Living in University District
The University District is about 1,200 brick homes from the 1920s and 30s on Detroit's northwest side, between Livernois and the Detroit Golf Club, with the shops and restaurants of the Avenue of Fashion on its western edge. This guide covers what homes there actually sell for, what one costs to own once the taxes reset, and what is nearby.
Where is the University District?
The University District runs from McNichols (Six Mile) north to Seven Mile, between Livernois Avenue on the west and Parkside and the Detroit Golf Club on the east. It takes its name from the University of Detroit, which moved to McNichols and Livernois in the 1920s; University of Detroit Mercy's campus still sits at that corner. Homes here use the 48221 ZIP code.
The Avenue of Fashion is Livernois Avenue from Seven Mile to Eight Mile, just northwest of the district. The street was rebuilt in 2019 with 24-foot sidewalks for cafe seating, bike lanes, new lighting and on-street parking.
What are the homes like?
The University District Community Association counts about 1,200 homes, most of them built between the mid-1920s and 1941. Tudor is the most common style, alongside Colonial, Mediterranean and French Provincial houses, nearly all of them brick or stone.
The association publishes residential standards for the district: single-family houses only except on Parkside and Livernois, brick, stone or concrete exteriors, two to two and a half stories and no flat roofs. Ask your title company and the association how they apply to a specific lot before you plan an addition or a fence.
What do homes in the University District sell for?
University District homes sold for a median of $372,500 across 38 arm's-length sales recorded between 2024-07 and 2025-07. Half of those sales landed between $261,250 and $448,000.
Those figures come from deeds recorded with the City of Detroit Assessor, not from the MLS, so they include cash and for-sale-by-owner purchases. A fully updated Tudor and one that still has its original kitchen, boiler and roof can sit on the same block, so look at condition before price per square foot.
Full detail, including the year-over-year change and how many buyers were companies, is on the University District data page.
What does a University District home cost to own after you buy?
Detroit taxes a primary residence at 64.1844 mills. Taxable value after a sale is roughly half the price, so a home bought at the $372,500 median would carry a bill of about $11,954 a year before any reduction. That is an estimate; the assessor sets the real figure.
Michigan caps a home's taxable value while one owner holds it, then resets it the year after a sale. So the seller's tax bill on a listing is almost always lower than yours will be. Run your exact number with the uncapping calculator before you make an offer, and check whether the house sits in a Neighborhood Enterprise Zone, which can cut the bill substantially.
Add the neighborhood's special assessment, approved in 2022: $175 per parcel a year on the summer tax bill, which pays for association services such as snow removal and mosquito control.
Is the University District a historic district?
No. The University District is not a City of Detroit local historic district or a National Register district, so exterior work needs normal City building permits, not Historic District Commission approval. The association's residential standards still apply.
Several designated places are close by: the Sherwood Forest historic district across Livernois, Palmer Woods to the east, Baker's Keyboard Lounge, and the Turkel-Benbow House on Seven Mile, Detroit's only Frank Lloyd Wright home.
What is on the Avenue of Fashion and nearby?
Baker's Keyboard Lounge at Livernois and Eight Mile has been a jazz club since 1934 and still serves soul food. Along Livernois you'll also find Bucharest Grill, Fork in Nigeria, Pequeño Cantina, Trap Vegan, the pizzeria Toss & Sauce and Lily's & Elise tea house, and Detroit Sip is the coffee shop on McNichols. Restaurants open and close often, so check hours before you go.
Light Up Livernois fills the street from Six Mile to Eight Mile on the first Saturday in July, and Jazz on the Ave is a summer block party just north of Seven Mile. The association runs a home tour every two years and a fall Harvest Fest.
Palmer Park, about a mile east toward Woodward, has 296 acres with Lake Frances, the Witherell Woods trails, a log cabin, tennis courts and a splash pad. The Marygrove campus on McNichols hosts arts programs and events, and the Detroit Public Library's Sherwood Forest branch is at Seven Mile and Livernois.
How do you get around from the University District?
The Lodge Freeway (M-10) is just east, with exits at McNichols, Seven Mile and Eight Mile, and Livernois runs south to I-96 and I-94. DDOT Route 30 runs on Livernois, Route 32 on McNichols and Route 7 on Seven Mile, which runs around the clock.
What should I inspect before buying a 1920s home?
Most University District homes are close to a hundred years old. Beyond a standard inspection, I recommend a sewer scope of the line to the street, a look at the boiler or furnace by an HVAC contractor, and a roofing contractor for slate or tile roofs. Ask for permit history on any recent renovation, and check the electrical panel and any remaining knob-and-tube wiring.
Homes built before 1978 come with a federal lead-based paint disclosure, and buyers have the right to a lead inspection. You can also check the water system's lead results on the Detroit city page.
Why buy in the University District with Cyrus Wheeler?
I run Match Realty from Russell Street and I build the data on this site. When you buy here, I'll show you your real tax bill, your payment and the recorded sales on your street, including the cash sales that never reach the MLS. Call or text me at (313) 482-7432.
Common questions
What is the median home price in the University District?
$372,500 across 38 arm's-length sales recorded between 2024-07 and 2025-07, with a typical range of $261,250 to $448,000, from City of Detroit Assessor deeds.
Where is the Avenue of Fashion in Detroit?
On Livernois Avenue between Seven Mile and Eight Mile, on the northwest edge of the University District, ZIP 48221.
Is the University District a historic district?
No. It is not a City of Detroit local historic district or a National Register district, so exterior work needs normal City permits rather than Historic District Commission approval. The neighborhood association publishes its own residential standards.
What are property taxes in the University District?
Detroit's primary residence rate is 64.1844 mills. Your bill is set on the taxable value after the sale, roughly half of what you pay, so a $372,500 home works out to about $11,954 a year before any Neighborhood Enterprise Zone reduction, plus the neighborhood's $175 special assessment.