City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI is about 30 miles (40 km) from Dearborn, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 33 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Ann Arbor, MI to Dearborn, MI takes about 3 min, covering roughly 30 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Ann Arbor has a population of 122,216, vs 108,414 in Dearborn — about 1.1× larger by population. By land area, Ann Arbor covers about 28 sq mi vs 24 sq mi for Dearborn.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Ann Arbor | Dearborn | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $1,205/mo | 22.2% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $189,400 | 119.9% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $64,600 | 21.6% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 98.6 | 4.9% higher in Dearborn |
| Utilities index | 97.6 | 105.6 | 8.2% higher in Dearborn |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 102.1 | 2.8% higher in Dearborn |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 102.3 | 2.8% higher in Dearborn |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need $90,627 in Dearborn to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Dearborn, MI is about 9.4% cheaper overall than Ann Arbor, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 31% higher in Ann Arbor than in Dearborn. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $72,502 in Dearborn to keep the same standard of living.