What it's like to live in Troy
Troy 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. Troy deals with home prices well above the national average, 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
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
How Troy compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Troy
Based on Troy's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,204
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,080 a year
- 32% of Troy renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,030
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 13% above US
$1,602/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,602 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $420,300. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $420,300 · 32% 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▼ 72% below US
93 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 928/100k · Troy 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; 23% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 80% 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
25 public schools inside the boundary
There are 25 public schools inside the boundary and 4 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 (48 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Troy's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are home prices well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,602/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 (23% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Troy
All Michigan guides →Not sure Troy is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.