If you've driven around Michigan's biggest cities very much at all, chances are that you've stumbled across an area you couldn't wait to get out of. Poor living conditions, pollution, potholes - just one visit and you'll be fine if you never see that area again.

Let's be real - there aren't any big cities without this problem in at least some parts of town.

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How America's Dirtiest Cities Were Determined

A new study commissioned by LawnStarter.com has named "2023's Dirtiest Cities in America", ranking the conditions in 150 of the largest cities in the United States. They considered things like:

  • Pollution - things like air and water quality, greenhouse-gas emissions, excess fuel consumption and the percentage of the city's population that smokes
  • Living Conditions - things like overcrowded homes, homes without kitchens or plumbing, and homes with mold, rat, cockroach and/or sewage problems
  • Infrastructure - including waste collection and the number of junk yards
  • Consumer Satisfaction - taking into consideration residents' opinions about the cleanliness of their city, its pollution, its garbage situation and its greenspaces

Would you be surprised to learn that their list contains two Michigan cities? (Are you surprised it's not more?)

Here are the Michigan cities that didn't do so great.

Grand Rapids

Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
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Grand Rapids came in at #128 overall on this list of the the Dirtiest Cities in America.

Its worst ratings came from the general public, with the Consumer Satisfaction component putting the city and #68.

Grand Rapids rated better among the objective categories considered in the study, coming in at #129 in Pollution, #123 in Living Conditions, and #101 in Infrastructure.

Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
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But Grand Rapids wasn't Michigan's dirtiest city.

Detroit

Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
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Lawnstarter.com rated Detroit the 4th dirtiest city in America, behind only Houston, Texas; Newark, New Jersey; and San Bernardino, California.

Like Grand Rapids, Detroit received its worst marks from its own residents. The city had the 4th highest level of dissatisfaction among the general public.

Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
Photo via YouTube (CharlieBo313)
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Detroit's other ratings weren't as bad, but still not great - the city ranks 9th worst in Pollution, 35th in Living Conditions, and 89th in Infrastructure.

You can view the full study and see where other cities across the United States rank here.

Abandoned Clairwood Apartment Building, Detroit

Detroit's War Zone Neighborhoods