VarroExplore other towns

Ann Arbor, MI

Government town · 38.7% of jobs are government, including public universities (U.S. 12.1%)College town · College teaching jobs 2.7x the U.S. share

Milan is part of the Ann Arbor area. This page covers the whole metro.

Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor May
Ann Arbor Skyline
Ann Arbor Skyline · Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ann Arbor pedestrianised Main Sreet
Ann Arbor pedestrianised Main Sreet · Photo: Lengau, CC BY-SA 4.0
Argo Dam
Blake Transit Center from northeast
Blake Transit Center from northeast · Photo: Lengau, CC BY-SA 4.0
Boardwalk near Barton Drive
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, spring
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, spring · Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
Huron River Ann Arbor
Huron River Ann Arbor · Photo: AndrewHorne, CC BY 3.0
Main Street Post Office Ann Arbor MI
Main Street Post Office Ann Arbor MI · Photo: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Main Street Ann Arbor
Main Street Ann Arbor · Photo: Detroit Publishing Co, Public domain
Michigan Theater
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI · Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
More towns near Ann Arbor
Ranks the towns around it by your budget and what you love doing.
Ann Arbor hasn't been added yet

Sign in (free) to add it. It takes about a minute, and then anyone can read it.

Where it is
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor in Michigan
Michigan in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the Ann Arbor area.

43
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
93
coffee shops
148
parks
200+
playgrounds
18
libraries
3
movie theaters
11
live theaters
9
museums
34
bookstores
44
gyms
33
bars
14
pharmacies
6
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the Ann Arbor area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
149 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
348 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 55,741 rented homes in the Ann Arbor area, 81% rent for under $2,000 a month and 95% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 19%
$1,000 to $1,499: 39%
$1,500 to $1,999: 23%
$2,000 to $2,499: 10%
$2,500 to $2,999: 3%
$3,000 or more: 5%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the Ann Arbor area rents for $1,000 to $1,499 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $2,000 to $2,998 before you get the keys.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Your first weeks in Michigan

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Michigan DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Michigan voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, Elizabeth Street, Ann Arbor, MI · Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0

8 public school districts in this county, with about 36,299 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Ann Arbor Public Schools · Ann Arbor
17,026 students · 13.8 students per teacher · 32 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Saline Area Schools · Saline
4,870 students · 17.5 students per teacher · 8 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Ypsilanti Community Schools · Ypsilanti
3,721 students · 14.5 students per teacher · 12 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Lincoln Consolidated School District · Ypsilanti
3,566 students · 18.8 students per teacher · 6 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Dexter Community School District · Dexter
3,386 students · 13.8 students per teacher · 7 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Michigan keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$228/week
about $11,900 a year
$240/week
about $12,500 a year
Toddler (2)$228/week
about $11,900 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$224/week
about $11,600 a year
$222/week
about $11,500 a year
School-age$205/week
about $10,700 a year

For an infant at a center: $228/week here, $166 across MI, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 10% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Michigan →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

4 colleges in the county around Ann Arbor. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor
Public, 4-year · 52,065 students · $18,309 in-state, $60,107 out-of-state
Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti
Public, 4-year · 13,324 students · $16,260 a year
Washtenaw Community College · Ann Arbor
Public, 2-year (community college) · 10,756 students · $2,736 in-district, $6,336 out-of-state
Concordia University Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 1,351 students · $34,200 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$416,914
What a typical home sells for across the Ann Arbor area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 1% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $101 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 100.9 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 49 min at rush hour
To downtown Detroit, MI, 49 miles. About 49 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
23 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
None within 15 miles
No mapped data center buildings near the town center.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $2,924 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in MI. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
6 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
11.2 per 100,000 people a year
42 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. MI average: 17.2 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 10 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 373 people without housing in the Washtenaw County area: 350 in shelters and 23 outside, up from 330 in 2024. MI: 10 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$87,156
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
1.56% of home value a year
About $1,560 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Flat 4.25%
MI's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

More towns in Michigan →