What it's like to live in Warren
Warren is a mid-size city in Michigan with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, 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. Warren deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High rent burden for renters
How Warren compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Warren
Based on Warren's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,450
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $49,000 a year
- 52% of Warren renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$38,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $19,340
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 13% below US
$1,225/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,225 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $193,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $193,400 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 47% above US
6.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 6.3%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 51% above US
497 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 1371/100k · Warren Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 13% 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
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 1.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 42% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
44 public schools inside the boundary
There are 44 public schools inside the boundary and 6 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 (44 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Warren's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,225/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Warren
All Michigan guides →Not sure Warren is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.