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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.

MuncipalityCountyTotal pop.Percent black
19702014197019801990200020102014
DetroitWayne1,511,482695,43743.762.775.381.282.280.7
WarrenMacomb179,260134,3980.10.20.72.713.415.1
Sterling HeightsMacomb61,365130,6040.10.20.41.35.15.1
Clinton TownshipMacomb48,86597,8482.73.434.612.914.3
DearbornWayne104,19996,73900.10.51.343.5
LivoniaWayne110,10995,88800.10.30.93.43.1
Canton TownshipWayne11,02689,6720.6124.510.19.9
WestlandWayne86,74983,1882.62.63.36.717.118.6
Macomb TownshipMacomb6,14082,20400.10.50.83.93.4
TroyOakland39,41982,106011.32.143.9
Farmington HillsOakland48,93380,6820.20.51.96.917.318.3
Shelby TownshipMacomb29,46775,17800.40.30.83.12.8
Waterford TownshipOakland59,12372,5030.10.712.84.65.4
SouthfieldOakland69,28572,4800.19.228.95469.969
Rochester HillsOakland24,51372,1950.50.71.32.44.55.5
West Bloomfield TownshipOakland28,56365,4190.10.525.111.313.1
TaylorWayne70,02062,33101.64.28.715.715.9
St. Clair ShoresMacomb88,09359,8650.20.20.20.73.94.6
PontiacOakland85,27959,65826.736.941.847.451.150.7
Royal OakOakland85,49958,38200.20.51.54.23.2
Dearborn HeightsWayne80,06957,06300.10.52.17.88.4
NoviOakland9,66856,8870.10.20.81.98.17.3
Redford TownshipWayne71,90147,93000.10.78.528.732
RosevilleMacomb60,52947,4081112.611.714.1
Chesterfield TownshipMacomb9,37843,8141.511.52.95.25.5
Bloomfield TownshipOakland42,78841,5710.51.32.44.36.77.5
Commerce TownshipOakland18,85741,10200.20.10.51.61.3
Lincoln ParkWayne52,98437,64800.50.925.75.4
Orion TownshipOakland17,11036,0290.10.30.61.22.63
Independence TownshipOakland17,36135,3320.10.10.20.81.82.6
Eastpointe*Macomb45,92032,52600.10.24.729.339.2
Brownstown TownshipWayne7,01230,6151.42.82.63.88.57.9
White Lake TownshipOakland14,31130,5520.50.20.70.81.12.1
Madison HeightsOakland38,59930,02800.70.91.86.37.2
SouthgateWayne33,90929,71000.81.22.15.45.5
Oak ParkOakland36,76229,6220.21234.145.757.157.7
Northville TownshipWayne9,52228,68212.35.56.14.33.63
Van Buren TownshipWayne13,16228,5530.43.87.61228.528.5
Allen ParkWayne40,74727,8690.10.30.50.72.12.1
Garden CityWayne41,86427,35600.10.21.13.42.2
Plymouth TownshipWayne17,49727,2552.81.31.22.92.12.3
Washington TownshipMacomb7,52625,7210.70.60.80.51.51.9
WyandotteWayne41,06125,47000.10.20.51.31.1
InksterWayne38,59525,05644.556.462.267.372.676.1
Harrison TownshipMacomb18,75524,7383.91.922.47.410.2
Romulus TownshipWayne22,87923,72112.117.421.729.842.742.4
HamtramckWayne27,24522,2561212.91414.919.113.8
Auburn HillsOakland13,21921,6390.57.29.513.118.115.3
Oxford TownshipOakland8,48920,8820.100.30.41.30.9
BirminghamOakland26,17020,3820.10.20.40.933.5
FerndaleOakland30,85020,1020.30.41.43.49.48
Highland TownshipOakland8,37219,45200.10.30.30.40.3
TrentonWayne24,12718,63500.10.20.41.32.7
Oakland TownshipOakland4,79317,70500.30.422.33.3
WayneWayne21,05417,3140.15.37.511.316.815.8
Hazel ParkOakland23,78416,53200.10.41.69.710.4
Mount ClemensMacomb20,47616,34516.218.117.619.524.527.4
Milford TownshipOakland7,25616,1090.10.10.20.40.90.9
Grosse Pointe WoodsWayne21,87815,94300.10.10.64.55.8
Huron TownshipWayne8,03015,782000.312.53.7
Lyon TownshipOakland4,50015,73600.100.41.41.2
Brandon TownshipOakland4,81315,35900.10.10.40.80.3
BerkleyOakland22,61815,13600.10.20.72.92.8
Southfield TownshipOakland17,52114,6940.20.41.33.66.77.2
FraserMacomb11,86814,54400.10.20.93.98.3
Springfield TownshipOakland4,38814,1551.70.70.811.10.7
Harper WoodsWayne20,18614,05800.10.910.245.349.3
WixomOakland2,01013,64000.50.32.51110.3
RochesterOakland7,05412,8720.20.71.22.23.64.8
WoodhavenWayne3,33012,74700.70.62.35.24.8
RiverviewWayne11,34212,34700.81.22.134.8
New BaltimoreMacomb4,13212,14400.30.50.52.71
ClawsonOakland17,61711,94300.10.20.81.91
FentonOakland8,28411,6010.20.20.50.61.30.9
South LyonOakland2,67511,514000.10.40.81.7
Holly TownshipOakland7,39611,4741.92.32.42.12.12.3
Grosse Pointe ParkWayne15,58511,4120.10.20.92.910.59.6
Highland ParkWayne35,44410,95155.383.592.493.19390.6
MelvindaleWayne13,86210,58400.42.85.210.813
Lenox TownshipMacomb4,72410,56817.314.812.916.414.413.6
FarmingtonOakland13,33710,47200.10.82.711.311.1
Beverly HillsOakland13,59810,3680.10.42.33.16.67.3
Grosse Ile TownshipWayne7,79910,264000.10.40.40.6
Flat RockWayne5,6439,8590.11.20.71.448.1
Sumpter TownshipWayne8,0919,43519.415.913.612.311.99
EcorseWayne17,5159,40138.33939.140.44642.5
Grosse Pointe FarmsWayne11,7019,3710.40.20.20.61.71.3
PlymouthWayne11,7589,029000.30.61.61.6
Bruce TownshipMacomb4,3508,7975.23.32.31.81.53.1
Center LineMacomb10,3798,27900.10.8311.914.9
River RougeWayne15,9477,76131.932.63541.849.854.5
Walled LakeOakland3,7597,06500.10.10.74.42.9
Addison TownshipOakland2,8096,432000.30.90.63.5
Rose TownshipOakland2,5026,3392.92.120.91.11.9
MilfordOakland4,6996,32500.10.90.20.60.5
Huntington WoodsOakland8,5366,3100.30.40.50.712.2
HollyOakland4,3556,14200.10.21.21.12.1
NorthvilleWayne5,4006,0010.20.21.20.41.61.3
RichmondMacomb3,2345,8000000.214.3
Groveland TownshipOakland2,5705,5320.60.70.90.81.12.5
Armada TownshipMacomb2,9535,407000.20.10.30.2
Grosse PointeWayne6,6375,3500.30.20.40.83.20.6
UticaMacomb3,5044,7470.10.30.40.91.95
New HavenMacomb1,8554,66541.537.328.419.316.720
GibraltarWayne3,3254,60200.20.20.522.5
Lathrup VillageOakland1,4294,1090.13.922.849.760.968.5
Bloomfield HillsOakland3,6723,9250.80.71.31.641.4
BellevilleWayne2,4063,91401.41.87.913.87.2
Ray TownshipMacomb2,6833,8700.1000.20.40.5
Richmond TownshipMacomb1,7193,6310.22.51.510.90.9
RomeoMacomb4,0123,6086.76.80.54.43.75.3
OxfordOakland2,5363,488000.80.61.80.9
RockwoodWayne3,1193,2430.101.10.71.60.3
Lake OrionOakland2,9213,036000.30.31.50.1
Grosse Pointe ShoresWayne3,0423,0310.20.34.20.61.91.9
Keego HarborOakland3,0923,0030.20.20.30.65.95.9
Royal Oak TownshipOakland6,3262,7076757.865.271.194.490.4
Pleasant RidgeOakland3,9892,5440.10.30.80.81.91.7
Orchard LakeOakland1,4872,3430.10.32.43.86.37.9
ArmadaMacomb1,3522,012000.10.20.30.2
Sylvan LakeOakland2,2191,5910.10.80.61.12.24.1
OrtonvilleOakland9831,4880.201.10.10.62
Bingham FarmsOakland5661,2200#N/A2.55.57.612.5
MemphisMacomb1,1211,2001.210.10.70.70.3
ClarkstonOakland1,034852000.10.30.20
LeonardOakland3784070#N/A00.30.20
Lake AngelusOakland573264001.20.90.31.5
Novi TownshipOakland1821570.500001.9

* formerly East Detroit
Source: U.S. Census

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