Royal Oak and Ferndale Are Neighbors. Their Home Prices Are Going OPPOSITE Directions
Royal Oak is up 1.9% in a year. Right next door, Ferndale is down 1.7%. Here's what the numbers show along the Woodward corridor.
By The Mile Staff · November 3, 2026
They share a border, a stretch of Woodward Avenue and a lot of the same restaurants. But over the past year, home values in Royal Oak and Ferndale have split.
The typical Royal Oak home was worth about $328,150 in September 2026, up 1.9% from a year earlier. In Ferndale, the typical home was worth about $246,062, down 1.7%, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
Ferndale is off its peak
Ferndale's typical value topped out at about $251,705 in December 2025. It has since slipped 2.2%. Royal Oak, by contrast, is within a fraction of a percent of its own high.
Over five years, the gap is wider still: Royal Oak is up 19.3%, Ferndale 11.9%.
Hazel Park has fallen further
Just east of Ferndale, Hazel Park shows the sharpest drop in the area. Its typical value of $154,189 is 6.7% below its February 2025 peak, and down 3.4% over the past year.
The Woodward corridor, side by side
| City | Typical value | 1-year change | 5-year change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Woods | $538,339 | +4.1% | +25.0% |
| Royal Oak | $328,150 | +1.9% | +19.3% |
| Berkley | $312,861 | +1.9% | +18.5% |
| Oak Park | $231,276 | +1.8% | +19.9% |
| Clawson | $283,076 | +1.1% | +20.0% |
| Madison Heights | $215,492 | −1.2% | +20.7% |
| Ferndale | $246,062 | −1.7% | +11.9% |
| Hazel Park | $154,189 | −3.4% | +10.0% |
What the numbers don't tell you
The index tracks values, not reasons. It can't say whether Ferndale's dip comes from fewer buyers, more listings, or a correction after years of fast gains. And a city-wide number hides a lot: individual streets and homes can move very differently.
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Sources
The Mile is published by Real Estate Market Center. Our editorial standards.