Midland is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Midland have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Midland’s economy is one such example of this.
One of the benefits of Midland is that there is very little traffic. The average commute to work is 7.50 minutes, which is substantially less than the national average. Not only does this mean that the drive to work is less aggravating, but noise and pollution levels are lower as a result.
"If you live in Midland, you are going to have to drive to get to work," say area residents. At least that is what most Midland residents do (100.00%). Midland is primarily built for cars, and driving around town will bare this out. Shopping centers, parking lots, strip malls, and wide streets are what you'll find. Sidewalks? Sure. But not everywhere, and walking to most places can be downright scary.
The city of Midland is a decent size, but despite this, it doesn't have a viable public transit system that people can use to get to work.
In terms of college education, Midland ranks among the least educated cities in the nation, as only 0.00% of people over 25 have a bachelor's degree or advanced degree.
The people who call Midland home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Midland residents report their race to be White. Important ancestries of people in Midland include German, Polish, French Canadian, Yugoslavian, and Other West Indian.
The most common language spoken in Midland is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Italian.
