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Grosse Pointe Woods.

All Grosse Pointe Woods data Compare Grosse Pointe Woods

16,094people live here $126,395median household income▲ 57% above US $1,879median rent per month▲ 33% above US $342,100median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Grosse Pointe Woods

Grosse Pointe Woods is a small city in Michigan with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. Grosse Pointe Woods deals with rent well above the national average, county unemployment above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a population that has been shrinking.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce
Average class sizes

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
Above-average unemployment in the county
Air quality concerns
Shrinking population
Cold winters

How Grosse Pointe Woods compares

Median household income

Grosse Pointe Woods$126,395

Michigan avg$72,875

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Grosse Pointe Woods$1,879

Michigan avg$1,129

US$1,413

Median home value

Grosse Pointe Woods$342,100

Michigan avg$231,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Grosse Pointe Woods

Based on Grosse Pointe Woods's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,758

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,160 a year
22% of Grosse Pointe Woods renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$68,420

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $34,210
Homes cost 2.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 33% above US

$1,879/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,879 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $342,100. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.

Median home value $342,100 · 22% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

6.0% county unemployment

Unemployment in Wayne County is 6.0%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Wayne County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 75% below US

82 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 1364/100k · Grosse Pointe Woods Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

24 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 24.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

68%

Work from home

27%

Carpool

3.1%

Other

0.9%

Walk

0.7%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 19°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 81% above US

65% 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

5 public schools inside the boundary

There are 5 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. 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 (44 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Grosse Pointe Woods's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and county unemployment above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,879/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (27% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone moving without a job lined up.

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