?WhereToHQ

Residential comparison · 13 facts

Dearborn Heights, MI vs Royal Oak, MI

Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.

A household earning $85,000 in Dearborn Heights needs about $87,000 in Royal Oak to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Royal Oak, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $83,000 in Dearborn Heights.

A few differences

Dearborn Heights vs Royal Oak · facet by facet
FacetDearborn Heights, MIRoyal Oak, MI
Median home price$185,100$328,700
2-bedroom rent$1,360/mo$1,463/mo
Property tax rate1.35%1.35%
State & local income tax5.25%5.25%
Sales tax6%6%
Cost of living index8594
Groceries index9595
Utilities$175/mo$175/mo
Median household income$60,391$101,109
Unemployment rate4.1%4.1%
Crime index45/10045/100
School rating5.3/105.3/10
Sunny days / year175 days175 days

Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.

Full profiles: Dearborn Heights, MI · Royal Oak, MI
Questions & answers
Is Dearborn Heights cheaper than Royal Oak?
Dearborn Heights has the lower day-to-day cost index (85 vs 94 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
What household income in Royal Oak equals $85,000 in Dearborn Heights?
A household earning $85,000 in Dearborn Heights needs about $87,000 in Royal Oak to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Royal Oak lifestyle costs about $83,000 in Dearborn Heights.