Anyone in Southwest Michigan!?

[Matt Sieber]

Anyone on BP in Southwest Michigan!?

[Hilary Hageman]

@Daniel Ryu, 

I'm from Stevensville, Michigan (about 20 mins South of South Haven).  South Haven's economy is largely based on tourism.  You would do well with a nice downtown vacation rental, but you'll pay a lot for it.  

Year round economy is poor.  The biggest employer in the area is the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant.  I did clinical rotations at their dinky little hospital when I was in college, but they have since shut many of their departments down.  

There's a large population of migrant and farm laborers and unemployed/poor whites that contributes to the low-income status of the area.  As you get out of downtown and into the surrounding rural area (especially farther from the lake), you'll find more depressed sections of town.

Sadly, although SW Michigan is a beautiful place, its job and population growth have been steadily declining for many years.  That's why my husband and I work in Indiana!