ZIP Code · MI

ZIP 48197

Part of Ypsilanti, MI

Pop. 66,525·Washtenaw County·135th most expensive ZIP in Michigan

Median rent (all units)

$1,227/mo

Year-over-Year

+1.6%

Month-over-Month

-0.2%

vs US Median

-$705

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 48197 · $1,227

More affordable than 90% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,220

1 BR

$1,240

2 BR

$1,480

3 BR

$1,770

4 BR+

$1,960

Research median

$1,480/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

November. Asking rents in ZIP 48197 usually run 0.6% below trend in November and 0.7% above it in July, about $16 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 48197 is 1.3% below its high of $1,243 in May 2026, at $1,227 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Michigan

Rent in ZIP 48197 changed +1.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 134 Michigan ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +4.4%.

Rent vs. income since 2019

From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 48197 rose 34.8% while median household income rose 20.2% ($61,341 to $73,737). Rent outpaced income.

Since before the pandemic

Rent in ZIP 48197 is 38.5% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.

Recent direction

Rent has fallen 3 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($73,737) is $1,843 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,770); a 4-bedroom is $1,960.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 48197. 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.

Annual cost

$14,724/yr

At $1,227/mo median

Location

CityYpsilanti

StateMI

CountyWashtenaw County

Rent Market Meter

Balanced Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are roughly steady, with neither renters nor landlords holding a strong edge right now.

Based on rent-price momentum (+1.6% YoY, -0.2% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 48197 (Ypsilanti, MI) is roughly split between renters and owners, skews toward younger working-age adults, 47.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

66,525

Median income

$73,737

Median age

33.4

Renters

46.1%

Age distribution

19.3%

33.1%

24.4%

12.1%

Under 1819.3%

18–3433.1%

35–5424.4%

55–6411.1%

65+12.1%

Gender

48%

52%

Male48%

Female52%

Race & ethnicity

56.9%

23.5%

White56.9%

Black23.5%

Hispanic7.9%

Asian7%

Other4.7%

Education (25+)

17.3%

29%

47.5%

No HS diploma6.1%

HS diploma17.3%

Some college29%

Bachelor's+47.5%

Housing tenure

53.9%

46.1%

Owner53.9%

Renter46.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 48197 in Ypsilanti, MI has changed in 5 years

Rent

$925 → $1,227

up 32.6%

Income

$63,676 → $73,737

up 15.8%

Population

67,037 → 66,525

down 0.8%

Renter share

47.3% → 46.1%

-1.2 pts

Bachelor's+

45.6% → 47.5%

+1.9 pts

Median age

31.5 → 33.4

+1.9 yrs

Compared with 2021, rent in ZIP 48197 in Ypsilanti, MI has climbed by $302 per month, settling near $1,227 after starting the period at $925. Median household income grew from $63,676 to $73,737 between 2021 and 2024, a 15.8% shift. Rent outpaced income growth by roughly 16.8 percentage points, which means renters are spending a larger slice of each paycheck on housing than they did in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 48197 in Ypsilanti, MI reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.

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About renting in ZIP 48197

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 48197 covers Ypsilanti, MI. The median rent here is $1,227/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,240/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $1,480/mo.

At 20% of local median household income ($73,737/yr), ZIP 48197 ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 1.6% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 48197?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $49,000/year (about $24/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $1,227/mo in ZIP 48197. The local median household income is $73,737/yr, so the typical household meets that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 48197?

Rent in ZIP 48197 has risen 1.6% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 1.3% below its high of $1,243 in May 2026.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 48197?

Asking rents in ZIP 48197 are usually lowest in November, about 0.6% below their yearly trend, and highest in July, about 0.7% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $16 a month. This pattern comes from 11 years of Zillow rent data.

Has rent outpaced income in ZIP 48197?

Yes. From 2019 to 2024, rent in ZIP 48197 rose 34.8% while median household income rose 20.2%, from $61,341 to $73,737. Rent is Zillow's yearly average; income is the Census 5-year estimate for the same years.

How does ZIP 48197 compare to other ZIPs in Michigan?

ZIP 48197 is one of the more affordable among Michigan ZIP codes for rent, ranking #135 of 168 at $1,227/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 48197 changed +1.6%, against a typical +4.4% across the 134 Michigan ZIP codes Zillow tracks.