What it's like to live in Clawson
Clawson is a small city in Michigan with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Clawson deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
How Clawson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Clawson
Based on Clawson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,506
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,120 a year
- 33% of Clawson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$53,420
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,710
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,253/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,253 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $267,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $267,100 · 33% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Oakland County is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Oakland County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 60% below US
131 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 593/100k · Clawson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 14% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.3 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 27% above US
46% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 46% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (45 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Clawson's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,253/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home).
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