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Is Royal Oak, MI a Good Place to Live?
Royal Oak is a mid-sized city of 58,053 in Michigan, with a median household income of $92,799 and a 3.0% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: Royal Oak stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Royal Oak is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Royal Oak city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 98.0Royal Oak's overall cost of living index is 98.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Royal Oak costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Royal Oak, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $289,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,260 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 65.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $92,799 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeRoyal Oak's violent crime rate is 124.0 per 100,000 residents — 67% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Royal Oak is served primarily by Royal Oak Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Royal Oak, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Royal Oak Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 14.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 61.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 96.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Royal Oak sees average highs of 32.4°F in January and 83.5°F in July, with 29.9 inches of annual precipitation and 36.0 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Royal Oak, MI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 32.4°F |
| Average High — July | 83.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 29.9" |
| Annual Snowfall | 36.0" |
Demographics
| Metric | Royal Oak, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,053 | — |
| Median Age | 35.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.0% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 24.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 85.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 14.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.5% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Royal Oak
Royal Oak, MI is covered by 2 ZIP codes: