Leaders in Michigan have raised boosting the state’s sluggish population growth as a key task — as other states around the country outpace Michigan in gaining new residents and the Great Lakes State stands to lose federal funding and representation.
Detroit, the state’s most populous city, posted moderate population gains in 2025. According to data estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the city’s population grew for the second year in a row, posting a moderate 1% growth from 2020 to 2024.
Among the city’s inner-ring suburbs, however, population growth isn’t consistent. Ferndale posted a 1.3% population increase over the same time period, but it was the only inner-ring community with a greater growth rate than Detroit. Hazel Park and Southfield grew slightly, at 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively, but the rest of the cities immediately surrounding Detroit trended downward.
These Detroit suburbs are seeing population growth
These inner-ring suburbs have grown between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2024, according to census estimates:
- Ferndale, 1.3%
- Hazel Park, 0.5%
- Southfield, 0.3%
These Detroit suburbs are seeing population loss
These inner-ring suburbs have seen population loss between April 1, 2020 and July 1, 2024, according to census estimates:
- River Rouge, -4.9%
- Ecorse, -4%
- Grosse Pointe Park, -3.8%
- Grosse Pointe Woods, -3.6%
- Harper Woods, -3.6%
- Lincoln Park, -3.7%
- Dearborn Heights, -3.6%
- Melvindale, -3.6%
- Grosse Pointe Farms, -3.5%
- Redford Township, -3.5%
- Dearborn, -3.3%
- Grosse Pointe, -2.6%
- Warren, -1.2%
- Eastpointe, -1.1%
- Royal Oak Township, -1.1%
- Oak Park, -0.6%
Census estimates show a slew of communities bordering Detroit losing at least 3% of residents from 2020 to 2024. River Rouge had the largest drop — census data found the community lost 4.9% of its population over the time frame…