New Census numbers show Michigan is still growing, albeit slowly. The bad news is a rise in migration to other states. Charts and maps tell the story.
Mike Wilkinson
Mike has been a reporter for Bridge Michigan since 2013 and focuses on data-assisted reporting, often finding stories by analyzing maps and data sets and has created Bridge's dashboards on COVID-19, the state's economy and Michigan's elections. He held similar positions at The Detroit News and The Blade of Toledo. A native of Michigan, Mike grew up in Macomb County, graduated from the University of Michigan and started his reporting career in New Baltimore before his career took him to Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio. You can reach him at mwilkinson@bridgemi.com
Posted inMichigan Government
Welcome to Michigan, President Trump. About that economy you promised …
Jobs and wages are down in most of the 12 counties that switched support from Barack Obama to Donald Trump in 2016, but voters say they have confidence in the president and the economy.
Posted inTalent & Education
Choice of Michigan college can make a (million-dollar) difference
A college degree still pays off, but pays off more at some universities than others, according to a new study. Compare the return on investment at Michigan two- and four-year colleges.
Posted inTalent & Education
Community college costs soar in Michigan. Blame sinking state aid.
The cost of attending a community college varies widely in Michigan, with schools in suburban Detroit half the cost of colleges elsewhere in the state.
Posted inMichigan Health Watch
Michigan youth suicide rate doubles. What parents can do.
The spike in suicide rates comes as a national poll suggests parents struggle to know the difference between normal ups and downs of the teen years and something more serious.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan government 101: Want more taxes? Hold elections when few vote
Tax requests increasingly are popping up in elections with low turnouts, such as March’s heavily Democratic presidential primary. Governments say it saves money. Foes say it’s anti-democratic.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan counties profit from foreclosure. Supreme Court urged to halt law.
An Oakland County man lost his property to foreclosure over an $8.41 tax debt. Oakland then sold the property for $24,500 and kept the profit. His lawyers want the high court to end this practice in Michigan.
Posted inTalent & Education
Michigan schools are now average. That’s progress.
The NAEP test, known as “the nation’s report card,” shows that state students are treading water on test results, as other states’ scores are going down. As a result, Michigan has risen to middle-of-the-pack status.
Posted inTalent & Education
If literacy is a right, who pays bill, judge asks in Detroit schools suit
A closely watched Detroit case is heard by a three-judge federal panel in Cincinnati. At stake could be nothing less than a complete overhaul in how Michigan schools are funded.
Posted inTalent & Education
Is literacy a constitutional right? A Detroit legal case could decide
Education advocates hope to overturn the dismissal of a case that argued that access to literacy was protected by the U.S. Constitution. The implications for Michigan and the nation are sweeping.