The list
Median rent as a share of renter income, Wayne County.
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1
Grosse Pointe 14.0%
Wayne County, population 5,541
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2
Northville Township 20.1%
Wayne County, population 31,557
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3
Huron Township 21.5%
Wayne County, population 16,695
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4
Northville 22.3%
Wayne County, population 6,069
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5
Grosse Pointe Woods 23.3%
Wayne County, population 16,094
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6
Plymouth 23.6%
Wayne County, population 9,214
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7
Flat Rock 23.7%
Wayne County, population 10,340
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8
Allen Park 24.3%
Wayne County, population 27,925
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9
Canton 24.3%
Wayne County, population 99,041
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10
Woodhaven 24.3%
Wayne County, population 12,690
Numbers do not play favorites, and this list is no exception. Rebuild Detroit compared 42 communities in Wayne County by median rent as a share of renter income for 2026.
Grosse Pointe comes first with 14.0%, 49% below the median. The Wayne County median is 27.6%.
Who leads the list
Grosse Pointe leads the list with 14.0% (Wayne County, population 5,541). Northville Township is second with 20.1% (Wayne County, population 31,557).
Huron Township takes third with 21.5% (Wayne County, population 16,695).
The rest of the top 10
Rounding out the top 10 are Northville (22.3%), Grosse Pointe Woods (23.3%), Plymouth (23.6%), Flat Rock (23.7%), Allen Park (24.3%), Canton (24.3%), and Woodhaven (24.3%). Every one of the top 10 is in Wayne County.
The other end of the list
At the other end of Wayne County, River Rouge has the highest figure with 43.3%. That is a spread of 29.3% between first and last place.
By the numbers
The gap between number 1 and number 2 is 6.1%. The top 10 average 22.1%, against 30.2% for the other 32 communities.
21 of the 42 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. If you are choosing where to buy, rent or put down roots, start at the top of this list and read each place's own guide before you decide.
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. Keep this page handy.
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.