County housing & cost profile

Livingston County, MI

Official Fair Market Rent from HUD and childcare costs from the U.S. Department of Labor for Livingston County - a 2-bedroom benchmarks at $1,457/month against the county's $96,135 median household income, the housing figures the federal government publishes at true county resolution.

#532
of 3,222 counties for affordability
$1,457
2-BR Fair Market Rent
$11,269
Infant care / yr
$96,135
Median income

The verdict

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent costs $17,484 a year in Livingston County, about 18% of the county's median household income, under the 30% line HUD uses to flag a housing-cost burden.

$1,457
2-BR Fair Market Rent / mo
18%
of median income on rent
$96,135
median household income
$11,269
infant care / yr
Affordability gauge

Rent burden in Livingston County

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent takes 18% of the county's median household income, HUD flags anything above 30% as a housing-cost burden.

30% burden line
18%
0% · more affordable severely burdened · 50%+

Nationally, that ranks Livingston County #532 of 3,222 US counties on rent-to-income affordability, more affordable than 84% of counties with comparable HUD and Census data.

Every figure here comes from official federal data, reported at the county level for the two costs that are actually measured that finely. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rent is set each fiscal year to anchor Housing Choice Voucher payment standards across all 3,224 U.S. counties; the childcare estimates are drawn from the U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices, and median household income comes from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are published only at the state tier, read those on the state profile below.

Fair Market Rent in Livingston County

Studio$1,0051 bedroom$1,2642 bedroom$1,4573 bedroom$2,0264 bedroom$2,285
By unit size, FY2026 - the benchmark that sets Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Source: HUD Fair Market Rents.

Childcare costs in Livingston County

Infant (center)$11,269/yrToddler (center)$11,269/yrPreschool (center)$9,050/yrSchool-age (center)$6,793/yr
Annual center-based cost by age band. Source: U.S. Department of Labor National Database of Childcare Prices.

The wider picture for Michigan

Housing and childcare are published at true county resolution. Cost of living, wages, crime, schools and environment are reported at the state tier, read those on the Michigan profile, which scores all seven dimensions on the national curve.

See the Michigan Life Score →

Using Livingston County's figures

Fair Market Rent and childcare are the housing decisions a county actually controls, use them for a move, then read the state page for the rest.

  • FMR is HUD’s benchmark for Housing Choice Voucher payment standards, not a market quote, a specific listing can run above or below it. How it is sourced
  • Compare Livingston County head-to-head with a neighboring county on rent and childcare. Compare counties
  • For crime, schools, wages and environment, read the Michigan state profile. Michigan →

County data here covers housing and childcare; the other dimensions are state-level baselines and vary within a state.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Fair Market Rent in Livingston County?

HUD's Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Livingston County, MI is $1,457/month (FY2026). A studio is $1,005, a 1-bedroom $1,264, a 3-bedroom $2,026 and a 4-bedroom $2,285. FMR is the benchmark HUD uses to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards.

How much does childcare cost in Livingston County?

Center-based infant care in Livingston County runs about $11,269/year, per U.S. Department of Labor data; preschool-age center care is about $9,050/year.

Is Livingston County an affordable place to live?

A 2-bedroom at HUD's Fair Market Rent ($17,484/year) is about 18% of the county's median household income of $96,135 - below the 30% cost-burden line HUD uses. Crime, schools and wages are best read at the state level on the Michigan page.

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This county's affordability ranking is computed directly from HUD FMR and Census ACS data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.