Troy vs Birmingham: Which Suburb Should You Buy In?
These two aren’t close on price: Birmingham’s typical home value was about $285,000 higherthan Troy’s in June 2026 (Zillow), and it appreciated faster on both gauges. Choose Birminghamif you’re buying the walkable Old Woodward downtown — restaurants and shops on foot, one of the few truly walkable cores in Michigan — and you want the hottest resale market of the pair. Choose Troy if you want Michigan’s #3 school district (Niche, 2026) at roughly 60% of Birmingham’s price, plus the Big Beaver corporate corridor and I-75 commutes. Honest framing: Birmingham’s premium is a lifestyle purchase, not a schools upgrade — Troy’s #3 beats Birmingham’s #9. Our office is in Troy; every figure below is sourced so you can check us.
The numbers, side by side
| Metric | Troy | Birmingham |
|---|---|---|
| Typical home value (Jun 2026)¹ | $472,471 | $757,616 |
| 1-yr change, value index¹ | +2.6% | +6.4% |
| Median sale price (3 mo ending May 2026)⁴ | $435,739 | $817,511 |
| 1-yr change, sale price⁴ | −5.9% | +12.8% |
| Median days on market⁴ | 20 days | 20 days |
| Population (2020 Census)² | 87,294 | 21,813 |
| School district (Niche 2026)³ | Troy SD — #3 in MI | Birmingham PS — #9 in MI |
Superscripts refer to the numbered sources at the end of this page. Where Zillow’s index and Redfin’s sale price disagree on momentum (they do for Troy), both are shown — a 3-month median is mix-sensitive; the smoothed index isn’t.
Choose Troy if…
- Schools are the priority — Troy SD is #3 of 538 in Michigan, six spots above Birmingham (Niche, 2026)
- You want a top-tier suburb without a $750K+ entry point — Troy’s typical value is roughly 60% of Birmingham’s
- You commute along I-75 / Big Beaver or work in Troy’s corporate corridor
- You want a deeper condo and townhome market and more inventory to choose from
Choose Birmingham if…
- A truly walkable downtown is the whole point — dining, shops, and offices along Old Woodward
- You want the hottest resale market of the two — the fastest appreciation on both Zillow and Redfin
- The budget clears $750K+ and the lifestyle premium is worth more to you than the schools rank
- Walk-to-everything and downtown-adjacent architecture beat corridor convenience and lot size
Common questions, answered directly
Is Troy or Birmingham better for families?
For schools on paper, Troy: Troy School District ranks #3 of Michigan's 538 districts versus Birmingham Public Schools at #9 (Niche, 2026), and Troy's typical home value is roughly $285,000 lower (Zillow, June 2026). Birmingham's draw is a walkable downtown you can raise kids around rather than a higher school rank. If the decision is schools and value, Troy wins; if it's lifestyle, Birmingham makes its case.
Which is more expensive, Troy or Birmingham?
Birmingham, by a wide margin. In June 2026, Zillow's typical home value was $757,616 in Birmingham versus $472,471 in Troy — about $285,000, or 60%, higher. Redfin's median sale price over the three months ending May 2026 was $817,511 in Birmingham versus $435,739 in Troy. Birmingham is one of Metro Detroit's most expensive suburbs; Troy is a value play by comparison.
Which is appreciating faster?
Birmingham, on both gauges. Zillow's smoothed value index rose 6.4% in Birmingham versus 2.6% in Troy in the year through June 2026, and Redfin's median sale price rose 12.8% in Birmingham while Troy's fell 5.9%. Troy's sale-price dip is mix-sensitive — a 3-month median moves with which homes happened to sell — so read it as steady, not falling. Either way, Birmingham was the hotter market this cycle.
Is Birmingham worth the premium over Troy?
It depends what you're buying. Birmingham's premium buys a genuinely walkable downtown — restaurants, shops, and offices along Old Woodward — which is rare in Michigan, plus faster appreciation. But at roughly $285,000 more for a #9 school district against Troy's #3, it's a lifestyle purchase, not a schools upgrade. If the walkable core is the point, the premium is real value. If it isn't, your money goes further in Troy.
Do school boundaries follow city limits in either city?
No. In both cities, attendance areas don't follow municipal borders — small pockets feed neighboring districts. Verify the exact attendance area for any specific address before you offer; in Troy and Birmingham alike it's a street-by-street question, not a city-wide one.
- 1.Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, smoothed & seasonally adjusted — Zillow Research public dataset, monthly series through June 30, 2026 — accessed 2026-07-27.One-year changes computed from the same Zillow series (June 2025 vs June 2026). ZHVI is a typical home value, not a median sale price.
- 2.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census total population — data.census.gov city and township profiles — accessed 2026-07-27.2020 Census counts are the most recent figures we could verify from a primary source; we do not quote newer estimates we could not confirm.
- 3.Niche, 2026 Best School Districts in Michigan (538 districts ranked) — accessed 2026-07-27.Ranks are Niche's, quoted as published; they are one rating methodology, not an official state assessment.
- 4.Redfin city housing-market pages, all home types, rolling three months ending May 2026 (median sale price, year-over-year change, median days on market) — accessed 2026-07-27.Per-city page URLs are listed in our verification report. West Bloomfield Township has no standalone Redfin city page; Redfin's own township listings link to its 'West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake Village' market page, which is what we quote.
Weighing other suburbs too? See all seven Metro Detroit suburbs, ranked for 2026 and the best school districts in Metro Detroit.
Still split between the two?
We close in both cities. Tell us your budget, your commute, and whether a walkable downtown is a must-have — we’ll tell you which side of the line fits, including when the honest answer is Troy over the pricier option.
2032 E Square Lake Rd, Suite 400A, Troy, MI 48085