Wayne County, Michigan
Local mortgage guidance for Dearborn Heights buyers and homeowners, with options shopped across multiple wholesale lenders and one Michigan broker who stays with your file.
Dearborn Heights is an inner-ring suburb of about 60,000 people in western Wayne County (World Population Review), and it works as a bedroom community. Most households commute to Ford Motor Company, Corewell Health (Beaumont) in neighboring Dearborn and the regional auto-supplier base, and the small-business corridors along Telegraph, Ford Road and Van Born stay busy. Median household income runs near $60,400.
The housing is postwar and mostly single-family, brick ranches and bungalows on established streets, with the Rouge River corridor of Hines Park and the 1922 Donald Ross-designed Warren Valley Golf Course on Beech Daly for green space. The city splits into two price tiers. The denser south end in 48125 typically sells around $180,000, while the quieter, Crestwood School District side to the north in 48127 saw a median sale near $245,000 in early 2026, and Zillow's citywide typical value sits about $170,000. Homes have been taking roughly 25 to 37 days to sell, slower than the roughly two-week pace of a year earlier, which gives buyers a little more room to negotiate.
By the numbers
Values move. Treat these as orientation and let us pull current figures for the address you are considering.
Typical home value, from the market research on this page
Typical rise in taxable value the year after a home sells, 2026 Uncapping Study
Property tax current owners pay, as a share of value. A buyer's bill can reset higher the year after a sale
Residential ZIP codes: 48125, 48127
Buying the $180,000 median home here takes roughly $55,000 to $62,000 in household income, right around the local median. An FHA loan, which allows a smaller down payment than many conventional loans, carries mortgage insurance in addition to taxes and insurance; a larger conventional down payment trims the income need into the mid-$50Ks. Budget carefully for property taxes: the effective rate in 48125 is about 1.19%, among Wayne County's higher rates, with a typical bill near $2,091. Under Michigan's Proposal A, taxable value resets to market when you buy, the "pop-up", so estimate taxes off the new assessment, not the seller's old bill. At these price points, conforming loans cover essentially every purchase, and MSHDA down-payment assistance pairs well with FHA financing.
Nearly every Dearborn Heights purchase fits well under the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, so loan size is rarely the constraint.
Sub-markets
Dearborn Heights spans 2 residential ZIP codes, and they are different sub-markets.
Homes in 48125 typically sell around $180,000, with Redfin's listing median near $177,000 and Zillow's city-wide typical value about $170,000, putting the south end firmly in the city's lower-to-mid price tier. Values are up sharply year over year: Zillow reports roughly +18% city-wide, though thin inventory likely inflates that, so a realistic 48125 figure is closer to +8% to +18%. Homes average about 25 to 37 days on market, up from roughly 11 days a year ago. Demand is driven by affordability, proximity to Dearborn's job centers, and a deep supply of entry-level single-family inventory. Named areas: South Dearborn Heights (48125 core), Annapolis-Van Born, Beech Daly Road corridor (west side).
The 48127 median sale price landed around $245,000 in early 2026, with active listings often asking $255,000 to $265,000 per Zillow. Year-over-year direction is genuinely murky: Zillow showed the city roughly flat to up about 1%, while Redfin's small-sample monthly figure swung to roughly -10.8%, so the honest read is flat to modestly down. Homes moved in about 27 days on market, up from near two weeks a year earlier, with citywide medians closer to 40 days late in 2025. Demand here is driven less by jobs and more by golf-course-adjacent streets and the short hop to Dearborn and Detroit employment. Named areas: Warren Valley / Beech Daly corridor, Crestwood, Westwood.
Where to look
$150,000 to $210,000: the bulk of the ZIP, with modest postwar brick ranches and bungalows that make up most of the first-time-buyer supply.
$160,000 to $220,000: a quiet south-end pocket mixing single-family homes with some apartments.
$150,000 to $200,000: near Beech Daly and Inkster Road, this strip produces much of the ZIP's entry-level inventory.
$170,000 to $230,000: interior streets off the Pelham and Telegraph corridors, with slightly higher-priced, well-kept blocks.
Larger and updated homes near the Warren Valley Golf Course and Hines Park. Prices run about $220,000 to $340,000.
The core north-end neighborhood inside the Crestwood School District, full of brick bungalows and ranches. Prices run about $200,000 to $300,000.
An adjacent north-end area served by Westwood Community Schools and Crestwood. Prices run about $180,000 to $280,000.
Established streets near the Crestwood district offices at 1045 N. Gulley Rd. Prices run about $200,000 to $300,000.
A residential pocket near Riverside Middle School, Warren Ave, and the Rouge River. Prices run about $190,000 to $290,000.
Most of the south end is served by Dearborn Heights School District #7 (Annapolis High School) and Westwood Community School District (Robichaud High School); the Crestwood district covers the north side (48127), so confirm by address. The north end is anchored by the Crestwood School District (about 3,700 students, six schools, Crestwood High on Beech Daly Road).
Downtown Detroit is about 12 to 13 miles, a 20 to 25 minute drive off-peak via I-94, Michigan Ave, or Ford Road.
Michigan property taxes
The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill.
In the City of Dearborn Heights, our 2026 Uncapping Study found taxable value typically rises about 66% the year after a sale. On a $175,000 home, near the typical Dearborn Heights value, the first-year tax goes up roughly $1,810 to $1,830, depending on the school district. Most homes here are in Crestwood schools (about $1,820); Dearborn Heights schools homes run about $1,830 and Westwood schools homes about $1,810. Your address decides which applies. We build your payment on that post-sale number.
Looking at a Dearborn Heights address? Our Michigan property tax calculator finds that property's published 2025 millage and works out the tax to plan for after you buy.
I'd much rather somebody ask me, "Why are your taxes higher than what I'm seeing online?" than have them build a housing budget around the wrong assumption.
Local resources
The official offices behind the tax and school details on this page.
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Individual experiences. Results vary.
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Homes in 48125 typically run around $180,000, with a median listing price near $177,000 (Redfin) and the city-wide Zillow typical value around $170,000. The 48125 south end is one of the more affordable parts of the city, with most inventory between roughly $150,000 and $220,000.
Roughly $65,000 to $75,000 in household income. On a roughly $245,000 home, plan on a gross monthly income near $5,800 to $6,000; the right number for you depends on your down payment, rate and existing debts, and Samantha can run it before you start touring. Low-down-payment FHA or first-time-buyer programs can lower the cash needed upfront.
Pretty quickly. Homes in 48125 average about 25 to 37 days on market. City-wide, homes have been selling in roughly 25 days, up from about 11 days a year ago, so the market has cooled slightly but well-priced homes still move fast, often with multiple offers in the entry-price tiers.
The north end of Dearborn Heights (48127) is primarily served by the Crestwood School District, which runs Crestwood High School on Beech Daly Road and about six schools for about 3,700 students. Parts of the area also fall in Westwood Community Schools and Dearborn Heights District No. 7.
The effective property tax rate in 48125 is about 1.19%, among the higher rates in Wayne County, with a typical city bill around $2,091. Remember Michigan’s Proposal A caps annual taxable-value increases while you own, but the taxable value resets to market (a “pop-up”) when you buy, so budget your taxes off the new assessment, not the seller’s old bill.
Downtown Detroit is about 12 to 13 miles away, roughly a 20 to 25 minute drive off-peak via I-94 or Ford/Michigan Avenue. There’s also direct bus service from the Dearborn Transit Center to downtown for $1 to $3, making it a practical inner-ring suburb for Detroit and Dearborn workers.
Yes. Because 48125 home prices and the qualifying income line up closely with the area median, many buyers here use MSHDA (Michigan State Housing Development Authority) down-payment assistance, FHA loans, and similar first-time-buyer programs. The affordable price points and steady owner-occupant demand make 48125 a common entry point for first-time buyers and investors in western Wayne County.
Tell Samantha what you are trying to do in Dearborn Heights and she will tell you what actually matters for your situation, including whether the timing is right.
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Align Lending LLC, NMLS #2041154. Samantha Shelton, NMLS 1647301. Equal Housing Opportunity. Licensed in Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. Figures on this page are market research for orientation, not a quote. This page is for educational purposes only. It is not a credit decision, a preapproval, a commitment to lend, or an offer of credit.
Brick ranch near Warren Valley on Beech Daly? I'll run the real taxes first.
Samantha Shelton · Broker Owner and Senior Loan Originator · NMLS 1647301
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