Commercial Real Estate Market in Detroit, MI
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: September 30
3,083 active listings and 40,823 off-market properties in Detroit, MI. Commercial property asks $77/SF to buy and $20.55/SF/Yr to lease. Office vacancy runs 19.5%, the loosest of the segments tracked here.
Market Trends
Detroit, MI spans 189.8 square miles in Wayne County, Michigan. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 30 September 2026.
Office
Office space in Detroit, MI asks $21.66/SF/Yr to lease and $86/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 19.5% in 2025, up from 11.9% in 2019. Down from a 2024 peak of 22%.
Retail
Retail space in Detroit, MI asks $19.63/SF/Yr to lease and $101/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 7% in 2025, down from 7.5% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 9.2%.
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Detroit, MI runs 3.7% in 2025, up from 3% in 2019. Nearly 1.5x the 2022 low of 2.4%.
Vacancy Rate %
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Detroit, MI asks $69/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 8% across the Midwest region in 2025, up from 6.5% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Midwest region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 66.3%
- Industrial 16%
- Commercial 13.4%
- Planned_development 2.8%
- Mixed use 1.1%
- Civic 0.1%
- Open space 0.1%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Single Family Residential District
Two Family Residential District
Intensive Industrial District
General Business District
Parks And Recreation
Detroit, MI zones 63,904 acres across 29 districts. Commercial zoning covers 13.4% of zoned land, residential 66.3%, open space 0.1% and industrial 16%. The largest single district is Single Family Residential District at 40.1%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 29.3% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Parks And Recreation (PR)
PD Planned Development District. (2) P1 Open Parking District. (3) PC Public Center District. (4) PCA Public Center Adjacent District (Restricted Central Business District). (5) TM Transitional-Industrial District. (6) PR Parks and Recreation District. (7) W1 Waterfront-Industrial District. (8) MKT Market and Distribution District. (9) SD1 Special Developmen…
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Detroit, MI has 855,742 residents in 417,990 households. Density runs 4,508 people per square mile. Median household income here is $48,536 and median gross rent $1,084 a month.
855,742
Population
417,990
Households
2
Avg Household Size
36
Median Age
22%
College-Educated
84%
High-School Grad
189.8 sq mi
ZIP Area
4,508
Density / Sq Mi
$48,536
Median Household Income
$35,403
Median Earnings
$1,084
Median Rent
$122,713
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Hamtramck | $77 (county avg) | $11.18 |
| Highland Park | $77 (county avg) | $12.44 |
| Grosse Pointe Park | $77 (county avg) | — |
Commercial property in Detroit, MI asks $77/SF. The 3 bordering markets run from $77/SF in Hamtramck to $77/SF in Hamtramck, and the city sits in line with their $77/SF median.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Detroit?
Commercial property in Detroit, MI asks an average of $77 per square foot. Retail carries the highest asking price at $101/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Detroit?
Asking lease rates in Detroit, MI average $20.55 per square foot per year. Office asks $21.66/SF/Yr as of Q2 26, up from $19.11/SF/Yr in Q1 26.
What is the office vacancy rate in Detroit?
Office vacancy in Detroit, MI is 19.5% as of 2025, up from 11.9% in 2019. Retail vacancy is 7%, below Office vacancy.
Which property type has the lowest vacancy in Detroit?
Industrial has the lowest vacancy in Detroit, MI at 3.7%, inside a 2.4–4.2% band since 2019. For comparison: office 19.5%, retail 7% and multifamily 8% (Midwest).
How does Detroit compare to nearby markets on price?
Detroit, MI asks $77/SF against $77/SF in Hamtramck, $77/SF in Highland Park and $77/SF in Grosse Pointe Park.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Detroit?
Detroit, MI zones 63,904 acres across 29 districts, of which 13.4% is commercial and 16% industrial. The largest single district is Single Family Residential District at 40.1% of zoned land. Residential zoning covers 66.3% and open space 0.1%.
Where does Realmo's Detroit market data come from?
Realmo compiles Detroit, MI figures from 3 recent recorded sales, 2,741 active sale listings, 342 active lease listings, 40,823 tracked off-market properties, the current Detroit zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 30 September 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 2,741 active for-sale and 342 active for-lease listings in Detroit, MI. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Price per square foot
- The county-level $/SF blends closed sales aggregated over the trailing months of available data, not a single day's snapshot — it can differ from any one month's own median.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 63,904 zoned acres across 29 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 30 September 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- multifamily vacancy is reported at Midwest region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 30 September 2026 · report a data issue
