Salary expectations: how do you answer? - first time posting

I have been out of work for 8 weeks and feel pressure to accept less. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I looked up ranges in Detroit and they vary a lot. Does giving a range hurt?

I gave a range based on local postings and said I was flexible depending on the whole package. They did not push back.

Check several sources for pay in Detroit, then pick a range where the low end is one you can live with.