Garden City and Dearborn receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Garden City
Dearborn
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
26 · Bottom 13%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 22%
vs81 · Top 49%
Schools
22 · Bottom 14%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
63 · Top 44%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Garden City | Dearborn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,739 | 107,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $67,294 | $65,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,280 | $30,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,561/sq mi | 4,430/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $168,800 | $218,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,150 | $1,327 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.1% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.1% | 34.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.7% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 15 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -61.1% | -42.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.3" | 34.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.9 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.25 | 15.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 17.7% | 22.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.5% | 36.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.9% | 80.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Garden City
61
Your Score
57
Area Score
Dearborn
58
Your Score
57
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Garden City, MI · Dearborn, MI · How this is calculated: methodology