Port Huron, MI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Michigan·Port Huron

St. Clair County · Detroit-Warren-Dearborn · population 28,342

AffordabilityShrinking
Port Huron, MI
Image: Wikipedia · Port Huron, Michigan
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
67
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Port Huron stands

At or near all-time high. home values up 4.0% in the last year. population shrinking 0.6% per year.

Median home $172,564
1-year +4.0%
5-yr CAGR +5.5%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$173k$67k$104k$142k$179k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
72/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,065/mo$0$572$1,14520242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent1101118010020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.5
Buy

At a 13.5 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Port Huron on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.5 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
70 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
37 · w16%
Rent YoY
55 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
85 · w10%
Long thesis

Port Huron offers a $172,564 median home with +5.5% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Port Huron's population is shrinking 0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About Port Huron

Port Huron is a city in St. Clair County, Michigan, with an estimated population of 28,342. It anchors the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Port Huron is $172,564 as of 2026-04, up 4.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.5% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Port Huron average $1,065 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.5%). The composite momentum score is 67 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $172,564 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Healthy 5-year run: +5.5% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +4.0% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Port Huron (Wikipedia)

Port Huron is a city in and the county seat of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. The city is the largest in The Thumb area of Michigan, and principal community in the Blue Water Area, more recently rebranded as Michigan's Thumb Coast, for tourism purposes.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for St. Clair County right now.

NWS active alerts (MI)Michigan Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. St. Clair County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Port Huron

Adrian, MI68 · RisingEastpointe, MI70 · RisingSt. Clair Shores, MI66 · RisingNorton Shores, MI71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Port Huron

ToolCan I afford Port Huron?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Port Huron rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Port Huron to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolPort Huron cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
30° / 16°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 61°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
175
~48% of year
Annual precip
33″ rain
50″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Port Huron listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$68,500
Michigan state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareTech (Detroit)

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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