What it's like to live in Dearborn Heights
Dearborn Heights is a smaller city in Michigan with home prices that remain within reach 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 Heights deals with household incomes below the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High poverty rate
- Cold winters
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Dearborn Heights compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Dearborn Heights
Based on Dearborn Heights's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,662
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,240 a year
- 47% of Dearborn Heights renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$37,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $18,510
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,331/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,331 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $185,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $185,100 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 17% above US
387 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1260/100k · Dearborn Heights Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.9 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% 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
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
22 public schools inside the boundary
There are 22 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (28 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Dearborn Heights's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,331/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
See all the data for Dearborn Heights →·All Michigan cities →
Other places near Dearborn Heights
All Michigan guides →Moving to Inkster →
2 mi away · pop. 25,428
Rent $1,170/mo · Income $39,252
Compare with Dearborn Heights →Moving to Dearborn →
3 mi away · pop. 107,423
Rent $1,327/mo · Income $65,324
Compare with Dearborn Heights →Moving to Garden City →
3 mi away · pop. 26,739
Rent $1,150/mo · Income $67,294
Compare with Dearborn Heights →Moving to Allen Park →
5 mi away · pop. 27,925
Rent $1,246/mo · Income $81,655
Compare with Dearborn Heights →Not sure Dearborn Heights is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.