What it's like to live in Detroit
Detroit is a major city in Michigan with rent below the national average, 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. Detroit deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- Below-average hospital ratings
How Detroit compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Detroit
Based on Detroit's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,148
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $42,960 a year
- 54% of Detroit renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$16,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $8,390
- Homes cost 2.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,074/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,074 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $83,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $83,900 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 133% above US
10.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 10.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 402% above US
1654 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 3955/100k · Detroit Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.8 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 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 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
10 hospitals
There are 10 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.1 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 50% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
189 public schools inside the boundary
There are 189 public schools inside the boundary and 15 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (35 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Detroit's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,074/mo) equals 32% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.