Pontiac receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Pontiac
Detroit
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
61 · Bottom 16%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs11 · Bottom 2%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs19 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Pontiac | Detroit | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,104 | 638,530 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,329 | $39,938 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,080 | $24,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,123/sq mi | 4,603/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $121,700 | $83,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,063 | $1,074 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.6% | 50.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.3% | 10.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.4% | 32.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 59 | 1,908 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1.7% | -32.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.2" | 29.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 220 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.38 | 17.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 34.6% | 11.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.5% | 22.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.7% | 85.4% | 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.
Full profiles: Pontiac, MI · Detroit, MI · How this is calculated: methodology