Affording Detroit
“Detroit is a cheap place to live.” That’s one of the most persistent tropes about Michigan’s largest city, but basic expenses — from housing to transportation — are out of reach for many of its residents.
The idea that Detroit is affordable belies the experience of most of the city’s households — and makes it too easy for policymakers and power brokers to avoid helping Detroiters meet their challenges.
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Average child care costs in Detroit are higher than federal government recommends
When Detroiter Wendy Caldwell-Lidell and her husband first looked into child care for their second child, Nina, about six years ago, they were aghast at the cost. “It was more than our rent payment every month, is what I remember. And our rent at the time was $1,100,” Caldwell-Lidell said.
Paying too much just to keep the lights on
Many Detroiters’ DTE bills are higher than the average because so many homes are older and don’t cool down or heat up as efficiently as newer ones.
Crime doesn’t explain why Detroit’s auto insurance rates are so high
Readers asked if car break-ins and thefts explained the big difference in rates. We revisited our analysis to find out.
Money or time: Transit in Detroit is expensive, one way or another
The best place to ask Detroiters about the city’s unreliable public transportation system is the bus. When we tried on a recent day to do just that, our bus was more than 20 minutes late.
Detroiters skip bills, go without basics — and still can’t make ends meet
More than a quarter of survey respondents said they fell behind on bills six months of the year or more, and about 12% said they come up short on their bills every month.
‘Absolutely terrible’: Detroit housing market is bad for buyers, worse for renters
A large percentage of Detroiters struggle to find a home they can afford that’s in decent shape. That’s what people who responded to Outlier Media’s questions about the costs of living in Detroit told us.
Insurance reforms were supposed to bring relief. Detroit drivers are still paying more because of where they live
The average cost of auto insurance in Detroit is $5,300 a year, more than any other big city in the country.
