Why Kalamazoo Might Just Be Your Next Favorite Place

Kalamazoo has a way of surprising newcomers, especially with its low cost of living and those enticing college tuition incentives.

The Kalamazoo, Michigan area is a beautiful place to be during the Summer and Fall.  There is no Spring here, and Winter can be beautiful but icky.  If you are planning to relocate to a city that some people around the nation still think is a myth, here are a few things you should know.

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10 Reasons NOT to Move to Kalamazoo

#1. You have to go outside.

• The city of Kalamazoo has 33 public parks where you can relax, enjoy nature and peace and quiet, or have family get-togethers.
• There are also dozens of amazing nature trails for hiking, biking, or being lazy like me and using your electric scooter.  The most well-known trail is likely the Kal-Haven Trail, stretching from Kalamazoo to South Haven.  Here are the 10 best trails in Kalamazoo.
• Kalamazoo has multiple areas to drop your kayak if you're all about that water life.

#2. You'll have to get used to the best cost of living in the Nation.

According to the Council for Community and Economic Research,

The Kalamazoo-Portage Metro ranked as the lowest cost of living in the country in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Cost of Living Index (COLI).

#3. You might not have to pay for your kids' college tuition. 

Nobody likes free stuff.  Especially a handout for college.  But if your child attends a Kalamazoo public school for at least their entire high school career, they are likely going to college for free, according to the Kalamazoo Promise.

The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship for each Kalamazoo Public School's resident graduate that provides up to 100% tuition for post-secondary education.

#4. You'd better love dogs.

Kalamazoo is an incredible dog-friendly community. There are many trails for dog walking and dog-friendly bars and restaurants like HopCat and Green Door Distillery.  Not to mention, Kalamazoo has the largest no-kill animal shelter in the state of Michigan.

#5. Food Trucks make life here too delicious and convenient.

West Michigan is covered in Food Truck Rallies.  The Kalamazoo Food Truck Rally is a staple in Kalamazoo every Summer.

#6. Beer!

There are at least a dozen local breweries in the Celery City.  Kalamazoo is well known around the state for the Beer Exchange and nationally known for Oberon from Bell's Brewery.

#7. You might get the munchies.

There are 21 recreational cannabis dispensaries in Kalamazoo, according to MichiganCannabis.org.  Kalamazoo has the most dispensaries per capita in the state.  Overall, the only city that has more is Ann Arbor.

#8. Too much art.

From the Kalamazoo Institute of Art and Kalamazoo Art Hop to Miller Auditorium and the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, there's almost too much to do for a true art lover.

#9. Big city benefits with a small-town lifestyle.

When you're done watching the deer, wild turkey, and squirrels wander around your yard like you're in a Disney movie, you can make the 5-minute drive to a grocery store, movie theater, or fast food restaurant.

#10.  Get used to not getting stuck in traffic.

Kalamazoo doesn't have much of a commute compared to the rest of the U.S., according to Realestate.USNews.com,

Kalamazoo's commute is 6.5 minutes less than the National Average

If you think we missed a highlight of living in Kalamazoo, please let us know in the comments.