DETROIT – There is a lot of positive momentum around Detroit. The city’s population surge is now catching the country’s attention.
Data regarding Detroit’s population growth is making national, even international, headlines this week.
“With the population boom that’s coming now, it’s making everybody feel more happy,” said Demetrius Martin while doing yard work in his Ravendale neighborhood on Detroit’s east side. “I’m seeing people moving in. It’s a house down the street that’s like $250,000 in this neighborhood, and it’s like, whoa, dang.”
The U.S. Census Bureau has been crunching the numbers. It estimates about 631,366 people called Detroit home in 2022. One year later, the city’s population grew to 633,218 residents.
“I think most of the country is cheering for us,” said Mayor Mike Duggan.
While there has been consistent growth over the past few years, that 1,852 increase in population over one year is significant.
Duggan said, “We’ve had 10,000 vacant houses renovated, with families moving in. We’ve got apartments being built from one end of the city to another. It’s really good we finally got the population to go in the right direction.”
The population increase data comes as the city celebrates positive community gains. Over the past five years, Detroit has invested about $1 billion in affordable housing.
“We’re trying to get more people involved in different things to better our community,” said neighbor Destiney Yelldell.
Some residents said strong neighborhood associations and public safety gains helped make the city more desirable.
The city has already demolished more than 6,000 vacant or abandoned homes, and it’s on track to knock down more blighted properties as it works to meet its goal.
“No doubt about it; I mean, you saw the University of Michigan study that we had a growth of $3 billion in Black wealth in the last 10 years in home ownership,” Duggan said.
Hundreds of new jobs have been added to the Detroit economy each year. The city said job growth has led to more than 25,000 more Detroiters being employed since 2014.
Duggan said, “We’ve had the Jeep plant come to the city. We’ve had Ford Motor Company renovating the train station. We’ve had a spectacular river walk that’s been built over the last 10 or 15 years.”
Many neighbors said the population growth update is another plus for a city already basking in the national spotlight and trying to attract even more visitors.
“Detroit is a place you can thrive,” said Keena Yelldell. “Feel at home.”