It has been dubbed the fastest growing county in Michigan.

Livingston County is conveniently located in the heart of southeastern Michigan. Located less than an hour's drive from four major metropolitan areas, the county is made up of commuters who work in the city and prefer to live in the country. Livingston County is located at the crossroads of I-96 and US-23 which puts it within one hours drive from Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Lansing which is a good thing because the county only has 6 jobs for every 10 residents.

Livingston County offers something for everyone - historic downtowns, rural landscapes, quaint hamlets, hundreds of lakes, upscale homes, beautiful farmland, and much more. Shopping destinations offer both upscale choices and bargains galore. A plethora of restaurants satisfy every taste. Recreational facilities offer everything from downhill skiing to horseback riding. And the school districts offer quality educations and innovative opportunities. Add in the friendly, welcoming people who reside here and it is easy to see why Livingston County continues to be a destination for families and businesses alike.

Livingston County is located in the southeastern section of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Its county seat is Howell. Livingston County occupies an area that was originally part of Shiawassee and Washtenaw counties. This county was named after Edward Livingston, Secretary of State under President Andrew Johnson, and Minister to France.

In the Early 1800's following the war of 1812 the Federal Government offered free land to those who fought in the war. Although the U.S. Surveyor-General in 1815 reported the soil in this area to be of such poor quality that it was unsuitable for farming, the Chippewa and Potawatomi had farmed it for years. This was eventually realized and the region became an important agricultural area for livestock and grain. Most veterans took free land in other states.   The State of Michigan did not see things the same way; partially due to the fact history indicates both the Pottawatomie and Chippewa Indians had farmed the area. The State ordered up its own survey and found that much of the land to be very well suited for agricultural purposes. This prompted the State to begin selling parcels for $2.00 to $3.00 an acre rather than give it away. After World War II, many people moved to Livingston County to escape the city. This caused agriculture to decline in importance.

During the 1970's, Livingston County was the fastest growing county in Michigan, but 20,000 acres of public land were kept from development to retain the area's natural beauty. The Brighton Island and Pinckney State Recreation areas make this a great county for recreation. Recreational facilities include Mt. Brighton Ski area; over 20 private and public golf courses; camping, boating, fishing and swimming at three large metro parks; soccer hockey, baseball facilities and more.

For just plain fun you can try the Michigan Challenge Balloonfest, the Howell Melon Festival, the Fowlerville Fair or the Brighton Art Festival.

Shoppers can choose between historic downtown Howell, upscale shops in downtown Brighton, Kensington Valley Factory Outlet Mall, Meijer, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Elder Beerman, Home Depot, Lowe's just to name a few.

State-of-the-art educational facilities including public and private schools; the Livingston County Technical Academy; Cleary College; and the Michigan Technical Education Center.

Health care facilities include McPherson Hospital in Howell which is part of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System as well as Brighton-based facilities for Saint Joseph Mercy health Systems and the University of Michigan Medical Center.

In my quest to find out more about what is currently drawing so many people to Livingston County, I polled several local families who have moved here within the last decade. Interestingly enough, their answers were similar. 

"We are from Ann Arbor and it was so expensive to live there so when we were looking at houses it brought us out this way. I like how I have nearly 3 acres, growing up in Ann Arbor that is a lot of land (although we lived on several acres when I was growing up it dropped to an acre and then we moved to less than ½ an acre). I like having areas for the kids to play and room enough to have horses and other animals!" 

"We moved here in October 2006. My mom has been an attorney in Brighton, and has lived in Pinckney, for 15 - 20 years now. (During that time I was living in New York City, Connecticut & Kentucky.) After the birth of our daughter in late 2006, I realized that I wanted to be closer to my family & her "Grammy" - so here we are!
 I grew up in Lapeer County MI, and went to school in Ann Arbor, and have been visiting my mom in Pinckney/Brighton for years, so this area was somewhat familiar to me when I moved here. 

The things that I like best about Livingston County:
 
Lots of stuff to do out here, particularly family-oriented and outdoor-oriented things. It is a real community with wonderful community events!  Santa visited the Pinckney town square in December and the Xmas to-do at the park on Brighton. And our kiddo loves the Xtreme Bounce Zone in Dexter, the Bounce gymnastics center in Hartland, Castaway Cafe, etc.

It is a very forward-thinking area in terms of being "green," eco-conscious, preserving nature, farms & opens space, etc. It is also forward-thinking in terms of holistic medicine, yoga, meditation, organic & natural foods, etc. (I just moved here from Northern KY and there was NONE of that down there!!) Lots of GREAT restaurants!!!

It is a stone's throw from Ann Arbor - home of an amazing amount  of fun stuff to do, great places to eat, concerts, parks, live  comedy, canoeing, Zingerman's Bakehouse, etc.

The culture in this part of the world has a Midwestern warmth & friendliness that is unique among any of the places I've lived. It just feels like home. (My husband feels that way too, and he grew up in New York City!)

There are still many farms and much green, open space here! That gives it so much beauty, charm & character!"

"I went to UM, but was tired of living in Ann Arbor...over-priced...too many people.  I missed the country (I grew up in a small town in the thumb of MI) and space, so the closest area that I could afford that had some land and was still a good driving distance was in Brighton.  People are nicer than in Ann Arbor.  Lots of things for the kids.  Shopping is close, but I can have a small piece of land."

"We relocated here from Wayne county-Allen Park in February 2003! Yikes it just feels like yesterday! My husband worked in Ann Arbor and was tired of the commute. We wanted to be near his place of work but also in a cleaner environment for our kids! We picked out this area because of the rural feel but still the close proximity of shopping! We wanted to be in a sub, but with large lots. In Allen Park there would have been at least 4 houses on our property we have now... it was a nice balance! A huge factor to Livingston County was all the parks (State, Metro, and County) My husband is a huge fisherman and would always drive out her to fish now we are minutes away from his favorite spots!"

"My husband and I grew up in western Wayne County and moved to Washtenaw (Scio Township) county and lived there for 10 years before moving to Livingston County in August 2002. Quite frankly, it was because we wanted a house with a decent sized yard and also be able to eat and stuff. It was about all that we could afford at that time, although where we are is not close to anything. (Northern fringe of the county and nearly the western side as well...think kitty-corner to Brighton on the county map). We liked that it was affordable. We liked getting "land" with it. The traffic is way better than places like Ann Arbor or Novi. People are somewhat nicer on a general basis. It is picturesque in many ways. We don't get that freeway soot all over everything (seriously, where do you think the worn down treads on your tires go?). We cannot reach out the window and shake hands with the neighbors (who are also in their home). The school bus stop is at the end of our driveway. We have a barn."

"I moved to Livingston County because of my then boyfriend, now husband.  We bought a house in Howell.  I have lived here for 7 years. The house prices were appealing given the markets in Oakland County and the proximity to his family.  I do like that it is becoming a little more urban or city...I don't have to drive to Lansing or Novi for shopping anymore :)  I am a MSU grad so I try to avoid Ann Arbor :)"

"When we moved back up from Florida, we decided to move out this way instead of Wayne County (where we're both from) because it's not as crowded as Wayne County and the schools are wayyyy better.  We moved out here in November 2004.  I love the fact that you still have everything you need but it isn't overcrowded like Wayne County, and that you can still take a drive out in the "country" and see farms and animals etc. You can buy land and have a house and not have your neighbor staring in your window."

"I came out this way because I liked the area. Many parks nearby and not every inch of land is built up. I've been here since June of 2007. I think the downtown areas of Howell, Fenton, and Milford are great. Along with many more parks and rec areas to enjoy being outdoors. Plus it doesn't feel so congested...like Warren or Sterling Hgts."

Whether you are a resident of Hell or Howell, more and more people are calling Livingston County home.

  Livingston County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livingston_County,_Michigan

http://www.infomi.com/county/livingston/

http://www.livingstondaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=COMMUNITIES