Moving to Ferndale: Pros, Cons & What to Know
Moving to Ferndale means moving to Metro Detroit's most genuinely distinct arts-and-LGBTQ+-friendly small city -- a real, walkable Woodward Avenue corridor downtown, not a smaller version of neighboring Royal Oak.
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Learn moreA real, substantial LGBTQ+-friendly community identity
Ferndale carries approximately 35 same-sex couples per 1,000 households -- among the highest concentrations in southeastern Michigan for a city its size -- anchored by Affirmations, a real 17,000-square-foot LGBTQ+ community center downtown, and reinforced by Michigan's first openly gay mayor, elected here in 2007.
A genuinely walkable, art-filled downtown on the Woodward Avenue corridor
Ferndale has been named a Great American Main Street city. Its commercial district sits at the real intersection of Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue -- birthplace of the Woodward Dream Cruise -- genuinely full of public art and murals, with free Sunday parking.
Meaningfully more affordable than neighboring Royal Oak
Ferndale's housing ($254,066-$272,450 across cited sources) runs meaningfully more affordable than Royal Oak's ($385,000-$390,000 June 2026 median, documented in this build's companion record) -- a real, genuine 'more accessible' positioning worth knowing for budget-conscious movers.
No city income tax simplifies the tax picture
Ferndale does not appear on the Michigan Department of Treasury's own official list of the 24 Michigan cities that levy a local income tax -- movers pay only Michigan's flat 4.25% state rate.
Key takeaways
- Ferndale's real, substantial LGBTQ+-friendly identity (Affirmations, Michigan's first openly gay mayor in 2007) is a genuine, distinct relocation draw.
- Downtown Ferndale sits directly on the historic Woodward Avenue corridor and has been named a Great American Main Street city.
- Ferndale's housing runs meaningfully more affordable than neighboring Royal Oak's, with no city income tax on top of Michigan's flat 4.25% state rate.
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