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Figure 1: Population Growth, 2012-2023
The 11 counties of the Detroit region have a combined population of 5.48 million people. Since 2012, the regional population has grown, but at a slower pace than the US population.
At the national level, the population grew at annual rates in the range of 0.7% and 0.5% between 2013 and 2023, while the Detroit region encountered a period of stagnation from 2012 to 2019. There is a noticeable increase in population growth in 2020 at both the national and regional levels. This is likely due to a break in the data with a “re-benchmark” in Census estimates for the new decade, and potentially due to in-migration to suburban counties from outside of the Detroit Metropolitan Area. The Detroit region saw population declines in 2022 and 2023 of 0.4% and 0.2%. During the same time, the US population has seen overall growth.
Figure 2: Population Change Components, 2012-2023
Population change is driven by four factors: births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration. In the Detroit region, births, deaths, and domestic migration play the biggest role. Domestic migration to the Detroit region has been negative for all years between 2013 and 2023. Net out-migration was trending down from 2015 to 2018 but continued to increase through 2022. International migration was on the decline from 2016 to 2020 but has since been increasing between 2021 and 2023. Births have been decreasing since 2017 and this trend has continued into 2023. Deaths have increased overall since 2012 with a spike in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and are about 3,000 higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2023. These population trends explain how overall population growth in the Detroit region has stagnated since 2013.
Figure 3: Population by County, 2023
The most populous county in the Detroit region is Wayne County with 1.75 million people. However, Wayne County’s population has declined by 1.6% since 2013. Oakland County follows with 1.27 million people (2.8% increase since 2013). As the primary employment hubs of the Detroit region, it comes as no surprise that Wayne and Oakland counties have the most residents.
Other populous counties include:
Figure 4: % Growth by Age Group, 2013-2023
The Detroit region’s population has declined in several of the youth and young adult age segments from 2013 to 2023. Notably, the 20-24 age segment is declining at a rapid rate of 11%. In the US on average, this age segment also declined by 40%. Meanwhile, the Detroit region’s 25-29 age segment increased at a steep pace of 9.1%. This figure outpaces the national average of 1.9%.
Out of the regional population, the age segments seeing the highest increases over the 10-year period were 65-69 (31.5%), 70-74 (46.9%), 75-79 (48.6%) 80-84). Population growth is far more common in the middle-age and elderly segments of the population. Almost every segment grew from 2013 to 2023. This is very similar with national trends as well.
Figure 5: Age Distribution, 2013-2023
Raw numbers demonstrate the magnitude of the Detroit region’s recent population changes. Some major population decreases from 2013 to 2023 are:
Meanwhile, the population of people aged 25 to 39 increased by 106,087 people. The 70-74 age segment grew by 84,592 people.
These population dynamics show that the Detroit region is aging at rates similar to the rest of the US on average. However, the youth population is decreasing more rapidly than the rest of the nation. A positive note is that due to the university and research base in Detroit, the region remains a magnet for 25- to 39-year-olds.
