Meet the Thumb Region: Affordable Coastal Living

Michigan’s Thumb Region offers big opportunities in a relaxed, small-town setting. It’s a place where professional ambition blends with a strong sense of community and an easygoing lifestyle. Whether you’re growing a career in healthcare, forging a path in advanced manufacturing or putting down roots near the Lake Huron coast, you’ll find space to build a balanced life with affordable homes, good schools and hundreds of miles of trails, rivers and shoreline.

Leading the Way

• 80+ Parks and Beaches (Discover the Blue)
• 61% Lower Home Prices than the National Average in Flint and Genesee County (Make Your Move in Flint & Genesee)
• 140+ Miles of Freshwater Shoreline (Discover the Blue)

Who’s Hiring?

• Autokiniton
• Aspire Rural Health
• Scheurer
• Cooperative Elevator

Off the Clock

• Kayak to Turnip Rock, an iconic natural landmark in Lake Huron that seems to defy gravity.
• Drive over the scenic Blue Water Bridge to Canada, spanning the St. Clair River at the southern end of Lake Huron.
• Plan a trip around the region’s lighthouses, including the Fort Gratiot Light Station and Harbor Beach Lighthouse. 
• Take a walk through history at the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park, the largest known collection of early Native American teachings carved in stone.

What’s New

• 53 North is an art project that’s transforming Port Austin’s area barns into murals and art installations.
• MDARD grants for Maurer Meat and TCA Management will support rural development, infrastructure upgrades and job creation in the Thumb.
• GST Michigan Works! recently received a $205k youth workforce grant to provide hands-on training and career opportunities for young Michiganders in Genesee, Shiawassee and Thumb regions.
• The Flint & Genesee Young Professionals (FGYP) committee encourages and supports young professionals through placemaking, personal and professional networking, community involvement and fostering educational opportunities.

Partners (with Additional Resources for Job Seekers)

• Thumb Cares, run by the Thumb Community Health Partnership, connects residents with critical resources such as food, healthcare, job listings and education.
• GST Michigan Works! is a regional workforce hub providing career coaching, training, apprenticeship support, relocation assistance and more.
• Make Your Move, run by Flint & Genesee Education & Talent, is a regional relocation and talent attraction initiative that connects prospective residents with local employers, career resources, a relocation toolkit and community insights.
• Michigan’s Forgotten Coast promotes Huron County and the greater Thumb Region as a destination to live, work and thrive, showcasing local job opportunities in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, and offering a relocation help desk to guide prospective residents.