What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Ferndale, MI, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Ferndale is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, with an estimated population of 19,431. It anchors the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area. The median home value in Ferndale is $254,066 as of 2026-04, down 0.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Ferndale average $1,744 per month, up 4.5% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 61 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-0.7% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- Held the highs: currently -1.1% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
- The data is the data: Ferndale has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.
Things to know first
- Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.
- Local nuance (school zones, neighborhood quality) varies block by block — visit before deciding.
More about Ferndale
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.