Where students live
Midtown is the obvious choice and effectively part of campus — Union at Midtown is a four-minute walk and is the only genuinely by-the-bed student building in the area. Woodbridge, just west, is older housing stock at lower rents about a mile and a half out. New Center, north up Woodward, sits on the QLINE. Brush Park to the south has the newest and priciest buildings. Beyond those, you are into ordinary downtown Detroit rentals.
Unlike most schools on this site, Detroit around Wayne State is a conventional apartment market, not a student one. Almost everything is priced per unit and leased unfurnished, so roommates share a single lease and a departure is your problem. Union at Midtown is the main exception. On safety, which families always ask about: Wayne State’s own international student office describes Midtown as one of the safest areas in Detroit because of the campus police presence, and the university runs a SafeWalk escort service on 313-577-2222. It does not publish anything about off-campus parking.
Apartments & rentals students actually use
| Community | Distance | Units & rates | Furnished? | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union at Midtown Midtown, Cass Ave | 0.2 mi / 4-min walk | 3x3 $950 per person, 2x2 $1,075-$1,150 per person, 1x1 $1,575 per unit; 484-1,275 sq ft | Fully furnished | unionatmidtown.com |
| Woodbridge Estates Woodbridge | 1.5 mi | 1BR ~$1,032, 2BR ~$1,350, 3BR ~$1,731 per unit; 721-1,112 sq ft | Unfurnished | Aggregator listings only |
| Woodward Grand New Center / Milwaukee Junction | ~1-1.5 mi | Studio 375 sq ft, 1BR 560 sq ft | Unfurnished | Aggregator listings only |
| City Place Detroit Lafayette Park corridor | Further out | Studio from $900, 1BR from $1,025 per unit | Unfurnished | Aggregator listings only |
| Woodward West Midtown | 1.2 mi | Studio $1,375-$1,700, 1BR $1,225-$1,980, 2BR $2,345-$3,400 per unit; 426-1,312 sq ft | Unfurnished | Aggregator listings only |
| The Boulevard Midtown / New Center | Short walk | 1BR $1,608, 2BR from $2,125 per unit | Unfurnished | theboulevard.city |
| The Scott at Brush Park Brush Park | ~1 mi | 1BR $1,750-$2,145, 2BR $2,185-$2,560, 3BR $2,800-$2,870; 705-1,126 sq ft | Furnished as an add-on | thescottdetroit.com |
| Riverfront Towers / Broderick Tower Downtown | 1.5-2 mi | 1BR from $1,409, 2BR from $1,694 per unit | Unfurnished | Aggregator listings only |
Compiled from property sites and public listings, August 2026. Rates move every lease season and several properties here publish nothing at all — verify with the property before you sign.
Getting to campus without a car
Wayne State discontinued its campus shuttles entirely — do not plan around a campus bus, because there is not one. Instead the university subsidises DART, giving students three free four-hour passes a day covering DDOT city buses, SMART suburban buses and the QLINE streetcar up Woodward, plus free access to MoGo bikeshare. The confirming announcement dates from 2021, so it is worth checking the programme is still running before you rely on it. SafeWalk, on 313-577-2222, provides a camera-monitored or in-person escort after dark.
How it compares to a dorm
What you’ll need
Most rentals here are unfurnished — budget for the big anchors: mattress, bed frame, sofa and a table.
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