More and more people would prefer to live in the cities and towns that surround Detroit to avoid all the hustle and bustle.
So the question arises: what suburbs of Detroit are the worst?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Detroit ‘burbs need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Detroit area if you will. Realistically, you can only expect some of the suburbs to live up to Detroit proper, although Huntington Woods certainly tries.
We examined the 76 biggest suburbs of Detroit to find out the worst places to live. And while you won’t necessarily find them on the worst places to live in Michigan lists, these ten places are a little too far downwind of Detroit in terms of quality of life.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 worst suburbs around Detroit for 2024
Now don’t freak out.
What’s the worst suburb of Detroit? River Rouge ranks as the worst suburb of Detroit for 2024 based on the most recent Census and FBI data.
Or, if you’re thinking of moving to elsewhere in Michigan check out the best places in Michigan overall or the worst.
And remember, there are some good places to live around Detroit too.
The 10 Worst Detroit Suburbs To Live For 2024
/10
Population: 7,200
Median Income: $26,343 (lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 12.9% (2nd highest)
Median Home Value: $62,263 (lowest)
More on River Rouge: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
We’ll get the ball rolling with River Rouge, the absolute worst place to live around Detroit according to the data.
And in the world of worst rankings, River Rouge beat the competition pretty handily thanks to scoring in the bottom 15% in three major categories. Income is the worst in the Detroit area, and to make matters worse, the city ranks worst when it comes to home values.
But hey, at least it’s cheap to live there. But there’s a reason for that… it’s River Rouge.
You won’t feel bad about not having a great income for the area. There aren’t a bunch of places to spend your money anyway.
/10
Population: 61,965
Median Income: $40,307 (6th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.5% (9th highest)
Median Home Value: $114,719 (5th lowest)
More on Pontiac: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Welcome to Pontiac. Home to KMart, Big Lots, and a lot of gas stations.
This city is 20.7 miles to Detroit. Income levels here are the 6th lowest in the metro area, where families bring in about $40,307 a year, which only goes so far even on a shoestring budget.
But on the bright side, there are a lot of fast food joints in the area.
/10
Population: 9,032
Median Income: $30,341 (2nd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 18.2% (highest)
Median Home Value: $67,728 (2nd lowest)
More on Highland Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Back up the highway we go for the third worst Detroit suburb you can live in. You might have expected to see Highland Park on here. While the cost of living is low, your entertainment and work options are limited. And that’s an understatement.
In terms of numbers, it’s in the worst 15% for insurance, and the adult high school dropout rate is poor compared to other Detroit suburbs.
But at least there are lovely parks to bring the kids during the day.
/10
Population: 9,292
Median Income: $45,473 (8th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.5% (10th highest)
Median Home Value: $69,697 (3rd lowest)
More on Ecorse: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
If you live in Ecorse, most likely you struggle to make ends meet every month. It ranks as the 8th lowest Detroit suburb for median household incomes.
Not only that, but this is the 10th worst unemployed suburb you can live in if you choose to live near Detroit. Remember, we looked at 76 cities for this study.
Ecorse is about 9.4 miles to downtown.
/10
Population: 25,839
Median Income: $38,381 (3rd lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 11.7% (5th highest)
Median Home Value: $86,767 (4th lowest)
More on Inkster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Inkster has the distinction of being a Detroit suburb. Which means that’s about all it has going for it.
All snarkiness aside, Inkster has the 4th lowest home values in the metro Detroit area, where the median price is $86,767. The median income is $200,054.
Inkster has an unemployment rate of 11.7% which ranks 5th worst.
/10
Population: 12,639
Median Income: $38,918 (4th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 11.2% (6th highest)
Median Home Value: $127,178 (6th lowest)
More on Melvindale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Melvindale has 12,639 residents that probably know it’s a pretty crummy place to live when you look at the data. (Or, if you’ve ever been there, you don’t need to look at the data.)
Incomes are towards the bottom, and the poverty rate sits at 33.17509296621568%.
/10
Population: 17,568
Median Income: $52,709 (11th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.2% (11th highest)
Median Home Value: $153,609 (10th lowest)
More on Wayne: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Ah, Wayne. You rank as the 7th worst place to live around Detroit.
It’s the place with the 11th most out of work residents in the Detroit metro area (9.19%).
/10
Population: 27,842
Median Income: $39,648 (5th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 11.7% (4th highest)
Median Home Value: $157,381 (13th lowest)
More on Hamtramck: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Hamtramck is a city about 2.5 miles from Detroit, but Detroit probably wishes it was further away. It ranks as the 8th worst burb for 2018.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a worse place to live. Hamtramck has the 6th most uninsured people, 5th worst incomes, and has the 4th highest unemployment rate (11.74%) in the entire Detroit metro area.
Homes only cost $157,381 for a reason. That’s cheap for Detroit standards.
/10
Population: 25,055
Median Income: $63,854 (3lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 9.8% (8th highest)
Median Home Value: $179,648 (19th lowest)
More on Romulus: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
If you absolutely have to live near Detroit, then Romulus might be a place for you to consider as it’s only the 9th worst Detroit suburb.
About 9.82% of residents are out of work.
/10
Population: 62,937
Median Income: $59,352 (19th lowest)
Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (2highest)
Median Home Value: $161,574 (16th lowest)
More on Taylor: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Rounding out the ten worst Detroit suburbs to call home is Taylor.
Located 13.8 miles outside the city, Taylors is a real pit when you look at the data. Its residents have the 2highest unemployment rate (7.35%), and poverty is far above the area average.
Methodology: Determining The Worst Suburbs Around Detroit for 2024
To figure out how bad a Detroit suburb is to live in, we used Saturday Night Science to identify the kinds of things people like and then decide what suburbs have the least amount of those things.
Using the most recent American Community Survey data from 2018-2022, this is the criteria we used:
- High unemployment rate
- Low median household incomes
- Low population density (no things to do)
- Low home values
- A lot of high school dropouts
- High poverty
- High rate of uninsured families
We defined a suburb as any town within 30 miles of Detroit.
We also limited the analysis to places with over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 76 suburbs to evaluate around Detroit.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 76 in each category, where 1 was the “worst.”
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
And finally, we crowned the city with the worst quality of life index, the “Worst Suburb near Detroit.” We’re looking at you, River Rouge.
We updated this article for 2024, which reflects our tenth time ranking the worst suburbs around Detroit.
Summary: The areas around Detroit where the dream is more of a nightmare for 2024
Well there you have it — the worst of the ‘burbs surrounding Detroit with River Rouge casting itself ahead of the pack.
The worst suburbs of Detroit are .
As we mentioned earlier, the suburbs around Detroit aren’t all bad. Huntington Woods takes the cake as the best place to live around Detroit.
- Huntington Woods
- Grosse Pointe Park
- Grosse Pointe
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
- Best Places To Retire In Michigan
- Richest Cities In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Worst Places To Live In Michigan
Detailed List Of The Worst Detroit Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | River Rouge | 7,200 | $26,343 | $62,263 |
| 2 | Pontiac | 61,965 | $40,307 | $114,719 |
| 3 | Highland Park | 9,032 | $30,341 | $67,728 |
| 4 | Ecorse | 9,292 | $45,473 | $69,697 |
| 5 | Inkster | 25,839 | $38,381 | $86,767 |
| 6 | Melvindale | 12,639 | $38,918 | $127,178 |
| 7 | Wayne | 17,568 | $52,709 | $153,609 |
| 8 | Hamtramck | 27,842 | $39,648 | $157,381 |
| 9 | Romulus | 25,055 | $63,854 | $179,648 |
| 10 | Taylor | 62,937 | $59,352 | $161,574 |
| 11 | New Haven | 6,200 | $63,424 | $280,596 |
| 12 | Mount Clemens | 15,679 | $55,154 | $156,898 |
| 13 | Lincoln Park | 39,807 | $55,777 | $137,851 |
| 14 | Eastpointe | 34,087 | $57,953 | $143,733 |
| 15 | Warren | 138,588 | $61,633 | $187,656 |
| 16 | Dearborn Heights | 62,474 | $58,335 | $186,873 |
| 17 | Roseville | 47,476 | $57,274 | $159,392 |
| 18 | Hazel Park | 15,065 | $59,576 | $154,739 |
| 19 | Harper Woods | 15,296 | $60,030 | $146,667 |
| 20 | Dearborn | 108,414 | $64,600 | $213,451 |
| 21 | Ypsilanti | 20,204 | $41,914 | $309,294 |
| 22 | Westland | 84,806 | $59,930 | $194,197 |
| 23 | Belleville | 3,979 | $55,979 | $240,228 |
| 24 | Carleton | 2,655 | $54,028 | $290,962 |
| 25 | Flat Rock | 10,448 | $65,374 | $237,743 |
| 26 | Auburn Hills | 24,593 | $77,724 | $245,506 |
| 27 | Center Line | 8,493 | $52,067 | $158,320 |
| 28 | Utica | 5,195 | $52,247 | $247,172 |
| 29 | Fraser | 14,668 | $61,039 | $217,570 |
| 30 | Madison Heights | 28,521 | $63,224 | $203,911 |
| 31 | Southfield | 76,107 | $63,980 | $234,297 |
| 32 | Oak Park | 29,495 | $61,991 | $212,139 |
| 33 | Sterling Heights | 133,744 | $75,381 | $278,499 |
| 34 | Wyandotte | 24,857 | $62,111 | $174,297 |
| 35 | Gibraltar | 4,950 | $80,392 | $239,399 |
| 36 | Romeo | 3,727 | $59,693 | $368,712 |
| 37 | Southgate | 29,948 | $62,792 | $175,318 |
| 38 | South Rockwood | 2,032 | $82,500 | $272,968 |
| 39 | Woodhaven | 12,867 | $77,725 | $242,087 |
| 40 | Riverview | 12,390 | $69,323 | $219,074 |
| 41 | Allen Park | 28,395 | $73,792 | $190,218 |
| 42 | Rockwood | 3,232 | $93,036 | $202,659 |
| 43 | Trenton | 18,420 | $74,267 | $215,391 |
| 44 | Wixom | 17,007 | $72,896 | $348,240 |
| 45 | St. Clair Shores | 58,656 | $71,481 | $211,168 |
| 46 | Walled Lake | 7,262 | $65,031 | $229,099 |
| 47 | Farmington Hills | 83,562 | $101,728 | $348,161 |
| 48 | Livonia | 94,928 | $92,458 | $278,535 |
| 49 | New Baltimore | 12,104 | $90,028 | $325,237 |
| 50 | Ferndale | 19,264 | $86,120 | $236,307 |
| 51 | Wolverine Lake | 4,493 | $85,195 | $284,719 |
| 52 | Troy | 87,170 | $115,639 | $398,962 |
| 53 | Keego Harbor | 2,771 | $67,841 | $209,967 |
| 54 | Novi | 65,870 | $110,588 | $425,204 |
| 55 | Clawson | 11,388 | $82,713 | $261,691 |
| 56 | Milford | 6,483 | $98,054 | $425,893 |
| 57 | Rochester Hills | 76,041 | $115,968 | $414,974 |
| 58 | Rochester | 12,978 | $102,838 | $428,006 |
| 59 | Lake Orion | 2,915 | $94,925 | $366,451 |
| 60 | South Lyon | 11,788 | $82,753 | $434,616 |
| 61 | Farmington | 11,486 | $92,128 | $290,249 |
| 62 | Grosse Pointe Woods | 16,338 | $125,712 | $315,509 |
| 63 | Bloomfield Hills | 4,402 | $200,054 | $569,983 |
| 64 | Royal Oak | 58,053 | $92,799 | $302,682 |
| 65 | Pleasant Ridge | 2,609 | $164,861 | $432,482 |
| 66 | Franklin | 2,653 | $178,167 | $760,958 |
| 67 | Northville | 6,088 | $134,330 | $514,916 |
| 68 | Berkley | 15,150 | $108,125 | $285,101 |
| 69 | Plymouth | 9,300 | $107,156 | $417,416 |
| 70 | Birmingham | 21,738 | $151,556 | $600,237 |
| 71 | Beverly Hills | 10,550 | $162,364 | $498,630 |
| 72 | Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores | 2,610 | $170,850 | $745,997 |
| 73 | Grosse Pointe Farms | 10,018 | $156,465 | $446,876 |
| 74 | Grosse Pointe | 5,621 | $136,094 | $421,780 |
| 75 | Grosse Pointe Park | 11,513 | $128,333 | $451,199 |
| 76 | Huntington Woods | 6,365 | $184,815 | $459,699 |
Detroit is a single CITY not an entire state. Quit calling us Detroit please. We are called MICHIGAN. I think you meant to say Michigan suburbs. Kindly stop associating ALL of Michigan with Detroit. I loathe Detroit!
Also, Highland Park and Ecorse ARE NOT suburbs. If they were in the PAST they certainly ARE NOT NOW. They are part of the inner city. The info you reported about them being the worst is accurate. But I can assure you that those cities ARE NOT suburbs. It’s blasphemy to even call them that.
I used to live in Highland Park up until the early 90’s and HAPPILY moved away to a REAL suburb at that time.
And the only thing wrong with Romulus is that it’s riddled with racism and White supremacy. Other than that unacceptable fact of life it’s a decent, safe place to live. Just need to run all the fascists out.
Taylor IS an AWESOME suburb and also does not deserve to be on that list. Unemployment is not THEIR fault. It has more to do with our Government than anything else. Dearborn and Dearborn Heights however are nothing to write home about. How did a wonderful city like Taylor make the list but you manged to leave out Dearborn? Dearborn is very poorly maintained and the people who live their deserve so much better like Southfield or Farmington Hills.
I don’t think you understand the definition of a suburb. Just because a place like Ecorse or Highland Park are old & have similar issues as the inner city doesn’t change the fact that they still suburbs. By your relational a suburb isn’t “a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a larger city”, even though that is the actual definition. You seem to believe that the word suburb is more like a feeling, like it has to have a certain aesthetic & it’s people must behave by a certain set of principles that’s different from the neighborhoods within the city. As long as that holds true it’s a suburb but when the demographics change & the housing & infrastructure age than it’s no longer a suburb?? That makes absolutely no sense, just like the idea of calling Detroit suburbs “Michigan suburbs”, whether you like it or not the suburbs surrounding Detroit are interlinked & all part of the same metropolitan area that are all anchored around Detroit both culturally & financially. Why on earth would some say Taylor or Roseville are Michigan suburbs?? That doesn’t mean anything, there’s no such thing as a Michigan suburb because we are all part of the State, to be sub-urb(an) means to be outside of & surrounding an bigger area. A suburb can be rural all the way to urban as long as it fits the definition. If you go to cities in the south many of them look like Farmington Hills, Southfield & Sterling Heights, does that make them suburbs & if so what exactly are the a suburb of. Your hatred of Detroit has you blinded & it’s people like you who hold back progress of our area by trying to isolate & pit communities in our area again each other. When I’m somewhere out of state & someone asks where I’m from I say Detroit never Michigan, even though I haven’t lived in there since 2005 but I’m just 15 min outside of the city in an east side suburb, but no body from out of state will know or care about which suburb your from they are asking what metro area are you from.
*Live There*
Oh, so you DID include Dearborn a Dearborn Heights. Southfield and Farmington Hills ARE NOT the worst suburbs in Michigan. Please get a clue. You most likely don’t even live in Michigan. I DO. Those are among THE BEST places in Michigan to live.
Those two cities alone are beautiful clean SAFE suburbs. Seems you are ranking our BEST suburbs based on how many poor people are living there and casting them out as “the worst” based on your own personal prejudices.
Well, for your general information those poor people happen to be very hard-working, decent, honest, law-abiding citizens who CONTRIBUTE to INCREASING the property value each year. We don’t harbor criminals, drug dealers, prostitutes and fugitives of justice. We are not The Bronx, New York.
We don’t need some snob casting our best towns out as evil because you are used to living among the elite. Or are you also a White supremacist who can’t stand happy interracial suburbs where EVERYBODY gets along with EVERYBODY else regardless of race or social class? Certainly seems that way to me. I love Southfield and Farmington Hills. I lived in Southfield for over 20 years and it’s STILL just as great now as it was back then. I’d rather live in Southfield than ANY part of Detroit.
Some of those suburbs are our worst. However, it seems you included MOST our BESTbsuburbs on your list because people of color reside there too? How is that fair or impartial? Birmingham is approximately 1% Black and 99% White. The non Black people who live there that I have encoutered are extremely elite and extremely racist and unaccepting of all people of color. I have witnessed and experienced this open discrimination first hand when frequenting Borders Book Store when it was still open for business. Birmingham definitely belongs on Michigan’s WORST suburb list. It is nothing more than a Nazi haven much like Twitter.
Birmingham IS NOT one of the best suburbs to live in. Based on what? How many RACIST elites live there. Because that’s who that city is mostly composed of. I call it Birmingham “Alabama” Michigan. Birmingham is infamous for profiling ALL people of color. I know this first hand from personal experience and observation as I used to frequent Borders Book Store when it was still open in 2003. The population is approximately 99% White and 1% Black. There are no other minority groups living there whatsoever. The racist attitudes of the citizens of Birmingham which I have encountered up close are merely unacceptable. Birmingham IS NOT the best city in Michigan to live in just because a lot of rich Caucasian people live there. It’s beautiful on the outside and quite trashy on the inside. It’s actually one of THE WORST cities to live in.
Very interesting list; glad you have the stones to pot it (lists like these are going to garner indignant reactions no matter how you rank them). That said…Corktown only #74?!? Yikes. It should be Top 20 easily, if not Top 10!