Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetMI-ANN-ARBOR-MI · Ann Arbor, MI 121,179 pop · income 62nd pct · 107 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Ann Arbor
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ann Arbor on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
College Stati… · lowest
51,776
College Stati… · lowest
51,776 median HH income
43.4% of the leader · rank #1
Gonzalez · near
81,080
Gonzalez · near
81,080 median HH income
68.0% of the leader · rank #2
Ann Arbor · this city
81,089
Ann Arbor · this city
81,089 median HH income
68.0% of the leader · rank #3
McIntosh · near
81,094
McIntosh · near
81,094 median HH income
68.0% of the leader · rank #4
Squaw Valley · near
81,094
Squaw Valley · near
81,094 median HH income
68.0% of the leader · rank #5
Riverside · near
81,094
Riverside · near
81,094 median HH income
68.0% of the leader · rank #6
Troy · highest
119,299
Troy · highest
119,299 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ann Arbor on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 121,179.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Ann Arbor - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Ann Arbor lands in the 62nd percentile for household income and the 32nd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
62nd
percentile, household income
80th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
32nd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Ann Arbor, MI
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 121,179 residents in Ann Arbor, a mid-sized U.S. city within Michigan. Median household income here is $81,089 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.8%. Typical homes in Ann Arbor are valued around $435,100, and the median resident age is 27.7 years. Educational attainment runs 77.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 58.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 294 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 206% from five years earlier. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2018.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Michigan at 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,113 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $238 across Michigan, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Ann Arbor's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from within-city variation to comparison shortlist to reported crime to schools and households to population change to housing and income to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Ann Arbor, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What can 107 Census tracts reveal inside Ann Arbor?
PlainCities matches 107 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
Which cities make useful reference points for Ann Arbor?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Lansing (112,546 residents, $52,170 income); Sterling Heights (133,473 residents, $78,429 income); Dearborn (107,846 residents, $65,192 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Lafayette, LA (121,537 residents); Rochester, MN (121,638 residents); Independence, MO (121,944 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Ann Arbor?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2018.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 12% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
What does the education layer cover for Ann Arbor?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 77.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Ann Arbor growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -1,539 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 294 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
123,772
2025 estimate
122,233
Period change
-1.2%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Ann Arbor?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
5.4×
Home value
$435,100
Household income
$81,089
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What does the journey to work look like in Ann Arbor?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 45.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Drive alone
45.6%
Work from home
26.2%
Public transit
7.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 61,541 workers age 16+.
Above median income · poverty 6.8% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
C
City profile score · Ann Arbor, MI
59/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A+
77.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C+
$81,089
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living C
96.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate C-
6.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
303 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Ann Arbor profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 100/100 (A+) · 77.7%
Household income: 60/100 (C+) · $81,089
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Poverty rate: 54/100 (C-) · 6.8%
Violent crime: 33/100 (F) · 303 /100k
Where Ann Arbor sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Ann Arbor's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Ann Arbor highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Ann Arbor, MI (this city): home $435,100, crime 2,018/100k
Lafayette, LA : home $251,300, crime 5,414/100k
Rochester, MN : home $287,500, crime 1,523/100k
Independence, MO : home $166,400, crime 4,095/100k
Berkeley, CA : home $1,351,100, crime 5,868/100k
College Station, TX : home $326,500, crime 1,273/100k
Fairfield, CA : home $592,500, crime 2,184/100k
Lansing, MI : home $119,400, crime 3,844/100k
Sterling Heights, MI : home $260,700, crime 1,272/100k
Dearborn, MI : home $205,900, crime 2,292/100k
Warren, MI : home $181,900, crime 2,096/100k
Livonia, MI : home $265,300, crime 1,490/100k
Troy, MI : home $396,800, crime 1,392/100k
How does Ann Arbor compare to other US cities?
Ann Arbor measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income62% higher than other cities
Home value80% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety32% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Michigan and the picture shifts: Ann Arbor ranks #185 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Ann Arbor against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Michigan only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Michigan-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Ann Arbor near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ann Arbor ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ann Arbor only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#130 of 718
82nd percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#31 of 721
96th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#413 of 727
42nd percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#12 of 727
98th percentile in Michigan
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Michigan only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
62nd percentile nationally for median household income · 32nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Ann Arbor's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Ann Arbor's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Ann Arbor's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$435,10020th percentilemore affordable than 20% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Ann Arbor's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,405 of 15,516
More affordable than 14% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#501 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.4×, Ann Arbor sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,405 of 15,516 and #501 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$81,089Ann Arbor, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Ann Arbor, MI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ann Arbor, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)77.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.6%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
121,179
Median Income
$81,089
Median Home Value
$435,100
Median Age
27.7
Poverty Rate
6.8%
Labor force participation
58.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
77.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2018.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
302.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1715.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Ann Arbor's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
123,772 residents
2021
119,534 residents
2022
121,110 residents
2023
121,885 residents
2024
121,447 residents
2025
122,233 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
294
housing units authorized
Single-Family
28
detached homes
Multifamily
266
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
96
96
0
$24.4M
2020
254
96
158
$39.1M
2021
227
175
52
$56.5M
2022
139
135
4
$39.7M
2023
222
161
61
$57.1M
2024
294
28
266
$97.2M
Permit volume increased 206% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
45.6%
Carpool
5.0%
Public Transit
7.3%
Walk
13.1%
Work from Home
26.2%
Other
2.8%
Based on 61,541 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Michigan statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $238
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Michigan at $238 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Michigan statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ann Arbor. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Michigan's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ann Arbor is $1,113/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Michigan statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Michigan statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ann Arbor sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Ann Arbor compares to similar-size Michigan cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.