City comparison
Dearborn, MI is about 10 miles (10 km) from Detroit, MI in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 9 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 Dearborn, MI to Detroit, MI takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 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 108,414 in Dearborn — about 5.9× larger by population. By land area, Detroit covers about 140 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 | Dearborn | Detroit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,205/mo | $989/mo | 21.8% higher in Dearborn |
| Median home value | $189,400 | $66,700 | 184.0% higher in Dearborn |
| Median household income | $64,600 | $37,761 | 71.1% higher in Dearborn |
| Groceries index | 98.6 | 99.0 | ≈ equal (Detroit slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 105.6 | 103.7 | 1.8% higher in Dearborn |
| Transportation index | 102.1 | 102.7 | 0.6% higher in Detroit |
| Healthcare index | 102.3 | 103.4 | 1.1% 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 Dearborn, you'd need $99,483 in Detroit to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Detroit, MI is about 0.5% cheaper overall than Dearborn, MI, based on our cost-of-living index. If you earn $80,000 in Dearborn, you'd need about $79,587 in Detroit to keep the same standard of living.