EMU Faculty and Staff Housing Guide

The EMU commute in one paragraph

EMU's main campus sits in Ypsilanti between Cross St and Washtenaw Ave. Most faculty and staff who work here live in Ypsilanti proper because the walk-to-work is the draw. Normal Park and College Heights are the two classic EMU faculty neighborhoods. If you live in Ann Arbor, you are driving east on Washtenaw or I-94 for fifteen to twenty minutes. The EMU market is a Ypsilanti market, priced accordingly.

Who works at EMU

Tenure-track faculty across colleges: education, business, health sciences, arts and sciences, technology.

Lecturers and adjuncts with different housing budgets than tenured faculty.

Staff: advisors, librarians, administrators, facilities, student services.

Grad students who teach and take classes.

A significant share of EMU faculty also have UM-affiliated spouses or partners. That drives a lot of the housing decisions.

Normal Park: the classic EMU faculty neighborhood

Normal Park sits immediately west of EMU's main campus. Streets like Washtenaw, Pearl, Summit, and Roosevelt.

Houses are older, mostly 1910s to 1940s, with detail work and big front porches.

A five-to-ten-minute walk to most of the EMU academic buildings.

Prices run twenty-five to thirty-five percent below comparable Ann Arbor homes.

School district is Ypsilanti Community Schools. Worth a careful look if you have kids.

Normal Park has a strong neighborhood association and active block culture.

College Heights: the other EMU neighborhood

College Heights sits south of Cross St, between EMU and Michigan Ave.

More mid-century housing and some earlier homes.

Eight to ten minutes on foot to the east side of EMU campus.

Slightly lower prices than Normal Park on average.

Good fit for staff and early-career faculty.

Depot Town is a short walk north.

Ypsilanti Depot Town for EMU

Depot Town is the historic commercial district along Cross St at the Huron River.

Walkable to restaurants, bars, Riverside Park, and the farmers market.

Mix of older homes, lofts above shops, and newer infill.

Ten to fifteen minutes on foot from the center of EMU's campus.

Popular with younger faculty, grad students, and staff who want restaurant density.

The UMich-spouse trade

If you work at EMU and your partner works at UM, Ypsilanti Normal Park is often the compromise. Ten-minute drive for them, five-minute walk for you.

If your partner works at Michigan Medicine, Normal Park to the hospital is fifteen minutes via Washtenaw.

If your partner works downtown Ann Arbor, Normal Park is fifteen to eighteen minutes via Washtenaw at peak.

Alternative: live in the east-side Ann Arbor neighborhoods (Huron Hills, Glacier Highlands) and drive to EMU. The drive is ten minutes but you lose the walk to your campus.

The trade is usually worth it for the EMU partner to be the one who walks. Walking to work is the best commute, full stop.

The budget advantage

A three-bedroom in Normal Park runs a third to a quarter less than a comparable three-bedroom in Burns Park.

College Heights is cheaper still.

That difference is often the difference between being house-poor and being comfortable.

Property taxes in Ypsilanti differ from Ann Arbor. Check the millage rate for your specific address.

Older homes mean older systems. Budget for knob-and-tube, galvanized plumbing, plaster walls, and basement moisture.

The budget advantage is real but bring it to inspection with eyes open.

Outer-ring options for EMU staff

Ypsilanti College Heights south of Michigan Ave: more affordable, similar commute.

Belleville via I-94 east: twelve minutes. Lake nearby, suburban feel.

Saline via US-12 west: twenty minutes. Strong schools. Farther out.

Superior Township: ten to fifteen minutes. Rural feel, newer subdivisions.

Milan via US-23 south: twenty minutes. Budget-first option.

Canton via I-94 east: twenty-five minutes. More suburban, larger houses.

What breaks this commute

Washtenaw Ave construction between Huron Pkwy and Carpenter Rd happens periodically. Delays when it does.

I-94 closures back up Huron St and Washtenaw.

Winter ice on Cross St and Huron River Dr is a known problem.

EMU event days (football, basketball, commencement) affect the campus perimeter.

UM game days do not directly hit Ypsilanti but send some traffic east on Washtenaw.

Train crossings in Depot Town can add a few minutes.

Decision framework

If you want the walk-to-work and you have the budget for a renovated old home, Normal Park.

If you are early career or a staff member on a tighter budget, College Heights.

If you want restaurant density and a smaller condo or house, Depot Town.

If you have kids and are weighing schools carefully, research Ypsilanti Community Schools specifically for your address, and consider Saline or Superior Township for alternatives.

If your partner works in downtown Ann Arbor and compromise is the name of the game, Normal Park.