Population 9,134 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Southwest Detroit
Household size in Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.04 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.48 | 2.63 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.38 | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.21 | 2.57 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.83 | −0.07 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Southwest Detroit are large by national standards, averaging 3.21 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 4.04, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Detroit neighborhoods have larger households: only five of 76.
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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 29.1 | 40.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.2 | 40.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 30.3 | 41.0 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.9 | +2.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 30.3, Southwest Detroit is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young families with children. The median age has climbed from 23.3 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only five of Detroit's 76 neighborhoods are younger.
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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.8% | 12.1% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.6% | 12.3% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 17.3% | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.3% | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −13.5 pts | −0.9 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in Southwest Detroit (16.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has fallen 13.5 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Compared with other Detroit neighborhoods, though, Southwest Detroit has a lower share of single-parent households than most.
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 Southwest Detroit
Renters in Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 46.4% | 26.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 51.5% | 30.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.7% | 31.0% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.1% | 28.8% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −14.3 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Southwest Detroit rent their homes (32.1%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in the wider Detroit area (28.8%). Among homeowners, 87.8% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 14.3 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.1% | 11.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 26.1% | 11.2% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 20.0% | 10.0% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.4% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −13.7 pts | −3.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
More homes sit empty in Southwest Detroit than nationally: 13.4%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy is down 13.7 points from 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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1938 | 1968 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1938 | 1969 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1938 | 1969 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1938 | 1970 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | ±0 | +2 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Southwest Detroit is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1938, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Only one other Detroit neighborhood has 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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $792 | $952 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $716 | $1,005 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $687 | $1,123 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $912 | $1,373 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$120 | +$421 | +$395 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Southwest Detroit costs $912 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $120 a month since 2006–10, up 15%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 30.7% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the northeast; the highest are in the west.
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 Southwest Detroit
Bachelor's degrees in Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.1% | 27.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 28.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 7.9% | 31.1% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 11.6% | 34.5% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.5 pts | +6.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Southwest Detroit have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 11.6%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 7.5 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. College graduates are most concentrated in the north 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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.9% | 87.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 48.9% | 88.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 55.1% | 89.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 58.9% | 90.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.0 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About four in ten adults in Southwest Detroit never finished high school, well above the national share: only 58.9% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 14.0 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Few Detroit neighborhoods have a lower share of high school graduates: only two of 76.
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 Southwest Detroit
| Period | Southwest Detroit | Detroit area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.4% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 12.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.4% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.6% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −15.9 pts | −5.9 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Southwest Detroit: 10.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 15.9 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).
Southwest Detroit compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Detroit | 3.21 | 30.3 | 16.3% | 32.1% | 13.4% | 1938 | $912 | 11.6% | 58.9% | 10.6% |
| Hubbard-Richard | 2.56 | 36.3 | 15.7% | 53.8% | 23.3% | 1946 | $807 | 26.1% | 71.0% | 11.6% |
| Springwells | 2.99 | 33.1 | 22.2% | 39.5% | 12.0% | 1938 | $929 | 6.6% | 59.0% | 13.2% |
| Michigan-Martin | 3.53 | 27.3 | 25.4% | 38.8% | 14.4% | 1939 | $1,235 | 7.6% | 49.1% | 13.7% |
| Woodbridge | 2.06 | 35.4 | 8.7% | 71.8% | 10.0% | 1951 | $1,165 | 39.4% | 88.2% | 12.3% |
| Core City | 2.40 | 43.1 | 15.9% | 58.5% | 17.2% | 1960 | $927 | 9.0% | 63.7% | 15.6% |
| Claytown | 3.28 | 29.8 | 16.5% | 40.0% | 12.2% | 1940 | $1,052 | 7.8% | 53.4% | 7.5% |
| Midwest | 2.63 | 37.4 | 17.9% | 46.7% | 51.7% | 1939 | $1,024 | 6.8% | 74.8% | 22.9% |
| Tireman | 2.62 | 40.0 | 16.7% | 30.3% | 34.2% | 1939 | $990 | 10.8% | 76.2% | 7.0% |
| Downtown Detroit | 1.17 | 36.1 | 1.3% | 97.7% | 16.2% | 1953 | $1,759 | 54.1% | 92.9% | 1.9% |
| Midtown-Detroit | 1.65 | 32.5 | 14.2% | 86.4% | 20.8% | 1966 | $1,058 | 48.5% | 92.9% | 10.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Beechview, Pittsburgh, PA · The Paseos, Las Vegas, NV · Old Allentown, Allentown, PA · Northeast MacFarlane, Tampa, FL · West Modesto, Modesto, CA · Carriage Place, Aurora, CO · Cane Ridge, Antioch, TN · Lovejoy, Buffalo, NY · Bloomfield, Pittsburgh, PA · Windsor Road, Austin, TX
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 Southwest Detroit. 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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