Sterling Heights receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Harper Woods
Sterling Heights
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs62 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
4 · Bottom 1%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
88 · Bottom 37%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
49 · Bottom 31%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Harper Woods | Sterling Heights | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 15,116 | 133,573 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $65,022 | $79,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $30,520 | $38,084 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,750/sq mi | 3,665/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $157,200 | $274,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,351 | $1,292 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 75.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 31.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 19.8% | 11.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 34 | 728 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.9" | 35.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 27 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.1 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 9 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.52 | 16.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 5.4% | 30.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 14.8% | 46.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 87.9% | 62.7% | 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
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Harper Woods
56
Your Score
54
Area Score
Sterling Heights
68
Your Score
66
Area Score
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Full profiles: Harper Woods, MI · Sterling Heights, MI · How this is calculated: methodology