What it's like to live in Southfield
Southfield is a smaller city in Michigan with home prices that remain within reach, a highly educated workforce, hospitals with strong quality ratings, 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. Southfield 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
- Affordable home prices
- Highly educated workforce
- Strong hospital ratings
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Cold, harsh winters
How Southfield compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Southfield
Based on Southfield's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,680
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,600 a year
- 52% of Southfield renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,620
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,340/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,340 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $236,200. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $236,200 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 35% above US
5.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.8%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 77% above US
585 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2322/100k · Southfield Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 17% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 18°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 13% above US
41% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
18 public schools inside the boundary
There are 18 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (39 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Southfield's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,340/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (17% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
Other places near Southfield
All Michigan guides →Moving to Beverly Hills →
3 mi away · pop. 10,524
Rent $2,077/mo · Income $177,412
Compare with Southfield →Moving to Birmingham →
5 mi away · pop. 21,763
Rent $1,902/mo · Income $153,510
Compare with Southfield →Not sure Southfield is the one?
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