Rents are 7% below what Southfield'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 $1,539 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
February. Asking rents in Southfield usually run 0.8% below trend in February and 1% above it in August, about $28 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Southfield is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Southfield changed +4.1% 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 Southfield rose 33.6% while median household income rose 22.4% ($55,705 to $68,166). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Southfield is 37.4% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 5 months in a row, and rose in 10 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($68,166) is $1,704 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 2-bedroom ($1,557); a 3-bedroom is $1,910.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Southfield, 48075 ($1,648/mo), costs 12% more than the cheapest, 48034 ($1,473/mo).
Detroit, 11 miles away, rents for 14% less ($1,328/mo), about $2,500 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Southfield. 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
Southfield, MI is roughly split between renters and owners, has a large retiree population, 40.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Southfield, MI has changed in 5 years
Rent in Southfield, MI has increased 25.2% since 2021, going from about $1,229 per month to roughly $1,539 today. Local incomes tracked alongside that move, going from a median of $60,006 in 2021 to $68,166 more recently. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 11.6 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. About 46.6% of households rent today, against 50.6% in 2021. These shifts give renters and would-be renters a longer baseline for sizing up today's listings against the Southfield, MI market of 2021.
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At $1,539/mo, how Southfield rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Southfield rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Southfield. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Southfield
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Southfield is $1,539/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,120/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,557/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,233/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,910/mo.
At 27% of local median household income ($68,166/yr), Southfield ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 4.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Southfield?
At $1,539/mo, rent takes ~27% of Southfield's median household income ($68,166/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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