Flat Rock and Southfield receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Flat Rock
Southfield
Opportunity
50 · Bottom 37%
vs48 · Bottom 34%
Growth
15 · Bottom 4%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs94 · Top 5%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 8%
vs82 · Top 48%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs21 · Bottom 13%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
64 · Top 43%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Flat Rock | Southfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,340 | 76,236 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $81,585 | $68,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,239 | $41,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,574/sq mi | 2,903/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $228,800 | $236,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $919 | $1,340 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.2% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 6.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.5% | 40.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 10.3% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 1 | 82 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -83.3% | 645.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.3" | 29.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.6 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.3 | 42.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.30 | 16.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.3% | 16.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 47.7% | 31.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 40.5% | 67.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Flat Rock
65
Your Score
62
Area Score
Southfield
63
Your Score
62
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Flat Rock, MI · Southfield, MI · How this is calculated: methodology