School Diploma	Teenage High School Dropouts
Benton Harbor	1	10,056	28.3%	17.0%
Pontiac	2	59,658	23.0%	14.7%
Lincoln Park	3	37,648	19.8%	11.3%
Hamtramck	4	22,256	32.7%	9.4%
Muskegon Heights	5	10,807	19.1%	11.3%
Detroit	6	695,437	22.2%	9.5%
Taylor	7	62,331	16.9%	12.5%
Mount Clemens	8	16,345	15.4%	18.0%
Jackson	9	33,317	15.8%	9.8%
Saginaw	10	50,700	21.3%	6.7%
Highland Park	11	10,951	26.3%	6.0%
Lapeer	12	8,801	12.0%	24.6%
Roseville	13	47,408	14.5%	11.3%
Ionia	14	11,388	15.5%	8.6%
Wayne	15	17,314	14.8%	10.2%
Flint	16	100,569	17.4%	6.5%
St. Louis	17	7,347	17.5%	6.3%
Zeeland	18	5,566	11.7%	18.1%
Madison Heights	19	30,028	15.5%	7.9%
Hazel Park	20	16,532	19.3%	5.5%
Monroe	21	20,455	11.3%	17.4%
Bay City	22	34,578	13.9%	9.5%
Lansing	23	114,382	13.2%	10.0%
Muskegon	24	37,822	16.8%	5.9%
Grand Rapids	25	190,739	15.5%	6.2%
Inkster	26	25,056	17.2%	4.7%
River Rouge	27	7,761	26.7%	3.1%
Warren	28	134,398	16.1%	4.6%
Holly	29	6,142	11.3%	10.9%
Ecorse	30	9,401	27.3%	3.0%
Greenville	31	8,434	14.3%	6.5%
Battle Creek	32	51,963	11.6%	8.6%
Garden City	33	27,356	11.3%	9.6%
Wyoming	34	73,434	15.7%	4.3%
Port Huron	35	29,534	12.7%	6.6%
Adrian	36	21,008	17.0%	3.3%
Westland	37	83,188	12.3%	6.5%
Dearborn	38	96,739	18.8%	2.8%
Dearborn Heights	39	57,063	14.2%	4.6%
Belding	40	5,764	18.3%	2.6%
Harper Woods	41	14,058	13.1%	5.7%
Eastpointe	42	32,526	15.6%	3.2%
Eaton Rapids	43	5,221	9.5%	13.2%
Allegan	44	5,030	12.9%	4.7%
Niles	45	11,479	17.0%	2.4%
Holland	46	33,342	14.8%	3.3%
Melvindale	47	10,584	21.9%	1.4%
Cadillac	48	10,306	10.1%	8.4%
Southgate	49	29,710	12.5%	4.3%
Alpena	50	10,336	11.7%	4.1%
St. Johns	51	7,933	8.2%	11.4%
Escanaba	52	12,529	10.8%	5.7%
Sterling Heights	53	130,604	13.3%	2.8%
Sturgis	54	10,923	20.2%	0.0%
Howell	55	9,543	9.0%	7.4%
Springfield	56	5,231	18.6%	0.0%
Hudsonville	57	7,217	11.7%	3.2%
Hillsdale	58	8,222	10.9%	4.6%
Hastings	59	7,313	11.0%	4.2%
Center Line	60	8,279	16.1%	0.3%
Sault Ste. Marie	61	14,121	11.0%	3.9%
Davison	62	5,085	7.9%	8.5%
Manistee	63	6,160	8.4%	7.3%
Petoskey	64	5,705	4.8%	19.1%
Richmond	65	5,806	15.5%	0.0%
Allen Park	66	27,869	9.8%	4.4%
Ludington	67	8,061	8.8%	5.9%
Romulus	68	23,721	13.8%	1.3%
Three Rivers	69	7,765	14.0%	0.9%
Wyandotte	70	25,470	11.7%	1.8%
Coldwater	71	10,863	14.9%	0.0%
Albion	72	8,416	14.7%	0.0%
Mason	73	8,266	8.4%	5.9%
Riverview	74	12,347	11.0%	2.7%
St. Clair Shores	75	59,865	8.5%	5.5%
Trenton	76	18,635	9.7%	3.8%
Big Rapids	77	10,543	11.6%	1.8%
Burton	78	29,429	11.2%	2.1%
Flat Rock	79	9,859	9.5%	4.1%
Kalamazoo	80	75,190	10.5%	2.5%
Kentwood	81	49,736	9.7%	3.0%
Fraser	82	14,544	10.5%	1.9%
Owosso	83	14,922	9.7%	2.9%
Dowagiac	84	5,822	12.1%	0.0%
Oak Park	85	29,622	8.3%	4.2%
Charlotte	86	9,053	9.9%	2.2%
Norton Shores	87	23,941	8.4%	3.6%
Swartz Creek	88	5,664	11.2%	0.0%
Walled Lake	89	7,065	11.0%	0.0%
Southfield	90	72,480	7.2%	3.7%
Alma	91	9,289	10.6%	0.0%
Marysville	92	9,842	8.6%	1.8%
Ypsilanti	93	19,844	10.1%	0.4%
Fenton	94	11,601	10.4%	0.0%
Ironwood	95	5,237	10.3%	0.0%
Kingsford	96	5,115	6.4%	3.2%
Auburn Hills	97	21,639	9.2%	0.9%
Menominee	98	8,516	9.7%	0.0%
St. Joseph	99	8,310	4.9%	4.0%
Rockford	100	5,876	5.1%	3.4%
Livonia	101	95,888	6.2%	2.7%
St. Clair	102	5,428	8.6%	0.0%
Milford	103	6,325	7.1%	1.8%
Farmington	104	10,472	4.1%	3.8%
Farmington Hills	105	80,682	5.4%	2.3%
Grandville	106	15,613	7.8%	0.5%
Iron Mountain	107	7,593	8.2%	0.0%
Novi	108	56,887	5.1%	2.4%
Royal Oak	109	58,382	4.2%	3.2%
Clawson	110	11,943	6.0%	1.6%
Houghton	111	7,897	6.8%	1.0%
Mount Pleasant	112	26,095	7.4%	0.3%
South Lyon	113	11,514	7.8%	0.0%
Ferndale	114	20,102	5.9%	1.6%
Walker	115	24,015	7.4%	0.0%
Tecumseh	116	8,407	7.3%	0.0%
Troy	117	82,106	6.3%	1.1%
Chelsea	118	5,085	7.3%	0.0%
Portage	119	47,137	4.5%	2.4%
Grand Haven	120	10,687	7.2%	0.0%
Marquette	121	21,430	7.1%	0.1%
Milan	122	5,724	5.8%	1.1%
New Baltimore	123	12,144	6.7%	0.0%
Rochester Hills	124	72,195	4.5%	1.8%
Midland	125	42,067	5.5%	1.0%
Traverse City	126	15,006	5.0%	1.3%
Wixom	127	13,640	6.2%	0.0%
Berkley	128	15,136	4.0%	1.8%
Flushing	129	8,252	6.0%	0.0%
Woodhaven	130	12,747	4.3%	1.4%
Marshall	131	7,054	5.8%	0.0%
East Grand Rapids	132	10,999	1.7%	2.0%
Brighton	133	7,562	4.8%	0.0%
Ishpeming	134	6,514	4.8%	0.0%
Grand Blanc	135	8,147	4.6%	0.0%
Ann Arbor	136	115,985	3.6%	0.6%
Grosse Pointe	137	5,350	1.6%	1.5%
Plymouth	138	9,029	4.3%	0.0%
East Lansing	139	48,611	3.4%	0.4%
Grosse Pointe Park	140	11,412	3.2%	0.0%
Grand Ledge	141	7,779	3.1%	0.0%
Saline	142	9,000	3.1%	0.0%
Northville	143	6,001	3.0%	0.0%
Grosse Pointe Farms	144	9,371	1.0%	0.8%
Grosse Pointe Woods	145	15,943	2.7%	0.0%
Beverly Hills	146	10,368	2.0%	0.0%
Rochester	147	12,872	1.7%	0.0%
Huntington Woods	148	6,310	1.0%	0.0%
Birmingham	149	20,382	0.6%	0.0%