Population 8,463 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Center Line
Household size in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.18 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.32 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.61 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.43 | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Center Line average 2.61 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). Household size has climbed from 2.18 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the north and smallest in the east.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.6 | 40.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.2 | 40.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.2 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.1 | +2.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
At 40.2, the median age in Center Line is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has dropped from 41.3 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the northwest.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 13.1% | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Center Line than nationally: 14.2%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 4.1 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Center Line has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Michigan cities.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Center Line
Renters in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.3% | 26.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 48.6% | 30.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 52.1% | 31.0% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 47.8% | 28.8% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting is far more common in Center Line than nationally: 47.8% of households rent their homes, against 34.8%. More than a third of owners (36.7%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 2.5 points, as it has nationally. Only 11 of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 11.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.5% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 10.0% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 2.7% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.9 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 2.7% of homes in Center Line are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Vacancy is down 5.9 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only four of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1957 | 1968 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1958 | 1969 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1956 | 1969 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +2 | +3 | +6 |
Center Line is a place of older homes: half were built before 1962, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1957 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the center, while the southeast has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $571 | $952 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $556 | $1,005 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $865 | $1,123 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,007 | $1,373 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$436 | +$421 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Center Line pays $1,007 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $436 a month from 2006–10, a 76% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 22.8% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the south and lowest in the northwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Center Line
Bachelor's degrees in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.3% | 27.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 28.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 31.1% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 34.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.0 pts | +6.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Center Line have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.0 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.5% | 87.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.0% | 88.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.1% | 89.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 88.4% | 90.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.9 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Center Line have finished high school as nationally: 88.4%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Detroit area overall (90.9%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Center Line
| Period | Center Line | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 12.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −5.9 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Center Line: 7.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 5.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Center Line compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Line | 2.61 | 40.2 | 14.2% | 47.8% | 2.7% | 1962 | $1,007 | 17.3% | 88.4% | 7.3% |
| Warren | 2.60 | 38.9 | 14.0% | 31.9% | 7.7% | 1965 | $1,272 | 19.6% | 84.4% | 8.5% |
| Hazel Park | 2.25 | 39.0 | 13.6% | 33.9% | 8.8% | 1955 | $1,336 | 26.4% | 88.9% | 5.4% |
| Eastpointe | 2.68 | 36.7 | 21.0% | 29.7% | 7.6% | 1953 | $1,338 | 14.7% | 88.7% | 12.1% |
| Madison Heights | 2.18 | 39.5 | 8.7% | 35.2% | 10.5% | 1964 | $1,272 | 33.0% | 90.2% | 3.3% |
| Roseville | 2.28 | 40.3 | 13.8% | 34.3% | 5.7% | 1962 | $1,302 | 15.5% | 90.2% | 6.9% |
| Fraser | 2.27 | 43.0 | 12.2% | 26.7% | 4.4% | 1973 | $876 | 22.7% | 91.0% | 4.0% |
| Hamtramck | 3.81 | 28.6 | 10.1% | 38.2% | 16.9% | 1940 | $994 | 16.3% | 65.5% | 12.8% |
| Highland Park | 2.45 | 40.5 | 19.0% | 48.8% | 32.9% | 1947 | $892 | 19.9% | 83.5% | 16.8% |
| Harper Woods | 2.74 | 36.8 | 22.6% | 33.1% | 5.6% | 1954 | $1,421 | 26.0% | 91.7% | 6.6% |
| Ferndale | 1.91 | 38.1 | 8.3% | 36.3% | 7.8% | 1946 | $1,312 | 53.3% | 96.3% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Olivette, MO · Nokesville, VA · North Chili, NY · North Gates, NY · North Scituate, RI · North Versailles, PA · North Weeki Wachee, FL · Northwest Harborcreek, PA · Oak Grove, KY · Oak Ridge, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Center Line. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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