City · Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, city, in Wayne County, Michigan. Detroit had 649,095 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 639,111 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 638,530 (±62). GEOID 2622000.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
649,095
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 639,111 · ACS 2020-2024: 638,530 ±62
Median household income
$39,938
±$937 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$83,900
±$1,317 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$1,074
±$13 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Detroit and what county is it in?
Detroit is a city in Wayne County, Michigan. It covers 138.7 square miles of land, 4,607 residents per square mile in 2020.
Detroit is in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 6 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Detroit, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 649,095 people lived in Detroit on July 1, 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, faster than Michigan (+0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 639,111 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 638,530 (±62).
| Measure | Detroit | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 638,530 ±62 | 1,772,259 | −36,311 |
| Households | 257,998 ±2,206 | 700,591 | −5,690 |
| Average household size | 2.43 ±0.02 | 2.50 | −0.08 |
| Housing units | 329,393 ±1,892 | 801,083 | −33,554 |
Detroit's population since 2000
From 951,270 in 2000 to 649,095 in 2025: down 31.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Detroit as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Detroit?
The median resident of Detroit is 35.2 years old; 24.8% are under 18 and 15.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic Black residents at 75.0%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 10.8%. 6.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Detroit | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 ±0.3 | 37.9 | +0.5 |
| Under 18 years | 24.8% ±0.3 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 15.1% ±0.2 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Male | 47.4% ±0.2 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 8.3% ±0.3 pts | 6.9% | +0.6 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 10.8% ±0.4 pts | 47.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 75.0% ±0.6 pts | 36.6% | −3.0 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.7% ±0.2 pts | 3.7% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.1 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±0.3 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.1 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 6.6% ±0.4 pts | 10.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 12.0% ±0.5 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 4.1% ±0.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| With a disability | 19.9% ±0.4 pts | 15.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 7.4% ±0.4 pts | 5.6% | −1.0 pts |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 83.3% ±0.4 pts | 88.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 18.1% ±0.6 pts | 27.6% | +2.8 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 7.3% ±0.4 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 88.4% ±0.6 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0% ±0.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Detroit earn?
Half of Detroit's 257,998 households earn less than $39,938 a year (±$937), against $60,539 in Wayne County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 the median was $38,021 in 2024 dollars, so it rose by $1,917 after inflation. 32.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Detroit | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,938 ±$937 | $60,539 | +$1,917 |
| Mean household income | $57,223 ±$1,000 | $85,604 | – |
| Per capita income | $24,594 ±$418 | $34,906 | +$1,677 |
| People below the poverty line | 32.7% ±0.8 pts | 20.8% | −2.3 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 46.5% ±1.7 pts | 30.9% | −3.7 pts |
| Households receiving SNAP | 39.0% ±0.7 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 92.4% ±0.5 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.7% ±0.6 pts | 89.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Detroit?
Owners occupy 50.3% of Detroit's occupied homes and renters 49.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $83,900 by its owner (±$1,317). The median renter pays $1,074 a month including utilities, and 51.2% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Detroit | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $83,900 ±$1,317 | $178,500 | +$23,350 |
| Median gross rent | $1,074 ±$13 | $1,132 | +$60 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 51.2% ±1.4 pts | 45.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,238 ±$24 | $1,556 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 50.3% ±0.8 pts | 64.8% | +3.1 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 49.7% ±0.8 pts | 35.2% | – |
| Housing units | 329,393 ±1,892 | 801,083 | −33,554 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.1% ±0.3 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.9% ±0.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 64.3% ±0.6 pts | 69.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.4% ±0.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.2% ±0.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.7% ±0.2 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 36.3% ±0.6 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 20.1% ±0.7 pts | 11.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Detroit building?
Builders took permits for 2,620 new housing units in Detroit in 2025 (662 in single-family houses), 4.0 per 1,000 residents against 2.3 across Michigan.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Detroit work and get to work?
65.5% of Detroit's workers drive alone and 12.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 24.8 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 14.0%.
| Measure | Detroit | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 54.1% ±0.6 pts | 59.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 14.0% ±0.7 pts | 8.7% | −1.7 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 65.5% ±1.0 pts | 71.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.6% ±0.6 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 4.9% ±0.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 2.8% ±0.3 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.0% ±0.6 pts | 14.1% | +8.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 24.8 min ±0.4 | 24.7 min | −1.1 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Detroit?
274 census tracts lie mostly in Detroit, and 2 more reach into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $11,864 (Tract 5308) to $148,589 (Tract 5382).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5386Wayne County | 5,720 | $47,537 |
| Tract 5385Wayne County | 5,620 | $57,393 |
| Tract 5458Wayne County | 5,503 | $25,871 |
| Tract 5106Wayne County | 5,328 | $32,083 |
| Tract 5456Wayne County | 5,263 | $21,698 |
| Tract 5018Wayne County | 5,025 | $62,935 |
| Tract 5421Wayne County | 4,844 | $37,197 |
| Tract 5056Wayne County | 4,662 | $41,947 |
| Tract 5026Wayne County | 4,502 | $32,391 |
| Tract 5242Wayne County | 4,434 | $46,446 |
| Tract 5410Wayne County | 4,397 | $40,920 |
| Tract 5403Wayne County | 4,355 | $35,797 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Detroit) · Census block assignment files
How does Detroit compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Detroit is the 26th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Detroit ranks 1,329th of 1,354 places in Michigan with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 1st | 533 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 464th | 1,281 |
| Residents per square mile | 23rd | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 1,329th | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 1,282nd | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 1,331st | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 430th | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 23rd | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 896th | 1,350 |
| Median age | 1,223rd | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,323rd | 1,356 |
| Work from home | 416th | 1,062 |
| Travel time to work | 710th | 1,356 |
Detroit's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Detroit with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Detroit?
1 of the 57 figures for Detroit on this page carries a coefficient of variation over 40% and is marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Detroit are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Detroit.