Buying the median home in Sterling Heights means financing $302,000. Against the area's $72,000 median household income, that works out to a 4.2x price-to-income ratio.
At a 1.98% effective rate, Sterling Heights property taxes add $498 to the monthly payment on the median home, $5,980 a year in total.
Between the $2,190/month mortgage payment and Michigan's state income tax, your real housing cost calculation needs your after-tax number, not your gross salary.
Beyond housing, Sterling Heights's cost of living index sits at 117 (national average = 100), running above the national baseline for groceries, transportation, and everyday services.
Sterling Heights's median home price runs 63% higher than nearby Detroit: $185,000 there versus $302,000 here.