Michigan is the nation’s 10th-most-populous state using the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 Vintage 2025 estimate.
Census Vintage 2025MICHIGAN, MEASUREDIs Michigan
Is Michigan
progressing?
Not by slogan. By population, household economics, housing activity, development and what is changing in Michigan’s largest cities right now.
STATE SNAPSHOT / LATEST RELIABLE VINTAGE
10,127,8842025 Michigan population estimate
$72,875median household income
$231,600median home value
73.2%homeownership
23,0752025 residential permits
Data review: September 9, 2026 · source links on every city page.
MICHIGAN VS. AMERICA
Where Michigan ranks among the 50 states.
Four big-picture measures define the statewide comparison: population scale, economic output, household earning power and the current labor market. Together they show both Michigan’s national weight and where it still trails.
Michigan ranks 14th in total state GDP, reflecting the size of an economy still anchored by manufacturing but broader than autos alone.
2025 current-dollar GDP · BEA dataMichigan ranks 35th among states for median household income on the Census QuickFacts 2020–2024 comparable measure.
Census QuickFacts · 2020–2024Michigan is tied for 43rd when states are ranked from lowest to highest unemployment rate, placing the current labor market near the weaker end nationally.
BLS · July 2026 preliminaryThe read: Michigan has national scale and a top-15 economy, but household income and labor-market performance leave substantial room for progress.
START HERE
One city. One evidence file.
Search a city, compare the same federal core, then move into current local reporting without mixing the two.
01City dashboards
281 profiles with population, income, home values, poverty, ownership, permits, peers and source notes.
Explore →02RankingsGrowth, income, housing activity, affordability context, homeownership and poverty.
Compare →03City wireCurrent source-linked reporting across development, business, schools and public safety.
Read →LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAYER
Cities are only part of Michigan.
Michigan Progress now tracks the other local-government structures that shape taxes, services and representation: 1,240 townships and 252 incorporated villages.
1,240 TOWNSHIPSRank every Michigan township by population.
Search all 1,240 townships using the latest complete Census population estimates, with county, charter/general-law status and 2020-to-2025 change.
Open township rankings → 252 INCORPORATED VILLAGESWhich villages should study disincorporation?A statewide fiscal-capacity screen, 2026 dissolution votes, Michigan history, resident tradeoffs and the legal process.
Read the village analysis →THE MICHIGAN 281
Open sortable comparison →Largest cities at a glance.
Rank / cityPopulation5-year directionHousehold incomeHousing / 1K
01Detroit649,095+1.5%$39,9384.002Grand Rapids201,183+1.2%$69,1084.003Warren137,138-1.6%$64,0160.304Sterling Heights133,931-0.3%$79,9095.005Ann Arbor122,233-1.3%$82,2124.606Lansing113,884+1.1%$54,3822.207Dearborn105,611-4.0%$65,3240.208Livonia92,603-3.1%$98,4600.909Troy88,733+1.6%$120,0451.310Farmington Hills83,291-0.9%$104,8360.3SIGNAL LEADERS
All rankings →Different cities lead for different reasons.
MICHIGAN PROGRESS JOURNAL
Read all analysis →Progress. Regression. Evidence.
Michigan’s Most Corrupt Cities Right Now: A 2026 Public-Records Ranking
Based on convictions, guilty pleas, criminal prosecutions and publicly confirmed investigations involving municipal elected officials and employees during the five-year period from September 9, 2021 through September 9, 2026, Michigan Progress ranks Detroit, Taylor, Inkster, Saginaw and Hamtramck as the Michigan cities with the strongest documented recent public-corruption records.
Read analysis →Which Michigan Villages Should Consider Disincorporation? 251 Treasury-Reported Villages Ranked
Michigan has 252 incorporated villages; Michigan Treasury reports 251 village levy rows for 2025. We rank the reported rows by village property-tax levy and explain what residents should study before disincorporation.
Read analysis →Michigan City vs. Township vs. Village: What’s the Difference?
The main difference between a Michigan city, township and village is how independent each type of local government is. Cities operate independently from townships. Townships are one of Michigan’s primary forms of local government. Villages have their own local government but remain part of the township in which they are located. That distinction affects property […]
Read analysis →Is Michigan Progressing in 2026? A Data Scorecard, Not a Slogan
Michigan is growing again, housing construction is active and road funding has improved—but labor-force shrinkage and a large housing shortage keep the statewide verdict mixed.
Read analysis →Michigan’s 281-City Affordability Map: Cheap Housing Is Not the Same as Affordable Housing
The expanded 281-city dataset shows why low home values can coexist with high poverty—and why expensive housing may sit inside high-income communities. Affordability is a relationship, not a price tag.
Read analysis →LIVE MICHIGAN WIRE
Filter by city + topic →What is changing now.
State of Michigan (.gov) · Sep 10, 2026
↗MDARD - Spotted Lanternfly Confirmed in Berrien County
State of Michigan (.gov) · Sep 8, 2026
↗MDARD Awards Latest Grants to Boost Agricultural Production and Strengthen Michigan Food Systems
State of Michigan (.gov) · Sep 8, 2026
↗MDARD Confirms Detection of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in a Roscommon County Horse
State of Michigan (.gov) · Sep 3, 2026
↗MDARD Shares Food Safety Reminders for Labor Day Weekend
State of Michigan (.gov) · Sep 2, 2026
↗MDARD, DNR Expand “Don’t Move Firewood” Campaign Ahead of Labor Day Weekend
MLive.com · Aug 31, 2026
↗Michigan counties, towns spend $30B a year. Could collaboration get more done?
State of Michigan (.gov) · Aug 20, 2026
↗MDARD Announces Grants Focused on Economic Development Small Business Infrastructure
Headlines link to original publishers. This live discovery layer is intentionally separate from the audited city statistics.
HOME VALUES ARE MOVING
Explore Michigan property-tax options →Property tax deserves its own context.
Michigan assessment rules mean market value, assessed value and taxable value are not interchangeable. Each city dashboard includes a direct property-tax explainer and a path to LowerPropertyTax.com.
THE STANDARD
Full methodology →Information-rich without pretending all data is equal.
01
Compare
Every city uses the same Census/ACS/BPS core before any local layer is added.
02
Derive
Ranks, permit intensity and value-to-income calculations are explicit and reproducible.
03
Watch
Current city news is linked live instead of frozen into a stale “latest” section.
04
Separate
School districts, police agencies, projects and headlines are not silently converted into citywide statistics.
FAQ / AEO
Michigan Progress questions
Direct answers based on the evidence and methodology used on this page.
What is Michigan Progress?
Michigan Progress is a nonpartisan data and journalism site that measures population, prosperity, housing, development and other indicators across Michigan.
Is Michigan progressing?
There is no single honest yes-or-no answer. Michigan Progress shows which indicators are improving, which are weakening and where the results differ by city.
Where does the site get its data?
Core city comparisons use U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, ACS/QuickFacts and the Building Permits Survey, with local administrative sources added only when geography and reporting periods are defensible.