Otsego Cracks Top 30 Livable Cities Score in Michigan, Do Residents Agree?

Blink and you'll miss it; that's essentially Otsego, Michigan. A small town with a population of only 3,970, Otsego is located along busy M-89 so if you've ever driven to Allegan or the lakeshore you've no doubt passed through its historic downtown.

Residential website AreaVibes is known for evaluating towns across the United States and coming up with a "Livability Score" based on data on crime rates, cost of living, employment and more.

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So How Does Otsego Rank?

When it comes to livability, Otsego has a score of 91% which the site says is, "considered exceptional." This makes it one of the top 30 most livable cities in the state!

Here's how Otsego's score breaks down:

• • Otsego's crime rates are 26% lower than the Michigan average and 42% lower than the national average
  • The cost of living in Otsego is 10% lower than Michigan's average with goods and services costing 15% less than the national average
  • Both Otsego's housing rates and rental rates are below the Michigan average

"Greatest Small Town in Michigan"

Despite having an exceptional livability score, it's interesting to note that residents don't necessarily agree. Otsego City Manager Aaron Winchell recently announced the town's new slogan and the locals were quite outspoken about what it's really like to live there.

In reaction to the city's new slogan, "Greatest Small Town in Michigan", here's what locals had to say:

• "This is such a joke! What makes Otsego such a great small town these days? There is not much of anything here and no good incentives to bring anything of benefit here." - Kathy Werner Baptiste

• "I tell people to not live in Otsego it's a toxic waste dump" - Dan Dutton

• "How about “Otsego- come to work, come to play, but don’t drink the water if you stay” - Susan Artis