City · Michigan
Melvindale, Michigan
Melvindale, city, in Wayne County, Michigan. Melvindale had 12,325 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 4.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 12,851 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 12,554 (±31). GEOID 2652940.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,325
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 12,851 · ACS 2020-2024: 12,554 ±31
Median household income
$42,185
±$5,629 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$125,800
±$11,305 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$1,110
±$109 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Melvindale and what county is it in?
Melvindale is a city in Wayne County, Michigan. It covers 2.7 square miles of land, 4,713 residents per square mile in 2020.
Melvindale 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 Melvindale, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,325 people lived in Melvindale on July 1, 2025, down 4.1% since 2020, while Michigan grew 0.5%. The 2020 Census counted 12,851 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 12,554 (±31).
| Measure | Melvindale | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,554 ±31 | 1,772,259 | +2,206 |
| Households | 4,250 ±317 | 700,591 | +526 |
| Average household size | 2.95 ±0.22 | 2.50 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 4,582 ±325 | 801,083 | +559 |
Melvindale's population since 2000
From 10,735 in 2000 to 12,325 in 2025: up 14.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Melvindale 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 Melvindale?
The median resident of Melvindale is 31.3 years old; 32.3% are under 18 and 10.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 58.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 26.5%. 22.5% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Melvindale | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.3 ±3.1 | 37.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 32.3% ±4.2 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.6% ±2.0 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Male | 52.2% ±4.1 pts | 48.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 26.5% ±5.7 pts | 6.9% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 58.7% ±6.9 pts | 47.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 10.2% ±4.0 pts | 36.6% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 3.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.4% ±3.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.2% ±1.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 22.5% ±6.3 pts | 10.3% | +8.5 pts |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 44.8% ±8.6 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.0% ±1.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| With a disability | 15.1% ±4.6 pts | 15.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.1% ±2.4 pts | 5.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 71.7% ±7.0 pts | 88.0% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.0% ±4.4 pts | 27.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 6.5% ±4.2 pts | 10.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.4% ±5.6 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.6% ±0.6 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 Melvindale earn?
Half of Melvindale's 4,250 households earn less than $42,185 a year (±$5,629), against $60,539 in Wayne County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $51,233 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 39.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Melvindale | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $42,185 ±$5,629 | $60,539 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $58,919 ±$8,479 | $85,604 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,408 ±$3,200 | $34,906 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 39.1% ±10.8 pts | 20.8% | +15.5 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 49.1% ±17.2 pts | 30.9% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 29.4% ±7.9 pts | 23.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 96.1% ±2.9 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.4% ±3.3 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 Melvindale?
Owners occupy 60.8% of Melvindale's occupied homes and renters 39.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $125,800 by its owner (±$11,305). The median renter pays $1,110 a month including utilities, and 55.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Melvindale | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $125,800 ±$11,305 | $178,500 | +$46,666 |
| Median gross rent | $1,110 ±$109 | $1,132 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 55.0% ±15.3 pts | 45.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,166 ±$53 | $1,556 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 60.8% ±6.6 pts | 64.8% | +9.8 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 39.2% ±6.6 pts | 35.2% | – |
| Housing units | 4,582 ±325 | 801,083 | +559 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.0% ±3.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 11.5% ±6.3 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 73.0% ±6.4 pts | 69.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% ±1.5 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4% ±0.6 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.1% ±5.0 pts | 21.2% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.8% ±2.9 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 Melvindale building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Melvindale in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 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 Melvindale work and get to work?
61.0% of Melvindale's workers drive alone and 7.5% work from home. The average trip to work takes 25.1 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 6.1%.
| Measure | Melvindale | Wayne County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 51.7% ±7.0 pts | 59.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 6.1% ±3.7 pts | 8.7% | −6.5 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 61.0% ±11.5 pts | 71.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 28.9% ±11.7 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 1.8% | – |
| Walked | 1.8% ±2.2 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.5% ±4.3 pts | 14.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.1 min ±3.1 | 24.7 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 Melvindale?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Melvindale (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $38,675 (Tract 5786) to $44,952 (Tract 5785).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 5785Wayne County | 6,974 | $44,952 |
| Tract 5786Wayne County | 5,580 | $38,675 |
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 Melvindale) · Census block assignment files
How does Melvindale compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Melvindale is the 2,775th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 73rd-most populous of 533 in Michigan.
Melvindale ranks 1,312th 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 | 73rd | 533 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 1,262nd | 1,281 |
| Residents per square mile | 21st | 1,356 |
| Median household income | 1,312th | 1,354 |
| Per capita income | 1,342nd | 1,355 |
| Median home value | 1,214th | 1,354 |
| Median gross rent | 375th | 1,212 |
| Poverty rate | 9th | 1,213 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1,131st | 1,350 |
| Median age | 1,318th | 1,356 |
| Owner-occupied share | 1,239th | 1,356 |
| Work from home | 806th | 1,062 |
| Travel time to work | 679th | 1,356 |
Melvindale's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Melvindale 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 Melvindale?
12 of the 57 figures for Melvindale 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 Melvindale 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 Melvindale.