Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brighton grades A overall, ranked 115th of 697 in Michigan. Its schools outperform 95% of the state's. Residents are healthier than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $81K. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $442K, 5.8 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Brighton, where Michigan’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. Brighton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns. Western House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Brighton beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| St. Patrick School | K–8 | 449 |
| Charyl Stockwell Academy Middle School | 6–8 | 282 |
| Brighton High School | 9–12 | 1,887 |
Census counts: 252 in 1860, 7,446 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1907 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Brighton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brighton, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Brighton.
Brighton has schools in the top 5% of Michigan and draws workers from Detroit and beyond, but it has seen reported crime rise by a third or more.
The median property tax bill is $4,515, against $2,904 across Michigan, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
67% of Brighton households own their home. The typical Brighton home is worth about $442,000, up 2.4% in a year, 68% above the Michigan typical home.
| Brighton | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,198 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #26 of the 699 Michigan towns we grade for schools. Its A+ is the best School Grade on its borders; Green Oak Township (A) is next.
Its public schools are run by the Brighton Area Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Brighton High School, with 1,887 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charyl Stockwell Academy Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 282 | – |
| Brighton High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,887 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
9,058 jobs are based in Brighton, 2.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Brighton for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Brighton fell to 9,058 in 2021, 1,937 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Ann Arbor (11%), Brighton Township (5%) and Novi (5%).
| Brighton | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Michigan is housing insecurity: 6.8% of its 6,252 adults worry about keeping their housing, against 11.9% statewide.
15% of adults report frequent mental distress in Brighton. Brighton beats the Michigan average on 14 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 11% of adults smoke cigarettes in Brighton.
| Brighton | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 37% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Brighton | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.8% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Water Walk Park, at 20 acres.
| Brighton | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Water Walk Park | 0.2 mi | 20 |
| 2. Kissane Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Brighton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes rose from 86 to 123 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Brighton is 14.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Brighton | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brighton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
40 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
32 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
40 mi TheatreFox Theatre
16 mi Park & preserveDomino's FarmsMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Domino's Farms: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brighton
About 4 of every 100 Brighton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Brighton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
8 notable people were born in Brighton.
City in Michigan, United States
Brighton is a city in Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, its population was 7,446. Brighton forms part of the South Lyon-Howell-Brighton Urban Area. It is one of two incorporated cities in Livingston County and incorporates land that was part of Brighton, Green Oak, and Genoa townships.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Brighton.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | #115 | A | C− | B | A+ | A− |
| Genoa Township | #187 | A− | C− | — | A | A− |
| Brighton Township | #67 | A | C− | — | A | A |
| Green Oak Township | #31 | A+ | C | A | A | A |
| Hamburg Township | #58 | A | C+ | A | B+ | A− |
Genoa Township and Brighton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Brighton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Brighton grades A overall, better than 85% of U.S. towns and #115 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A− for health, B for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
8 notable people were born here, including Loren Carpenter and Cooper Marody.
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