Can you afford to live in Detroit?

Median household income, home values and rent in Detroit, MI — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in Detroit.

Median household income: $39,575 — +53.6% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,034/mo — +38.4% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

• 2015: 42300
• 2023: 76800

Median household income

• Detroit: 39575
• Wayne County: 59521
• MI: 71149
• U.S.: 78538

Median gross rent

• Detroit: 1034
• Wayne County: 1087
• MI: 1084
• U.S.: 1348

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 34.7% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

The typical household here earns $39,575 — far lower than the national figure of $78,538.

The typical renter here spends 34.7% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.

Since 2015, income has kept pace with rent here (+53.6% versus +38.4%), before adjusting for inflation.