Population 15,729 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Harper Woods
Household size in Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.53 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.55 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.74 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.22 | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Harper Woods average 2.74 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.53, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the northeast and smallest in the southeast.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.5 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.1 | 40.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.4 | 40.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.8 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.2 | +2.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Harper Woods is 36.8 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1. Residents skew youngest in the south and oldest in the east. Harper Woods is younger than at least four in five Michigan cities.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.4% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.9% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 18.9% | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Harper Woods: 22.6% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is up 4.2 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people, only four have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Harper Woods
Renters in Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.8% | 26.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.1% | 30.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 42.5% | 31.0% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 33.1% | 28.8% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +8.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in Harper Woods is about as common as it is nationally: 33.1% of households rent, against 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the Detroit area overall (28.8%). Among homeowners, 40.5% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. The renter share is up 8.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 11.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.3% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 10.0% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 5.6% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −7.1 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Harper Woods than nationally: 5.6%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Vacancy has fallen 7.1 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1968 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1969 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1969 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1954 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +2 | +3 | +6 |
Harper Woods is a place of older homes: half were built before 1954, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Only 20 of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,010 | $952 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,084 | $1,005 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,148 | $1,123 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,421 | $1,373 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$411 | +$421 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Harper Woods pays $1,421 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $411 a month from 2006–10, a 41% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.2% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Harper Woods
Bachelor's degrees in Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.8% | 27.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.7% | 28.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 31.1% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.0% | 34.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +6.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Harper Woods than nationally: 26.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the west.
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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.7% | 87.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.2% | 88.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 89.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 90.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Harper Woods is a bit above the national rate: 91.7% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The Detroit area as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than 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 Harper Woods
| Period | Harper Woods | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.2% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.7% | 12.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.9% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.6% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.6 pts | −5.9 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Harper Woods than nationally: unemployment was 6.6%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 8.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Harper Woods 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Woods | 2.74 | 36.8 | 22.6% | 33.1% | 5.6% | 1954 | $1,421 | 26.0% | 91.7% | 6.6% |
| Grosse Pointe Woods | 2.49 | 45.4 | 5.4% | 10.1% | 4.1% | 1952 | $2,327 | 64.6% | 97.3% | 6.0% |
| Eastpointe | 2.68 | 36.7 | 21.0% | 29.7% | 7.6% | 1953 | $1,338 | 14.7% | 88.7% | 12.1% |
| Village of Grosse Pointe Shores | 2.52 | 48.1 | 2.7% | 16.6% | 7.7% | 1962 | $1,511 | 69.3% | 97.5% | 3.6% |
| Grosse Pointe Farms | 2.44 | 48.9 | 2.1% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 1948 | $1,634 | 76.6% | 97.9% | 2.0% |
| Grosse Pointe | 2.54 | 41.8 | 13.5% | 19.2% | 9.6% | 1943 | $1,645 | 55.9% | 96.8% | 7.3% |
| Grosse Pointe Park | 2.54 | 41.1 | 5.5% | 25.6% | 6.5% | 1940 | $1,450 | 73.6% | 96.6% | 3.6% |
| St. Clair Shores | 2.17 | 44.9 | 8.1% | 16.4% | 4.9% | 1958 | $1,261 | 29.1% | 94.9% | 4.2% |
| Roseville | 2.28 | 40.3 | 13.8% | 34.3% | 5.7% | 1962 | $1,302 | 15.5% | 90.2% | 6.9% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lincoln, IL · Norwalk, IA · Northview, MI · Macomb, IL · Luquillo, PR · Lugoff, SC · Lowell, MI · Longmeadow, MA · Logan, OH · Livingston, CA
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 Harper Woods. 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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