Oakland County · Michigan · Midwest · 58k residents
Royal Oak, MI: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Royal Oak: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Michigan median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,543/wk. Michigan's corporate income tax rate is 6%. Commercial electricity averages 14.0¢/kWh.
Compare Royal Oak side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,543/wk
Corporate income tax
6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
64.1%
Commercial electricity
14.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Royal Oak's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
38/100
Steady
Ranks Royal Oak's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $328,700 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $155 |
| Property tax rate | 1.35% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,188/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,463/mo |
| State & local income tax | 5.25% |
| Sales tax | 6% |
| Corporate income tax | 6% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,543/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.1% |
| Commercial electricity | 14.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 34.4/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $130,760 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $97,280 |
| Wage: General manager | $104,010 |
| Wage: Customer service | $44,730 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $36,720 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $59,120 |
| Wage: Electrician | $81,990 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $35,130 |
| Cost of living index | 94 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $175/mo |
| Transit pass | $60/mo |
| Gas price | $3.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 96 |
| Childcare (per child) | $950/mo |
| Median household income | $101,109 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% |
| Population | 58k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.3/10 |
| Walkability | 34/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 175 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 20°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.6% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +2.6% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.5% |
| Building permits YoY | +1.4% |
| Ocean coast | 494 mi |
| Big lake | 16 mi |
| Mountains | 323 mi |
| Major airport | 22 mi |
| Ski resort | 200 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Madison Heights, MI · 28k
- Ferndale, MI · 19k
- Berkley, MI · 15k
- Oak Park, MI · 29k
- Troy, MI · 88k
Similar size
- St. Clair Shores, MI · 58k
- Kentwood, MI · 54k
- Dearborn Heights, MI · 62k
- Taylor, MI · 62k
- Pontiac, MI · 62k
Real listings in Royal Oak
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Royal Oak a good place to run a business?
- Michigan's corporate income tax rate is 6%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,543/wk; commercial electricity averages 14.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Royal Oak, MI?
- Royal Oak indexes at 94 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,463/mo and a acs median home value of $328,700.
- How much does a house cost in Royal Oak?
- The acs median home value in Royal Oak is $328,700 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Royal Oak?
- A two-bedroom in Royal Oak rents for about $1,463/mo.