Segregation then and now: Metro Detroit
Following the fire and violence of 1967, Detroit established itself as the most segregated metro area in the country, with African Americans confined to narrow sections of the city and much of the suburbs a no-go zone. (See a Bridge report on the changes.)
Today, hundreds of thousands of African Americans live in communities across the metro region, from the Grosse Pointes to Novi and Warren. But many still live in majority-black communities like Southfield, Pontiac, Inkster and River Rougeor in in majority-black neighborhoods within other cities.
The maps below show regional housing segregation patterns in 1970 and again in 2010. To see demographic changes from 1970 through 2014 by community, check out the database below the maps.
| Muncipality | County | Total pop. | Percent black | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2014 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2014 | ||
| Detroit | Wayne | 1,511,482 | 695,437 | 43.7 | 62.7 | 75.3 | 81.2 | 82.2 | 80.7 |
| Warren | Macomb | 179,260 | 134,398 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.7 | 13.4 | 15.1 |
| Sterling Heights | Macomb | 61,365 | 130,604 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Clinton Township | Macomb | 48,865 | 97,848 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3 | 4.6 | 12.9 | 14.3 |
| Dearborn | Wayne | 104,199 | 96,739 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Livonia | Wayne | 110,109 | 95,888 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| Canton Township | Wayne | 11,026 | 89,672 | 0.6 | 1 | 2 | 4.5 | 10.1 | 9.9 |
| Westland | Wayne | 86,749 | 83,188 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 6.7 | 17.1 | 18.6 |
| Macomb Township | Macomb | 6,140 | 82,204 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
| Troy | Oakland | 39,419 | 82,106 | 0 | 1 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 4 | 3.9 |
| Farmington Hills | Oakland | 48,933 | 80,682 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 6.9 | 17.3 | 18.3 |
| Shelby Township | Macomb | 29,467 | 75,178 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| Waterford Township | Oakland | 59,123 | 72,503 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 5.4 |
| Southfield | Oakland | 69,285 | 72,480 | 0.1 | 9.2 | 28.9 | 54 | 69.9 | 69 |
| Rochester Hills | Oakland | 24,513 | 72,195 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 5.5 |
| West Bloomfield Township | Oakland | 28,563 | 65,419 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2 | 5.1 | 11.3 | 13.1 |
| Taylor | Wayne | 70,020 | 62,331 | 0 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 8.7 | 15.7 | 15.9 |
| St. Clair Shores | Macomb | 88,093 | 59,865 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 4.6 |
| Pontiac | Oakland | 85,279 | 59,658 | 26.7 | 36.9 | 41.8 | 47.4 | 51.1 | 50.7 |
| Royal Oak | Oakland | 85,499 | 58,382 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 3.2 |
| Dearborn Heights | Wayne | 80,069 | 57,063 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 7.8 | 8.4 |
| Novi | Oakland | 9,668 | 56,887 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 8.1 | 7.3 |
| Redford Township | Wayne | 71,901 | 47,930 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 8.5 | 28.7 | 32 |
| Roseville | Macomb | 60,529 | 47,408 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.6 | 11.7 | 14.1 |
| Chesterfield Township | Macomb | 9,378 | 43,814 | 1.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 5.5 |
| Bloomfield Township | Oakland | 42,788 | 41,571 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 6.7 | 7.5 |
| Commerce Township | Oakland | 18,857 | 41,102 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Lincoln Park | Wayne | 52,984 | 37,648 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2 | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| Orion Township | Oakland | 17,110 | 36,029 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3 |
| Independence Township | Oakland | 17,361 | 35,332 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 |
| Eastpointe* | Macomb | 45,920 | 32,526 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 4.7 | 29.3 | 39.2 |
| Brownstown Township | Wayne | 7,012 | 30,615 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 7.9 |
| White Lake Township | Oakland | 14,311 | 30,552 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| Madison Heights | Oakland | 38,599 | 30,028 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 6.3 | 7.2 |
| Southgate | Wayne | 33,909 | 29,710 | 0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 |
| Oak Park | Oakland | 36,762 | 29,622 | 0.2 | 12 | 34.1 | 45.7 | 57.1 | 57.7 |
| Northville Township | Wayne | 9,522 | 28,682 | 12.3 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3 |
| Van Buren Township | Wayne | 13,162 | 28,553 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 7.6 | 12 | 28.5 | 28.5 |
| Allen Park | Wayne | 40,747 | 27,869 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Garden City | Wayne | 41,864 | 27,356 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 2.2 |
| Plymouth Township | Wayne | 17,497 | 27,255 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Washington Township | Macomb | 7,526 | 25,721 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| Wyandotte | Wayne | 41,061 | 25,470 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Inkster | Wayne | 38,595 | 25,056 | 44.5 | 56.4 | 62.2 | 67.3 | 72.6 | 76.1 |
| Harrison Township | Macomb | 18,755 | 24,738 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 2 | 2.4 | 7.4 | 10.2 |
| Romulus Township | Wayne | 22,879 | 23,721 | 12.1 | 17.4 | 21.7 | 29.8 | 42.7 | 42.4 |
| Hamtramck | Wayne | 27,245 | 22,256 | 12 | 12.9 | 14 | 14.9 | 19.1 | 13.8 |
| Auburn Hills | Oakland | 13,219 | 21,639 | 0.5 | 7.2 | 9.5 | 13.1 | 18.1 | 15.3 |
| Oxford Township | Oakland | 8,489 | 20,882 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Birmingham | Oakland | 26,170 | 20,382 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Ferndale | Oakland | 30,850 | 20,102 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 9.4 | 8 |
| Highland Township | Oakland | 8,372 | 19,452 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Trenton | Wayne | 24,127 | 18,635 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| Oakland Township | Oakland | 4,793 | 17,705 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2 | 2.3 | 3.3 |
| Wayne | Wayne | 21,054 | 17,314 | 0.1 | 5.3 | 7.5 | 11.3 | 16.8 | 15.8 |
| Hazel Park | Oakland | 23,784 | 16,532 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 9.7 | 10.4 |
| Mount Clemens | Macomb | 20,476 | 16,345 | 16.2 | 18.1 | 17.6 | 19.5 | 24.5 | 27.4 |
| Milford Township | Oakland | 7,256 | 16,109 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Grosse Pointe Woods | Wayne | 21,878 | 15,943 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 4.5 | 5.8 |
| Huron Township | Wayne | 8,030 | 15,782 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | 2.5 | 3.7 |
| Lyon Township | Oakland | 4,500 | 15,736 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Brandon Township | Oakland | 4,813 | 15,359 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Berkley | Oakland | 22,618 | 15,136 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| Southfield Township | Oakland | 17,521 | 14,694 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| Fraser | Macomb | 11,868 | 14,544 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 8.3 |
| Springfield Township | Oakland | 4,388 | 14,155 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Harper Woods | Wayne | 20,186 | 14,058 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 10.2 | 45.3 | 49.3 |
| Wixom | Oakland | 2,010 | 13,640 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 11 | 10.3 |
| Rochester | Oakland | 7,054 | 12,872 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 |
| Woodhaven | Wayne | 3,330 | 12,747 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 4.8 |
| Riverview | Wayne | 11,342 | 12,347 | 0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 3 | 4.8 |
| New Baltimore | Macomb | 4,132 | 12,144 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 1 |
| Clawson | Oakland | 17,617 | 11,943 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1 |
| Fenton | Oakland | 8,284 | 11,601 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| South Lyon | Oakland | 2,675 | 11,514 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
| Holly Township | Oakland | 7,396 | 11,474 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Grosse Pointe Park | Wayne | 15,585 | 11,412 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 10.5 | 9.6 |
| Highland Park | Wayne | 35,444 | 10,951 | 55.3 | 83.5 | 92.4 | 93.1 | 93 | 90.6 |
| Melvindale | Wayne | 13,862 | 10,584 | 0 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 10.8 | 13 |
| Lenox Township | Macomb | 4,724 | 10,568 | 17.3 | 14.8 | 12.9 | 16.4 | 14.4 | 13.6 |
| Farmington | Oakland | 13,337 | 10,472 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 |
| Beverly Hills | Oakland | 13,598 | 10,368 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 6.6 | 7.3 |
| Grosse Ile Township | Wayne | 7,799 | 10,264 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| Flat Rock | Wayne | 5,643 | 9,859 | 0.1 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 4 | 8.1 |
| Sumpter Township | Wayne | 8,091 | 9,435 | 19.4 | 15.9 | 13.6 | 12.3 | 11.9 | 9 |
| Ecorse | Wayne | 17,515 | 9,401 | 38.3 | 39 | 39.1 | 40.4 | 46 | 42.5 |
| Grosse Pointe Farms | Wayne | 11,701 | 9,371 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
| Plymouth | Wayne | 11,758 | 9,029 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| Bruce Township | Macomb | 4,350 | 8,797 | 5.2 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 3.1 |
| Center Line | Macomb | 10,379 | 8,279 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 3 | 11.9 | 14.9 |
| River Rouge | Wayne | 15,947 | 7,761 | 31.9 | 32.6 | 35 | 41.8 | 49.8 | 54.5 |
| Walled Lake | Oakland | 3,759 | 7,065 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 2.9 |
| Addison Township | Oakland | 2,809 | 6,432 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 3.5 |
| Rose Township | Oakland | 2,502 | 6,339 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.9 |
| Milford | Oakland | 4,699 | 6,325 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Huntington Woods | Oakland | 8,536 | 6,310 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1 | 2.2 |
| Holly | Oakland | 4,355 | 6,142 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 2.1 |
| Northville | Wayne | 5,400 | 6,001 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| Richmond | Macomb | 3,234 | 5,800 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 | 4.3 |
| Groveland Township | Oakland | 2,570 | 5,532 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.5 |
| Armada Township | Macomb | 2,953 | 5,407 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Grosse Pointe | Wayne | 6,637 | 5,350 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 0.6 |
| Utica | Macomb | 3,504 | 4,747 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 5 |
| New Haven | Macomb | 1,855 | 4,665 | 41.5 | 37.3 | 28.4 | 19.3 | 16.7 | 20 |
| Gibraltar | Wayne | 3,325 | 4,602 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Lathrup Village | Oakland | 1,429 | 4,109 | 0.1 | 3.9 | 22.8 | 49.7 | 60.9 | 68.5 |
| Bloomfield Hills | Oakland | 3,672 | 3,925 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 4 | 1.4 |
| Belleville | Wayne | 2,406 | 3,914 | 0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 7.9 | 13.8 | 7.2 |
| Ray Township | Macomb | 2,683 | 3,870 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Richmond Township | Macomb | 1,719 | 3,631 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Romeo | Macomb | 4,012 | 3,608 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 0.5 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 5.3 |
| Oxford | Oakland | 2,536 | 3,488 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| Rockwood | Wayne | 3,119 | 3,243 | 0.1 | 0 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Lake Orion | Oakland | 2,921 | 3,036 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| Grosse Pointe Shores | Wayne | 3,042 | 3,031 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 4.2 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Keego Harbor | Oakland | 3,092 | 3,003 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| Royal Oak Township | Oakland | 6,326 | 2,707 | 67 | 57.8 | 65.2 | 71.1 | 94.4 | 90.4 |
| Pleasant Ridge | Oakland | 3,989 | 2,544 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Orchard Lake | Oakland | 1,487 | 2,343 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 7.9 |
| Armada | Macomb | 1,352 | 2,012 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Sylvan Lake | Oakland | 2,219 | 1,591 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 4.1 |
| Ortonville | Oakland | 983 | 1,488 | 0.2 | 0 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 2 |
| Bingham Farms | Oakland | 566 | 1,220 | 0 | #N/A | 2.5 | 5.5 | 7.6 | 12.5 |
| Memphis | Macomb | 1,121 | 1,200 | 1.2 | 1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Clarkston | Oakland | 1,034 | 852 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Leonard | Oakland | 378 | 407 | 0 | #N/A | 0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0 |
| Lake Angelus | Oakland | 573 | 264 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1.5 |
| Novi Township | Oakland | 182 | 157 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 |
* formerly East Detroit
Source: U.S. Census
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