Royal Oak, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Royal Oak, 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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A
Health Above average
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A
Income Above average
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,530 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4878.0 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.26% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 28,857 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Royal Oak grew by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,530 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Royal Oak is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 27.4% of residents. That is 6.7 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,460 21.7% +0.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,759 27.4% +6.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,344 19.7% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,076 15.8% -2.5 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 49.5% of the people living in Royal Oak and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Michigan 49.5%
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Economy
Royal Oak has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,778 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.95% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Royal Oak is about 39% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $87,356 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,380 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Royal Oak is about 5.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,380 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Royal Oak spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,691 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 27.4% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 47,676 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,696 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Royal Oak 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
Royal Oak has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.97 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Royal Oak has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Royal Oak | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 9.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.0% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Royal Oak, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Royal Oak, MI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak, MI | 57,530 | $101,778 #1/2 | $87,356 #2/2 | 22.0 min #1/2 |
| Madison Heights, MI | 28,434 | $69,481 | $145,331 | 22.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Royal Oak, Michigan.
What is the population of Royal Oak, Michigan?
About 57,530 people live in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 28,857 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 37.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Royal Oak, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Royal Oak, Michigan has 4,878 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 56 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Royal Oak, Michigan?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($87,356 against $101,778), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,380 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Royal Oak, Michigan?
Unemployment in Royal Oak, Michigan is only 3.5%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Royal Oak, Michigan?
60.0% of adults in Royal Oak, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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