What it's like to live in Dearborn
Dearborn is a mid-size city in Michigan with home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Dearborn deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and hospital ratings below the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Dearborn compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dearborn
Based on Dearborn's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,654
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,080 a year
- 56% of Dearborn renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,880
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,327/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,327 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $218,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $218,800 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 24% below US
249 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1730/100k · Dearborn Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 17% below US
22 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 21.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 20°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
41 public schools inside the boundary
There are 41 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (29 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dearborn's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,327/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Dearborn
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