Dearborn, MI Cost Of Living

The latest cost of living statistics for Dearborn. Includes statistics on rent, mortgages, healthcare, and other costs for Dearborn compared to the state and national averages.

Cost of living in Dearborn, Michigan

Cost of living in Dearborn research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Dearborn is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in Michigan, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

97 Cost of living index 1.0x lower vs US
#121 Cheapest in Michigan (of 179)
#2,094 Cheapest in the U.S. (of 6,489)
$245,068 Median home value
$1,327 Median rent
$65,324 Median income
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What is the cost of living in Dearborn, MI?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Dearborn has an overall cost of living index of 97, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.

Compared to Michigan, Dearborn has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Michigan's index of 91.

The standard of living in Dearborn ranks as #121 most affordable out of the 179 places we measured in Michigan. By definition, that implies Dearborn ranks as the #58 most expensive place in the Wolverine State.

For more reading on life in Dearborn, check out:

Dearborn Cost Of Living Vs. Michigan

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Dearborn. Here is how it fares on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Dearborn is 101.

  • The Groceries index in Dearborn is 97.

  • The Health index in Dearborn is 91.

  • The Housing index in Dearborn is 99.

  • The Transportation index in Dearborn is 105.

  • The Utilities index in Dearborn is 93.

Living Expense Dearborn Michigan National Average
Overall 97 91 100
Services 101 97 100
Groceries 97 98 100
Health 91 75 100
Housing 99 98 100
Transportation 105 101 100
Utilities 93 98 100

Dearborn Cost Of Living Compared To Michigan Averages

Services
Dearborn 101
Michigan avg 97
Groceries
Dearborn 97
Michigan avg 98
Health
Dearborn 91
Michigan avg 75
Housing
Dearborn 99
Michigan avg 98
Transportation
Dearborn 105
Michigan avg 101
Utilities
Dearborn 93
Michigan avg 98

Index where 100 = national average. Source: cost-of-living index 2026.

For more reading on cost of living around Michigan, check out:

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Source: Cost-of-living index 2026, normalized to US average = 100

Dearborn, MI Housing Cost Breakdown

$245,068Median Home Value
$1,327Median Rent
$65,324Median Income

Housing swings affordability the most between places in Michigan, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2020-2024. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Dearborn is $245,068.

  • The Median Rent in Dearborn is $1,327.

  • The Median Income in Dearborn is $65,324.

  • The Home Value To Income in Dearborn is 3.8x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Dearborn is 0.24x.

Statistic Dearborn Michigan United States
Median Home Value $245,068 $259,857 $332,700
Median Rent $1,327 $1,129 $1,413
Median Income $65,324 $72,875 $80,734
Home Value To Income 3.8x 3.6x 4.1x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.24x 0.19x 0.21x

Dearborn, MI Costs By Category

Detailed Dearborn Services costs vs. Michigan
Item Dearborn Michigan
Shampoo $1.13 $1.28
Movie $12.99 $12.13
Bowling $12.33 $18
Haircut $16.8 $24.26
Beauty Salon $24.78 $45.56
Detailed Dearborn Groceries costs vs. Michigan
Item Dearborn Michigan
Ground Beef $5.75 $5.84
Fried Chicken $1.41 $1.57
Milk $4.78 $4.67
Potatoes $4.8 $4.93
Pizza $8.99 $12.09
Beer $9.04 $10.41
Toothpaste $3.66 $3.7
Detailed Dearborn Health costs vs. Michigan
Item Dearborn Michigan
Optometrist $85.0 $125.68
Doctor $103.33 $135.78
Dentist $91.0 $113.29
Detailed Dearborn Transportation costs vs. Michigan
Item Dearborn Michigan
Gasoline $3.35 $3.46
Tire Balancing $56.0 $59.92
Detailed Dearborn Utilities costs vs. Michigan
Item Dearborn Michigan
All Electricity $219.2 $193.99
Phone $184.44 $192.25

Dearborn SnackAbility

6Overall SnackAbility
Jobs 6/10
Housing 8/10
Affordability 7/10
Diversity 6/10
Safety 6/10
Amenities 9.5/10
Education 6/10
Commute 8.5/10

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Dearborn

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Dearborn. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • Detroit, MI has a cost of living index of 83, 0.9x Dearborn.

  • Troy, MI has a cost of living index of 114, 1.2x Dearborn.

  • Novi, MI has a cost of living index of 116, 1.2x Dearborn.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Dearborn
Detroit, MI 638,530 83 0.9x
Troy, MI 87,898 114 1.2x
Novi, MI 66,717 116 1.2x
Taylor, MI 62,081 88 0.9x
Dearborn Heights, MI 61,771 93 1.0x
Royal Oak, MI 57,950 107 1.1x
Lincoln Park, MI 39,257 87 0.9x
Allen Park, MI 27,925 94 1.0x
Inkster, MI 25,428 84 0.9x
Birmingham, MI 21,763 146 1.5x