Ray, MI housing market
The typical Ray home is worth about $427,000, up 5.9% in a year, 60% above the Michigan typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Ray compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Ray at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Ray | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $222,000 | $144,000 |
| 2018 | $235,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $238,000 | $165,000 |
| 2020 | $260,000 | $175,000 |
| 2021 | $279,000 | $194,000 |
| 2022 | $316,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $331,000 | $230,000 |
| 2024 | $360,000 | $241,000 |
| 2025 | $389,000 | $253,000 |
| 2026 | $416,000 | $262,000 |
| August 2026 | $427,000 | $266,000 |
18 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 18 new homes in Ray in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $5.6 million to build. That's 4.8 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Michigan (2.3). Over the past 10 years, Ray has permitted 146 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Ray gained 41 residents while 160 new homes were permitted: about 0.3 new residents per new home. Building outpaced population growth, which usually means smaller households or homes used part of the year. Across Michigan: 1.2 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.8 million |
| 2025 | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5.6 million |
| 2024 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.5 million |
| 2022 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $4.6 million |
| 2021 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $5 million |
| 2020 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.6 million |
| 2019 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $5.2 million |
| 2018 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $7.6 million |
| 2017 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | 0 | $3.9 million |
| 2015 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $3.3 million |
| 2014 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2013 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $2.8 million |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $710,000 |
| 2010 | 57 | 1 | 56 | $3.1 million |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $761,000 |
| 2008 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| 2007 | 9 | 9 | 0 | $1.5 million |
| 2006 | 8 | 8 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2005 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $5.3 million |
| 2004 | 26 | 26 | 0 | $6.9 million |
| 2003 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $4.3 million |
| 2002 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $3.1 million |
| 2001 | 19 | 19 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2000 | 33 | 33 | 0 | $6.2 million |
How Ray ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Ray and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray | $427K | +5.9% | $1,480 | 18 | $117,917 |
| Lenox | — | +4.2%† | $1,520 | 10 | $72,484 |
| Washington | $480K | +2.2% | $1,310 | 136 | $97,723 |
| Macomb | $429K | +2.6% | $1,700 | 369 | $120,652 |
| Armada | $384K | +3.9% | $1,330 | 17 | $105,734 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.6 years of income
The typical Ray home costs about 3.6 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Michigan (3.7).
How Ray ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,480
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Ray is $1,480 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Ray pay a median of $1,259, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 15% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,060 · 4 bedrooms $1,960
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (48096; Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.