What it's like to live in Royal Oak
Royal Oak is a smaller city in Michigan with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Royal Oak deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, cold winters, and snowy winters.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
How Royal Oak compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Royal Oak
Based on Royal Oak's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,762
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,240 a year
- 32% of Royal Oak renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$65,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,870
- 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
$1,381/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,381 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $328,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $328,700 · 32% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 40% below US
2.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.6%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 54% below US
153 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 746/100k · Royal Oak Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.8 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% 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, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 78% above US
64% 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
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 (43 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Royal Oak's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,381/mo) equals 16% 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 (27% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Royal Oak
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