Michigan City Named Most Expensive for Renters in the US

It's not as though rent prices will go down anytime soon. But between the high costs of rent and low wages, many renters in cities across the nation have it worse than the rest.

That's why, despite having a below-average cost of living, Michigan is home to the city deemed the most expensive for renters in the entire country.

Finance Buzz released a list of the 15 most expensive cities for renters in America; to little surprise, Detroit landed at the top.

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It's not that rent prices in the Motor City are outrageous. The average monthly rent in the city is $1,212, compared to $1,518/month nationally and $1,375/month in Michigan. Instead, it's because wages in Detroit don't allow for rent that is considered cheap to be reasonable for renters.

The median annual income for Detroiters is $36,453, far below the national average salary at $63,795 and median of $63,440 in the state. This means Detroit renters are handing over 39% of their monthly income to their landlords.

Typically, a good rule of thumb for renters is to dedicate 30% of their income to rent. Of course, this doesn't work for everyone, especially in low-income areas. The more residents have to shell out for rent, the less they have for utilities, groceries, savings, emergencies and quality-of-life purchases.

Consider just one other bill in Michigan, car insurance. Michigan drivers pay the most in the country for car insurance at an average of $113 per month for minimum coverage and $304 for full coverage. A renter in Detroit with full coverage car insurance is likely putting half of their income to rent and car insurance while having minimum coverage is closer to 42%.

It's no wonder 20% of Michigan drivers are uninsured.

Naturally, this doesn't apply to everyone living and renting in Detroit. But it does help explain why the city's turnaround is a slow process.