Should I Move To
Pontiac, Michigan comes in at about 61,965 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — essentially matching the national average. Rent typically lands near $947/mo, and the median household income is about $40,307. Overall, 39/100 on our composite score, which works out to a F, putting it at #822 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 98 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $947/mo and median household income at $40,307, housing takes about 28% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $100,100.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect cold-winter weather — summers near 82°F, winters around 22°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 34 inches annually. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI runs about 46 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Pontiac is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 42/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (1/100).
Pontiac is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 51/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (1/100).
Pontiac is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 54/100 — a C-. Its standout dimension is affordability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (1/100).
Pontiac is a tougher sell for young professionals. The profile-weighted score is 37/100 — a F. Its standout dimension is affordability (72/100); the soft spot is job market (1/100).
Our overall score for Pontiac is 39/100 — a F, sitting at #822 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Pontiac sits at 98 — moderate, essentially matching the national average. Median renter pays around $947 a month.
Pontiac runs cold-winter on the weather. Summer's near 82°F, winter's near 22°F; 34 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 53/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 61,965 people live here, with 16% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 34.
Drop Pontiac into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Pontiac with other Michigan cities scored on UrbRank.
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