Detroit, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Detroit, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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D
Health Well below average
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F
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 638,394 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4467.4 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.86% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.5 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 257,898 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Detroit declined by 30.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 638,394 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Detroit is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.7% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 151,611 23.7% +2.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 133,809 21.0% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 121,296 19.0% -1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 96,223 15.1% -3.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 52.5% of the people living in Detroit and men 47.5%.
- Women 52.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 47.5% Michigan 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Detroit
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Economy
Detroit has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,945 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.33% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 14.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Detroit is about 45% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $11,931 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,073 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.4% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Detroit is about 0.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,073 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Detroit spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 185 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.2 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.4 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 185 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,730 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.0% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,808 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,928 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Detroit is 22 minutes, longer than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Detroit has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Detroit has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Detroit | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.1 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 27.2% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Detroit, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Detroit, MI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | 638,394 | $39,945 #1/2 | $11,931 #2/2 | 22.2 min #2/2 |
| Hamtramck, MI | 27,670 | $39,568 | $106,250 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Detroit, Michigan.
How many people live in Detroit, Michigan?
About 638,394 people live in Detroit, Michigan, in 257,898 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.5, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Detroit, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Detroit, Michigan has 4,467 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 52 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Detroit, Michigan?
The median home costs 0.3 times the median household income ($11,931 against $39,945), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,073 a month takes about 32% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Detroit, Michigan?
Unemployment in Detroit, Michigan is 14.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Detroit, Michigan?
15.6% of adults in Detroit, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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