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The House Is on Fire

May 21, 2026

Michiganders Grossly Overestimate State Rankings

Across party lines, Michiganders believe the state is near the middle of the pack – between about 25 and 28 – out of the 50 U.S. states when it comes to many key economic indicators. In reality, Michigan’s actual rankings are near the bottom of the nation.

The Detroit Regional Chamber highlighted this disconnect in its quarterly statewide Michigan Voter Poll in partnership with the Glengariff Group, Inc.

No other state has fallen as hard or as fast in per capita income and educational performance as Michigan has. Michigan’s poor performance on these key metrics should serve as a wake-up call for business leaders, lawmakers, and voters. Michigan continues a precipitous, long-term decline to the bottom of national rankings, posing a serious threat to the state’s economic competitiveness.

It also reflects the state’s inability to commit to long-term, cohesive strategies that support education, economic development, infrastructure investment, and other key drivers of innovation and economic growth.

chamber polls

Sandy K. Baruah, Dennis W. Archer Jr., Anthony Chang, Yasmeen Jasey, and Trevor Lauer at 2026 State of the Region

“On nearly every metric we tested, Michigan voters believe the state is doing average against the other states. The reality is that Michigan is doing far worse. Michigan voters have no clue how we stack up against the other states, even on those metrics where Michigan is at the bottom of the list.”

– Richard Czuba, Founder, The Glengariff Group, Inc.