New Population Estimates for Counties by Race

[renf]

Percent Change in Population from April 2010 to July 1, 2013 by Race
Group Total USA Michigan Macomb Oakland Wayne
Total Pop +2.4% +0.5% +1.6% +2.4% -2.6%
White +0.3% -0.7% -1.4% +0.3% -1.8%
Black +3.0% -0.5% +22.6% +7.3% -5.7%
Asian +9.8% +10.9% +14.5% +12.1% + 8.2%
Hispanic +7.1% +6.9% + 9.1% +9.2% + 3.4%

The Census Bureau, last week, reported population estimates by race for counties for July, 2013. Estimates for large cities may be released late in September.
Care is needed in interpreting these numbers but the data for 2013 may
support the following observations.

*Michigan continues to grow very slowly.
*Among the larger demographic trends in Michigan is the out-migration of
African Americans from Detroit to the suburbs. These data suggest that
continues.
*Michigan's and the Detroit's areas Asian population is growing quite rapidly. This may be a consequence of more STEM jobs and the substantial influx of Asian capital.
*Michigan has attracted and is attracting very few Hispanics. Presumably,there is also a modest out-migration of Hispanics from southwest Detroit to the downriver suburbs and the northern counties.

[Bham1982]

Michigan's and the Detroit's areas Asian population is growing quite rapidly. This may be a consequence of more STEM jobs and the substantial influx of Asian capital.

If you look at the types of skilled jobs being created in the area, they are very heavily engineering, design and various STEM disciplines, and very heavy Asian representation in the workforce.

And, not surprisingly, if you look at who is buying all those 400k-500k homes going up in places like Novi, Northville, Oakland Twp, Rochester Hills, etc. it is very heavily Asian. SE Michigan attracts a highly educated, high income Asian workforce that take very in-demand jobs that aren't being filled through domestic sources.

Another big takeaway is the black migration to Macomb. This is a big change from past decades, where Oakland was the suburban county of choice. Granted this may be the case still, but the % increase in Southern Macomb is remarkable. Places like Eastpointe that were basically 99% white a 15-20 yaers ago are now probably majority black.

My guess that black migration to Macomb has skyrocketed in part because more working class blacks are leaving Detroit [[previously the movement to places like Southfield/Farmington Hills was more upper middle class) and they're basically filling the void when the elderly Polish/Italian/German Eastside homeowners pass on and their kids in Macomb Twp. sell the estate.

Outside of SC Shores, I predict Southern Macomb will be majority black within a generation. There are so many elderly homeowners in places like Warren and Fraser and Roseville. When they pass on, there will be demographic change.