The list
Median rent as a share of renter income, Metro Detroit.
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1
Armada 51.0%
Macomb County, population 1,994
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2
Armada Township 51.0%
Macomb County, population 5,325
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3
Bingham Farms 51.0%
Oakland County, population 1,680
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4
Oxford 51.0%
Oakland County, population 3,474
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5
Rich Township 51.0%
Lapeer County, population 1,634
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6
Unadilla Township 51.0%
Livingston County, population 3,318
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7
White Lake 49.2%
Oakland County, population 31,046
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8
Richmond 46.5%
Macomb County, population 5,855
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9
Addison Township 45.9%
Oakland County, population 6,278
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10
Groveland Township 43.6%
Oakland County, population 6,069
Every list tells a story if you know how to read it. Rebuild Detroit compared 191 communities in Metro Detroit by median rent as a share of renter income for 2026.
Armada comes first with 51.0%, 80% above the median. The Metro Detroit median is 28.4%.
Who leads the list
Armada leads the list with 51.0% (Macomb County, population 1,994). Armada Township is second with 51.0% (Macomb County, population 5,325).
Bingham Farms takes third with 51.0% (Oakland County, population 1,680).
The rest of the top 10
Rounding out the top 10 are Oxford (51.0%), Rich Township (51.0%), Unadilla Township (51.0%), White Lake (49.2%), Richmond (46.5%), Addison Township (45.9%), and Groveland Township (43.6%). Oakland County holds 5 of the top 10 spots, and Macomb County holds 3.
The other end of the list
At the other end of Metro Detroit, Clyde Township has the lowest figure with 9.0%. That is a spread of 42.0% between first and last place.
By the numbers
The top 10 average 49.1%, against 28.6% for the other 181 communities. 93 of the 191 communities sit above the median.
What it means for you
So what does that mean for you?
Housing counselors treat 30% of income as the line where rent starts to squeeze everything else. A low spot here is not a verdict on the people who live there. It is one public number, and numbers move when a community moves them.
How we ranked
Every number is the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Communities with fewer than 1,000 residents are left out.
Ties are broken alphabetically.
Final word
This list updates when the numbers behind it do, and every place on it links to its own guide on Rebuild Detroit. That is the story so far.
Sources
Editor In Chief, Detroit Ledger
Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends.