10 Reasons You Should Not Move to Kalamazoo

Imagine wandering through 33 parks and hitting the trails.  Kalamazoo is a nature lover's dream just waiting to be discovered.

Here's a list of 10 things you should consider if you are thinking about moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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 living in one of the most affordable cities 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).

In 2024, Michigan had the 9th lowest cost of living according to World Population Review.

#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 their entire high school career, they are 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 have to 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 like here too delicious and convenient.

Kalamazoo has dozens of delicious food trucks.  You can check out the best ones by tapping here.

#6. Beer!

There are at least a dozen local breweries in the Celery City.  Kalamazoo is pretty 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.  Sorry, the traffic here is a joke.

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.

People who have lived in Kalamazoo their entire lives will complain about the traffic here. They have no idea what it's like to drive ANYWHERE else. It's kind of awesome here.

Did we miss something that you think we should add to the list?  Let us know in the comments.