City comparison
Ann Arbor, MI is about 30 miles (50 km) from Detroit, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 40 miles, or about 41 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 Detroit, MI takes about 4 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.
Detroit has a population of 636,787, vs 122,216 in Ann Arbor — about 5.2× larger by population. By land area, Detroit covers about 140 sq mi vs 28 sq mi for Ann Arbor.
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 | Detroit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,472/mo | $989/mo | 48.8% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Median home value | $416,500 | $66,700 | 524.4% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Median household income | $78,546 | $37,761 | 108.0% higher in Ann Arbor |
| Groceries index | 93.9 | 99.0 | 5.4% higher in Detroit |
| Utilities index | 97.6 | 103.7 | 6.3% higher in Detroit |
| Transportation index | 99.3 | 102.7 | 3.4% higher in Detroit |
| Healthcare index | 99.5 | 103.4 | 3.9% higher in Detroit |
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 $90,159 in Detroit to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 9.8% cheaper overall than Ann Arbor, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 34% higher in Ann Arbor than in Detroit. If you earn $80,000 in Ann Arbor, you'd need about $72,127 in Detroit to keep the same standard of living.