Michigan city guide

Housing Costs and Affordability in Detroit, Michigan

Detroit has about 638,530 residents. Median gross rent is $1,074 per month, while median household income is $39,938.

Quick answer

What income supports the median rent?

A household would need about $43,000 per year to keep Detroit's median gross rent near 30% of gross income. The current citywide median-rent-to-median-income benchmark is 32%.

High housing-cost benchmark

Data scope: figures use 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates. The latest official release was checked Aug 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. The benchmark compares citywide medians and is designed for broad relocation research, not an individual budget or a live apartment search.

Personal rent check

Test Detroit rent against your income

Enter gross annual household income to compare a 30% monthly housing target with the citywide median gross rent.

Your result will appear here.

Median gross rent$1,074/mo35% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$13
Income for 30% rent target$43,000Gross annual household incomeDerived MOE ±$500
Median household income$39,93852% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$937
Median home value$83,90078% below the dataset median90% MOE ±$1,317
Owner-occupied homes50%Share of occupied units
Home value-to-income2.1xMedian value ÷ income

High estimate precision Margins of error use the Census ACS 90% confidence level. Smaller geographies and subgroups can have wider uncertainty.

Major-city decision brief · Priority city 17 of 30

What stands out for a move to Detroit

Four signals derived from the same Census dataset help separate the renting, buying and ownership picture.

  1. 01

    Income versus the rent target

    Median household income is $3,062 below the $43,000 income associated with median rent at 30%. The two medians point to tighter renter pressure before personal expenses are considered.

  2. 02

    Rent position inside Michigan

    Detroit ranks #20 from lowest to highest rent among 59 covered Michigan cities. Its rent is 35% below the dataset median across the full 10-state dataset.

  3. 03

    Buying requires a different scale of income

    Median home value equals 2.1x median household income, 51% below the dataset median. This ratio does not include rates, down payment, property tax, insurance or maintenance.

  4. 04

    Ownership is one part of the local housing mix

    50% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, 20% below the dataset median. The remaining share includes renter-occupied housing and should not be read as current inventory availability.

How Detroit compares

Median rent is 35% below the dataset median, while household income is 52% below the dataset median. Within Michigan, Detroit ranks #20 from lowest to highest rent and #55 from highest to lowest household income among 59 cities in the current dataset.

The citywide rent-to-income benchmark is above 30%. This benchmark is useful for comparing cities under one formula, but households with different incomes, unit sizes or debt loads will experience costs differently.

Renting snapshot

$12,888 in annual median rent

Twelve months of median gross rent totals about $12,888. Gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable in the ACS definition.

Buying snapshot

6.5x price-to-rent baseline

Median home value is about 6.5x annual median rent. This is a broad market comparison and does not include mortgage rates, taxes, insurance or maintenance.

Search terms, defined

How to read rent, home price and AMI searches

These distinctions keep the Census estimates comparable and prevent a historical survey measure from being mistaken for a live market quote.

Average rent vs. median gross rent
If you searched for the average rent in Detroit, the closest consistent Census measure on this page is $1,074 median gross rent. It is the midpoint among renter-occupied homes, not a live average asking rent. Gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable.
Home price vs. median home value
The reported $83,900 median home value is the midpoint of owner estimates for owner-occupied homes. It is not an average sale price, listing price or current automated valuation.
Household income vs. AMI
The $39,938 median household income is a Census city estimate. It is not HUD Area Median Income (AMI), an AMI eligibility limit or an affordable-housing contract amount.

Keep comparing

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Questions people ask

What is the median rent in Detroit?

Median gross rent is $1,074 per month in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the average rent in Detroit?

This page reports Census median gross rent of $1,074 per month, not a live average asking rent. Median is the midpoint among renter-occupied homes; gross rent includes contract rent plus estimated tenant-paid utilities where applicable.

What income is needed for the median rent?

A gross household income of about $43,000 per year would keep median gross rent near 30% of income. This is a planning benchmark, not a landlord qualification rule.

Is housing affordable in Detroit?

The citywide median-rent-to-median-income benchmark is 32%, which this site labels a high housing-cost benchmark. Individual costs can differ substantially.

Does this page report Area Median Income or AMI?

No. The $39,938 figure is Census median household income for the city. It is not HUD Area Median Income, an AMI limit or an affordable-housing contract amount.

What is the median home value in Detroit?

The median value of owner-occupied homes is $83,900 in the 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year estimates.

What is the average home price in Detroit?

This page reports a Census median owner-occupied home value of $83,900, not an average sale price, current listing price or real-time market estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates. Latest release checked Aug 01, 2026 at 03:00 UTC. Review the definitions and methodology.