Just 44 People Live in Michigan’s Tiniest Town

Having grown up in a small town, I can tell you that there isn't much you can get away with when everybody knows everybody and their business. However, the same can be said about Detroit, Michigan's biggest city, which has small neighborhoods where nothing happens without the whole block hearing about it.

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Well, no matter how small your town was, it's not Michigan's smallest--unless you're a resident of the state's tiniest town, which has just 44 full-time residents.

Where is Michigan's Tiniest Town

If you're going to be Michigan's smallest town, you couldn't pick a better location. Nestled in Michigan's "Pinky" on the shores of Crystal Lake. In the 2010 Census, this tiny Census Designated Place (CDP), which is recognized as a regionally named, unincorporated town, racked up just 11 residents.

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But fast-forward to 2020, and Pilgrim, Michigan, has quadrupled its population! It now boasts a robust 44 full-time residents. That's still not a lot, considering that, according to the 2020 US Census, Pilgrim has 203 housing units within its borders. So, why is this perfectly placed community lacking in full-time residents?

Why Pilgrim, Michigan, Ranks as Michigan's Tiniest Town

The 2020 Census revealed that only 44 of Pilgrim's 203 housing units are filled with residents who live there YEAR ROUND. As you can tell by Pilgrim's location, this is a prime spot for summer cabins and cottages that are occupied during Michigan's more pleasant months and left unoccupied for the rest of the year.

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If you find yourself on M-22 in Benzie County (known as Pilgrim Highway for about a mile), near Michigan's "Pinky," take a look, however brief, at Pilgrim, Michigan, the state's tiniest town. Who knows, by 2030, they could even crack the fifties.