Pontiac and Warren 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
Pontiac
Warren
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs41 · Bottom 19%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs51 · Top 49%
Climate
61 · Bottom 16%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs88 · Top 35%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs22 · Bottom 13%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs89 · Bottom 39%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs54 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | Pontiac | Warren | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,104 | 137,928 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,329 | $64,016 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,080 | $33,015 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,123/sq mi | 4,012/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $121,700 | $193,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,063 | $1,225 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.6% | 71.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.3% | 6.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 21.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.4% | 14.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 59 | 101 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1.7% | 274.1% | 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 | 26 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 26.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 38.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.38 | 17.03 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 34.6% | 17.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.5% | 33.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.7% | 74.5% | 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 · Warren, MI · How this is calculated: methodology