Farmington Hills receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Melvindale
Farmington Hills
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs65 · Top 31%
Growth
11 · Bottom 2%
vs32 · Bottom 19%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs61 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs94 · Top 6%
Housing affordability
70 · Bottom 33%
vs96 · Top 18%
Schools
7 · Bottom 1%
vs69 · Top 29%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs93 · Top 45%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 4%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Melvindale | Farmington Hills | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,554 | 83,515 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $42,185 | $104,836 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $20,408 | $56,976 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,604/sq mi | 2,510/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $125,800 | $354,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,110 | $1,551 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.8% | 64.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 4.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.0% | 57.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 39.1% | 7.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.3" | 29.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 10 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.2 min | 26.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 31.3 | 42.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 3 | 21 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.96 | 15.95 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 5.3% | 45.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 21.9% | 58.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 92.1% | 26.0% | 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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Melvindale
49
Your Score
47
Area Score
Farmington Hills
72
Your Score
71
Area Score
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Full profiles: Melvindale, MI · Farmington Hills, MI · How this is calculated: methodology