City · Michigan
Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale, city, in Oakland County, Michigan. Ferndale had 19,212 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.2% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 19,190 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 19,190 (±28). GEOID 2627880.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
19,212
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 19,190 · ACS 2020-2024: 19,190 ±28
Median household income
$94,640
±$5,294 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$247,700
±$10,267 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$1,311
±$91 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Ferndale and what county is it in?
Ferndale is a city in Oakland County, Michigan. It covers 3.9 square miles of land, 4,950 residents per square mile in 2020.
Ferndale 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 Ferndale, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 19,212 people lived in Ferndale on July 1, 2025, up 0.2% since 2020, in line with Michigan (+0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 19,190 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 19,190 (±28).
| Measure | Ferndale | Oakland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 19,190 ±28 | 1,279,825 | −947 |
| Households | 10,348 ±328 | 530,460 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.85 ±0.06 | 2.39 | −0.11 |
| Housing units | 10,927 ±373 | 561,348 | no clear change |
Ferndale's population since 2000
From 22,105 in 2000 to 19,212 in 2025: down 13.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ferndale 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 Ferndale?
The median resident of Ferndale is 37.3 years old; 9.7% are under 18 and 11.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.0%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 6.4%. 4.7% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Ferndale | Oakland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.3 ±1.5 | 41.3 | +2.3 |
| Under 18 years | 9.7% ±1.5 pts | 20.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 11.9% ±1.8 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Male | 49.1% ±2.3 pts | 49.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.7% ±1.4 pts | 5.0% | +2.1 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.0% ±3.3 pts | 68.2% | −5.6 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.4% ±1.6 pts | 12.7% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±1.6 pts | 8.5% | +1.7 pts |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.1 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±1.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.4% ±1.0 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 4.7% ±1.7 pts | 13.3% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.0% ±1.5 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.2% ±0.7 pts | 4.4% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±2.2 pts | 11.5% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 4.9% ±1.7 pts | 3.8% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 96.3% ±1.1 pts | 95.1% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 57.9% ±3.5 pts | 51.0% | +9.6 pts |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 21.5% ±2.6 pts | 22.2% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.7% ±2.7 pts | 89.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4% ±0.7 pts | 1.2% | – |
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 Ferndale earn?
Half of Ferndale's 10,348 households earn less than $94,640 a year (±$5,294), against $97,760 in Oakland County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $88,372 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 9.0% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ferndale | Oakland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $94,640 ±$5,294 | $97,760 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $113,779 ±$7,082 | $134,116 | – |
| Per capita income | $62,094 ±$3,692 | $56,696 | +$7,616 |
| People below the poverty line | 9.0% ±2.3 pts | 7.7% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.8% ±5.2 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.0% ±2.1 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.6% ±1.8 pts | 96.9% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.1% ±2.7 pts | 94.2% | – |
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 Ferndale?
Owners occupy 66.6% of Ferndale's occupied homes and renters 33.4%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $247,700 by its owner (±$10,267). The median renter pays $1,311 a month including utilities, and 27.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ferndale | Oakland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $247,700 ±$10,267 | $343,600 | +$48,328 |
| Median gross rent | $1,311 ±$91 | $1,376 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 27.4% ±7.9 pts | 36.6% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,669 ±$77 | $1,998 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 66.6% ±3.5 pts | 72.7% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 33.4% ±3.5 pts | 27.3% | – |
| Housing units | 10,927 ±373 | 561,348 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 5.5% ±3.6 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.5% ±3.3 pts | 67.7% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% ±0.4 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.0% ±0.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 2.2% ±0.9 pts | 5.6% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 42.4% ±4.1 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.5% ±2.1 pts | 5.3% | – |
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 Ferndale building?
Builders took permits for 83 new housing units in Ferndale in 2025 (11 in single-family houses), 4.3 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 Ferndale work and get to work?
65.1% of Ferndale's workers drive alone and 28.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.2 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.7%.
| Measure | Ferndale | Oakland County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 79.8% ±2.1 pts | 66.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% ±1.8 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 65.1% ±3.5 pts | 71.3% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.0% ±1.3 pts | 5.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 2.1% ±0.7 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 28.1% ±3.4 pts | 20.2% | +23.0 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.2 min ±1.2 | 25.8 min | no clear change |
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 Ferndale?
7 census tracts lie mostly in Ferndale (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $79,088 (Tract 1735) to $130,625 (Tract 1732).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1734Oakland County | 5,249 | $114,475 |
| Tract 1730Oakland County | 4,000 | $87,013 |
| Tract 1732Oakland County | 2,972 | $130,625 |
| Tract 1735Oakland County | 2,246 | $79,088 |
| Tract 1731Oakland County | 1,783 | $86,513 |
| Tract 1733Oakland County | 1,541 | $84,931 |
| Tract 1736Oakland County | 1,399 | $86,563 |
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 Ferndale) · Census block assignment files
How does Ferndale compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ferndale is the 2,003rd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 56th-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Ferndale ranks 223rd 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 | 56th | 533 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 729th | 1,281 |
| Residents per square mile | 15th | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 223rd | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 57th | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 408th | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 173rd | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 721st | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52nd | 1,350 |
| Median age | 1,122nd | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,170th | 1,356 |
| Work from home | 19th | 1,062 |
| Travel time to work | 856th | 1,356 |
Ferndale's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Ferndale 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 Ferndale?
7 of the 57 figures for Ferndale on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are 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 Ferndale 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 Ferndale.