New 2008 U.S. Census population estimates for Metro-Detroit Area

[Danny]

According the U.S. Census data for population estimates Detroit is still in the population decline. Detroit's city population went from 929,229 2000 to 797,131 in 2008. Detroit's White population went from 116,599
in 2000 to 85,054 in 2008. Detroit's Black population went from 775,772 in 2000 to 670,759 2008 A lost of 105,013. However the Mexican/Hispanic population in Detroit increased from 47,167 in 2000 to 52,057
2008.

The precentage of blacks in Detroit increased by 2% from 81% to 83%. This is due to more whites and Asians moving out of the ghettohoods.
Detroit's continuing doom and gloom cause the accleration in black flight. Oh well might as well privatize Detroit and clear out the poor folks. Maybe we have the growing Mexican/Hispanics take over Detroit by 2030.


In the meantime the suburbs in the Metro-Detroit area have experienced a explosion of blacks moving into the area in the past eight years over ten percent.

Macomb County

1. Eastpointe 25.1% black

Eastpointe's black population population grew by 7,000 people. Most of them lived at the neighborhoods north of E.8 Mile Rd. from Beaconsfield St. near the St. Clair Shores border to Gratiot Ave. near Toepfer St. and Hayes Rd. near Warren border. and up to E. 9 Mile Rd. Plainview Elementary School student population is now officially 52% black and 41% white; making it the first East Detroit Public School building with a large black student population.

2. Mount Clemens 19.6% black

Blacks remained historically reside at the neighborhoods east of Downtown Mount Clemens since the 1840s. But they might be spreading at fewer apt complexes and boondocked sub-housing units near Clinton TWP.

Oakland County

1. Royal Oak Township 71.5% black

It remains to this day the poorest city in Oakland County.

2. Southfield 63.7 % black

Thanks of the influx of ethnic Jewish communities. They contributed of luring more blacks to their neighborhoods. An ethnic Jewish community in Metro-Detroit are will move to another city every 25 years due to more space or their synagogues move to another area. There are few small Jewish inclaves in Southfield near 10 Mile Rd. to 12 Mile Rd. from Greenfield Rd. to Telegraph Rd. The remaining whites who lived in Southfield saw the growing black population as bothersome and they quickly move to other areas in suburbs and ex-urbs. All Southfield Public Schools are now over 92% black.

3. Oak Park 52. 6% black

Blacks have been moving to Oak Park since the late 1970s thanks the Jewish communities from Detroit. Started from 8 Mile Rd. from Schaefer Rd. to Greenfield Ave. from the boondocked neighborhoods across from Northland Mall to the full line of bricked cookie cutter ranches north of the projects. Now there are all over, even next to a few ethnic inclaves of Chaldeans and Hasidic Jewish communties.

Pontiac 50.4% black

Blacks had been living in Pontiac historically since the 1840s. Their community grew slowly from time to time until economic hardships cause whites to move away. By the late 1990s Pontiac has officially became black.

4. Lathrup Village 49.8% black

The city is now officially black. It may be up to 50%.

Farmington Hills 15.0% black

Black population in Farmington Hills exploded by 7,000 people. They started by trailing the Jewish community from Southfield from the northeast corner of the neighborhood aroung Inkster Rd. from 12 to 14 Mile Rd. near the West Bloomfield area. Now there are over the northern areas of the city. Farmington Hills black population will increase up to 38% by 2015.

Auburn Hills 13.8% black

More blacks from Pontiac started to move to Auburn Hills from luxury apartments to country styled homes. Slow suburban development will keep black population down.

MORE TO COME.

[Danny]

Wayne County


Highland Park 93.4 % black

Highland Park was once a Scottish farming community. Thanks to Henry Ford Highland Park Assembly Plant on Woodward Ave. in Downtown Highland Park; an influx a ethnic folks started to move into those mostly brick colonials, apts. and woodfame colonials. Blacks who were trailing the Jews started to move the Highland Park neighborhoods since the early 1940s started from the west side of the city by the late 1970s the city became officially black even to this day. Whites who were bothersome by the acclerated black population quickly moved away to the suburbs. By the 1980s Highland Park had been experienced [[like Detroit) to have a violent crime rate and become the Michigan headquaters of the crack epidemic. By the 1990s Highland Park experienced city corruption more vacant and abandon buildings in each neighorhoods. By the late 1990s Granholm place Highland Park under recievership under the Emergency Financial Manager Art Blackwell. By the 2000s the city had closed the McGregor Public Library, and laid-off the entire Highland Park Police Force. Today the police force is back and its Downtown partially revitized. All Highland Park Public Schools are 96% black.

Inkster 69.4% black

Blacks arrived in Inkster historically since the 1920s Thanks to Henry Ford to let them work at their River Rouge Plant via interurban rail lines. [[Since white folks in Detroit wouldn't let them live in their areas.) They lived at the boondocked wood framed barracks and duplexes along Middlebelt Rd. from Annapolis St. to Michigan Ave. Today most of the projects are demolished to build single family homes. The rest of Inkster was 90% white. The black population in Inkster slowly grew and restrictive covenants kept them from buying homes in Inkster and other suburbs. By the 1970s the restrictive covenants were lifted and blacks started to move west of Middlebelt Rd. and parts of Westland by the 1980s blacks in Inkster quickly moved to other Inkster neighborhoods near Middlebelt, Inkster Rd. and up to Cherry Hill Rd. by the mid 1980s Inkster became officially black. White who were bothersome about black neighbors moving their area quickly moved away to other suburbs and ex-urbs. Violent crimes are virtually less in Inkster and most of their public School system are 82% black.

Ecorse 40.6% black

Blacks came to Ecorse by trailing the Jews, Hungarians and other job opportunities from the Great Lakes Steel in the 1940s from Del-Rey sub-division in Detroit's Southwest Side. They settled in the neighborhoods from Outer Dr. to S. Schaefer Rd. from 5th to 18th Streets. Restrictive covenants kept them from buying homes along W. Jefferson St. [[ It's for Whites only). The Black population grew slowly due to slow development. Black businesses developed along Visger Rd. later it declined. Today fewer blacks had brough some homes along W. Jefferson St. but the neighborhood remains mostly white and poor. In The meantime the neighborhoods west of W. Jefferson St remains black and few new boondocked housing projects developed along Visger Rd. The Ecorse Public Schools is mostly 50% black.

River Rouge 42.0% black

Blacks came to River Rouge by trailing the Jews, Hungarians and other job opportunities from the Great Lakes Steel in the 1940s from Del-Rey sub-division in Detroit's Southwest Side. They settled the neighborhoods from 5th to 18th Streets. Restrictive covenants kept them from buying homes along W. Jefferson St. [[ It's for Whites only). However by the 1950s H.U.D. installed boondocked neighborhoods at Goodell St between S. Schaefer Rd. and Harris St. The Black population grew slowly due to slow development. Black businesses developed along Schaefer Rd. Later it declined. Today fewer blacks had brough some homes along W. Jefferson St. but the neighborhood remains mostly white and poor. In The meantime the neighborhoods west of W. Jefferson St. remains black and few new boondocked housing projects in each neighborhood. The River Rouge Public Schools is mostly 50% black.

Van Buren Township 22.0% black

Blacks arrived to Van Buren TWP. to work at the Willon run Plants during WWII. The population grew slowly due to slow suburban development. Today it exploded by 4,000 people 10% from 12% in 2000.

Redford TWP. 22.0% black

Blacks arrived in Redford TWP. since in late 1980s. Most of them came from Detroit's Northwest side trailing the Jews. The Black population quickly settled at the border neighbohoods of Parkway Heights sub-division near Plymouth Rd. to Telegraph Rd. and along north of Joy Rd. from West Parkway Rd. In the South Redford area to Telegraph Rd. by the mid 1990s that area become over 50% black and by 2000s that area is 75% black. Meanwhile at the North Redford area. Blacks arrived in sub-division known as Brightmoore Heights a full line of cookie cutter brick ranch homes west of Telegraph Rd. in the early 1990s [[ But not the neighborhoods south of I-94 Schoolcraft FWY. yet) The Black population exploded by 7,000 people from 8.5% in 2000. At the South Redford School District, Vandeburg Elementary near Chicago Rd. contians 91% black students. It was the first school that exploded with black students since the late 1990s; followed by John D Pierce Middle School near Beech Daly Rd. with 51% black students, Lee M. Thurston on Schoolcraft I-94 service drive. with 51% black students and Fisher Elementary on Crosley St. with 51% black students. Therefore the South Redford Public School District is over 53% black.

At the Redford Union Public School District the black student population exploded at Redford Union High School up to 40% while Hilbert Middle School with 26% black students.

The black population in Redford TWP. will continue to grow up to 50% after 2017.

MORE TO COME

[econ expat]

MORE to come? Sheesh, more statistical overload.
Now I have no knowledge of most suburbs racial trends,
but let's see- 1st every one of the suburbs is settled by Jews, and then blacks trailed behind?

Certainly not the case in Redford Township. The nearest synagogue is in Livonia, there never was a synagogue in Redford. Certainly there are members of many religions in Redford, but doubt there ever was a significant Jewish population.

As to the reason for one area of Redford having a larger population of black residents than another, it is certainly for religous reasons. Word Of Faith was originally on the east side of Detroit. When the growing church moved to south Redford, many members desired to move closer to their church. The church has since moved to Southfield, but that is an easy drive from south Redford, compared to the east side of Detroit..

Most people who migrate to suburbs are seeking to live in more expensive houses, larger lots, etc. And the moves are more a form of Economic segregation than racial! Most ethnic groups started out poor, and lived in neighborhoods plagued by crime and gangs from their own background..Mafia? Purple Gang? Asian gangs? Latino gangs...yep.

Simply those who have succeeded financially want to get away from the crime and poverty. Period. Could this be why Detroit has lost some more population?

[Zimm]

wait, do black people move from Detroit to a city because it is where the Jews have lived previously, or because they are tired of living with so many other black people in Detroit?

[Ocean2026]

Here's a fact about demographics. People are less inclined to move out of a city during a recession. As bad as this may be- when the recession is over - people will continue to move out. Detroit is a special case in that large job losses caused some to move, however as the Detroit News illustrated -its the educated and employed who have left.

[Danny]

econ expat quoted that Certainly not the case in Redford Township. The nearest synagogue is in Livonia, there never was a synagogue in Redford. Certainly there are members of many religions in Redford, but doubt there ever was a significant Jewish population.

A long time ago in the late 1960s to late 1970s, Redford TWP. did have a small number of Jewish families; not as a establish community, but scattered all over the neighborhoods. Blacks in Detroit the late 1980s trailed them when the Jews moved to Southfield, Farmington Hills and northern parts of Livonia.

As to the reason for one area of Redford having a larger population of black residents than another, it is certainly for religous reasons. Word Of Faith was originally on the east side of Detroit. When the growing church moved to south Redford, many members desired to move closer to their church. The church has since moved to Southfield, but that is an easy drive from south Redford, compared to the east side of Detroit..

I agree with your comments. In fact there's a new black mega church located on Chicago Rd. and Inkster Rd. near the Livonia border. That would lure fewer black Christian families into the other parts of Redford TWP. neighborhoods and maybe to Livonia neighborhoods as well.

[Danny]

Romulus 42.6% black

Blacks have arrived to Romulus mostly from Inkster for more space from the Inkster Rd. and going futher west somewhat in the early 1970s. [[Some might arrive since WWII to work at the Willow Run Plants and Metro-Airport in the early 1940s.) White folks quickly moved futher away to other areas in the suburbs and ex-urbs. Today they are all over. The Black population in Romulus grew quickly by 5000 people from 30% in 2000.

Harper Woods 10.2% black


Blacks arrived to Harper Woods since the mid 1990s from Detroit. They started to occupy some homes east of Kelly Rd. from Moross Rd. to E. 8 Mile Rd and Vernier Rd. Now they are up to Harper/I-75 FWY. and near the borders of Grosse Pointe Woods. All Harper Woods Public School Buildings are now 59% black. Charles Poupard Elementary School Building that is part of the Grosse Pointe Woods Public Schools is the first school building that has a 50% black student population. Harper Woods' black population might increased to 30% by 2010.

Hamtramck 15.1% black


Blacks historically arrived to Hamtramck since the late 1910s to work the factories near the Detroit border. They settled in the small southeast corner neighborhood at Conant, Miller and Hamtramck Dr. Streets and further to Jos. Compeau St. Restrictive Covenants kept them from moving to other Hamtramck neighborhoods. When H.U.D. finished its boondocked housing projects in the late 1940s at Commor St. an influx of blacks quickly moved over there. Later the projects experienced some poor maintenance and some of the projects were demolished. Plus somewhat in the 1960s fewer homes south of Commor St. were torn and kept blacks from buying those lands. Today some the projects have been replaced by middle income housing. Fewer blighted Hamtramck neigbohoods that were once black are now exploded with Yemeni, East Indian, Bengali, Sri Lankan and Pakistani immigrants. The Black population in Hamtramck slow down and decreased a bit over time as longs as more immigrants come to Hamtramck to work in those manufacturing plants or set up shop for their families.


Taylor 14.6% black


Blacks arrived at Taylor from Inkster since the early 1980s as part of their community expansion and find new homes and apts. When the Eureka Heights co-operative housing on Eureka Rd. near Inkster Rd. were completed, an influx of blacks quickly moved into the projects. The Taylor Public School system has 30% of the black student population.


Westland 13.3% black

Blacks arrived to Westland from Inskter since the early 1980s as part of their community expansion and find new homes and apts. Some started to settle along the Middlebelt and Van Born Rd. area. Now they are all over Westland. A new black community had been established around the Middlebelt Annapolis Rd. to Van Born area. A black enclave had been established at the condos and apts. alongWarren Ave. and Cental City Parkway near Westland Mall. The Wayne- Westland School District experiened a quick growth of black students. Some of the schools in the area are 60% black. Westland's black population will continue to grow up to 20% after 2011.

Sumpter TWP. 12.3% black

Blacks had been arriving to Sumpter TWP. past 50 years to start their farming culture and to work at the Willon Run Ford Plant. Most of them lived at the west side the township with whites lived at the east side, separated by Whittaker Rd.

[MCP-001]

While these percentages are nice to look at, the most important thing to look at are the gross numbers in the region and in individual cities.

This is where things are going to get juggled around election-wise in 2010/2011.

[econ expat]

School enrollment does not always match the community profile.
Redford Union has participated in 'School Of Choice' and their administration is more than happy to take students from any other community- for the grades with low enrollment. South Redford does not participate in School of Choice.
Funny how things change. After the baby boom years both RU and SR had to close more than 1/2 of their elementary schools and a junior high school. Yet for years RU had 'residency police' to make sure noone from Detroit went to THEIR schools.RU once had 7 elementary schools, now only 2 are left, besides a couple K-1 schools.
After the baby boom, 'mom & dad' stayed in the house after the kids grew up. Many [[desirable) long time home-owners, but alas, no children [[state aid per student) to keep the schools open.
When housing prices were rising in the 90's many of those seniors in south Redford couldn't resist selling and getting more retirement $.And the buyers were astute. The housing stock in south Redford is much newer and well built. Example- the area around Lola Valley north of 5 Mile and west of Telegraph was platted as ' B.E. Taylor's Brightmoor Sub II ' .And that subdivision is in Redford Twp!

[Danny]

wait, do black people move from Detroit to a city because it is where the Jews have lived previously, or because they are tired of living with so many other black people in Detroit?

The answer is both.

Over the past 70 years, Blacks and Jews were living close from Black Bottom to Hastings Street [[ Also known as Paradise Valley.) When the all White Detroit City Council decided to have the Hastings Street demolished to build the Chrysler FWY. The Jews quickly moved futher up along Woodward Ave uptown to the the west side along Dexter Ave. Blacks either relocated themselves or trailing the Jews to the west side. From time to time as More Jews move to NW Detroit neighborhoods, the blacks followed. As the Jews Move to Oak Park, the black followed. As the Jews moved to Southfield, the blacks followed and so on.

As the restrictive covenants in Detroit neighborhoods lifted in the late 1960s, real estate blockbusting and redlining begins. Various Detroit real estate brokers did the property scam. They asked several black Detroit kids to ride their bikes through mostly white Detroit neighborhoods, get the white Detroit homeowners to put in them in the state of racial fear that black families are moving into their areas, sell their Detroit home to either a real estate broker or a black family and move out the suburbs. The scam worked and over 400,000 black Detroiters who are now living in their homes has not see any more white folks moving back to those areas. [[ Rarely in gentrified areas) but not in deemed 'bad' areas as in the ' ghettoes'.

They have been DUPED! CONNED AND BAMBOOZLED!

Luckily their young black sons and daughters sought the trouble in the Detroit ghettohoods and move out to the suburbs. That goes to few older black detroit families who had been living the ghettohoods for over 30 years.

[gnome]

Good posts Danny, you did a lot of solid research and broke it down for folks to understand.

[iheartthed]

Good posts Danny, you did a lot of solid research and broke it down for folks to understand.

Yeah... A lot of research, yet he never relayed a link to where he got his data.

[Danny]

Yeah... A lot of research, yet he never relayed a link to where he got his data.

I get my links from Professor Hyde, A Michigan historian at Wayne State University Department of Education, Jason Booza from WSU's Centers of Urban Studies M.I.M.I.C. Team, U.S. Census Bureau and SEMCOG.

[Danny]

My Question is Detroit's city population is truly 797,000 people? Did the U.S. Census got the figures right or the still over thousands of people still living in the city that have not been counted? Your thoughts please.

[Retroit]

Move over, Sugrue.

[Retroit]

Danny, do you know anything about the black community that has been living in Roseville just north of 10 Mile Road between Gratiot and Kelly? They have been there [[in their "boondocked" homes) for as long as anyone can remember [[1920's?), but no one seems to know why. [[I know they didn't trail the Jews.) I believe the Gratiot interurban used to turn around just south of Gratiot, so maybe this was a similar situation to Inkster?

Thank you for this thread, I found it very informative.

[Danny]

Danny, do you know anything about the black community that has been living in Roseville just north of 10 Mile Road between Gratiot and Kelly? They have been there [[in their "boondocked" homes) for as long as anyone can remember [[1920's?), but no one seems to know why. [[I know they didn't trail the Jews.) I believe the Gratiot interurban used to turn around just south of Gratiot, so maybe this was a similar situation to Inkster?

Thank you for this thread, I found it very informative.

It seems to me that Blacks had established a small community in Roseville historically south of Gratiot Ave. and 10 Mile Rd. in the 1920s due to property, farming and job opportunities. While they remained in that area more of their families and friends have move into that area. When suburban development increased, restrictive covenants were enforced to keep blacks out from buying the cookie cutter ranch homes where whites lived. In the meantime several black baptist churches where built in the area. Later in the early 1970s fewer co-opt condos and apartments were built on Frazho Rd. to supply the living arrangements from low-income blacks. [[ Today its called the 'Boondocks') Fewer homes were lost or torn down in the 1980s. Fewer blacks even lost their homes where their relatives used to lived leaving the fewer black neighborhoods in Roseville into to instant blighted urban praries. By the late 1990s in attempt to revitalized that area. Habitat for Humanity installed over 20 new homes and more income black families moved in. Today the small black community of Roseville is back to normal state. I went over there years ago to survey that residents in that area and its good to have a family based black community in Roseville, a little REAL 'Africantown' in the suburbs where whites back then tried to keep them out.

[cman710]

Danny, I appreciate your posts and find demographic information very interesting, but can you provide a link to the census data you are using as the basis of your numbers?

I took a look at the census site, and according to the chart you can find here, the population estimate for 2008 for Detroit was about 912,000, not roughly 797,000.

[Danny]

Danny, I appreciate your posts and find demographic information very interesting, but can you provide a link to the census data you are using as the basis of your numbers?

I took a look at the census site, and according to the chart you can find here, the population estimate for 2008 for Detroit was about 912,000, not roughly 797,000.

This is what I saw from the U.S. Census population estimates for Detroit from 2006 to 2008. They 797,000 people who lived in Detroit are lived in homeowners. They haven't looked closely on the estimated data figures on hom many people are living in the rental units in Detroit. Therefore there must be over 900,000 people living in Detroit that includes the homeless folks.