What it's like to live in Ferndale
Ferndale is a small city in Michigan with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Ferndale deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
How Ferndale compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ferndale
Based on Ferndale's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,622
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,440 a year
- 35% of Ferndale renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,540
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,770
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,311/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,311 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $247,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $247,700 · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 23% below US
3.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.3%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 39% below US
200 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 1945/100k · Ferndale Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 11% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 28% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 22°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 61% above US
58% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 (40 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Ferndale's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,311/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (28% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Ferndale
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