With 638,530 people, Detroit is a city in Michigan. The poverty rate is 32.7%, above the 12.5% national rate. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 18% of adults. The typical home is worth $83,900. That trails the Michigan median by roughly 45%. Owners hold 50% of the housing stock.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $39,938, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
18% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 27%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Detroit
What changed most since 1990
Population1,027,974 → 638,530(−38%)US over the same years: +35%
White share20.7% → 10.8%(−9.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree9.6% → 18.1%(+8.5 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Detroit's population equals 36% of Wayne County's. Its number of households without a car equals 64% of the county's. Its number of households earning $100,000 or more equals 22% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)12.5%(2,485)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.4%(3,251)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36%(7,157)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.5%(896)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(197)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 19,872 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Detroit, decade by decade
Detroit population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
1,027,974
$44,982
$60,722
9.6%
48.3
2000
951,270
$53,786
$114,400
11.0%
40.9
2010
713,777
$40,794
$115,661
11.8%
39.2
2020
639,111
$39,389
$63,874
16.4%
48.5
2024
638,530
$39,938
$83,900
18.1%
52.2
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
