Rents are 6% below what Pontiac's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,351 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
March. Asking rents in Pontiac usually run 0.8% below trend in March and 0.9% above it in August, about $23 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Pontiac is 0.1% below its high of $1,353 in October 2025, at $1,351 as of September 2026.
Rent in Pontiac changed +0.3% over the year to September 2026. Across the 79 Michigan cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.1%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Pontiac rose 45.8% while median household income rose 32.1% ($33,568 to $44,329). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Pontiac is 49.9% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($44,329) is $1,108 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 1-bedroom ($980); a 2-bedroom is $1,240.
Grand Blanc, 25 miles away, rents for 20% less ($1,079/mo), about $3,300 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Pontiac. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Pontiac, MI is roughly split between renters and owners, has a median income below the national average, 16.1% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Pontiac, MI has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2021, rent in Pontiac, MI has climbed by $354 per month, settling near $1,351 after starting the period at $997. On the earnings side, the typical household in Pontiac, MI now reports about $44,329, up from $36,214 in 2021. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 13.1 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Headcount in the area went from 61,498 to 62,104 between 2021 and 2024, a 1.0% change. About 53.4% of households rent today, against 57% in 2021. For context, the 2021 to 2026 window covers an unusually volatile run for US rents nationally, and Pontiac, MI reflects that arc in its own way.
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Can you afford rent in Pontiac on your salary?
At $1,351/mo, how Pontiac rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Pontiac rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Pontiac. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Pontiac
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Pontiac is $1,351/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $895/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,240/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $980/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,515/mo.
At 37% of local median household income ($44,329/yr), Pontiac ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.3% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Pontiac?
At $1,351/mo, rent takes ~37% of Pontiac's median household income ($44,329/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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