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
Westland
Opportunity
33 · Bottom 9%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
50 · Bottom 49%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Climate
61 · Bottom 16%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 42%
vs90 · Top 32%
Schools
51 · Bottom 49%
vs20 · Bottom 11%
Access
85 · Bottom 30%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
38 · Bottom 14%
vs54 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Pontiac | Westland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,104 | 83,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,329 | $62,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $26,080 | $34,530 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,123/sq mi | 4,093/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $121,700 | $184,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,063 | $1,158 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 46.6% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 10.3% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.4% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 59 | 8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 1.7% | -83.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.2" | 34.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 30 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 22 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.38 | 17.44 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 34.6% | 15.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 43.5% | 32.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 52.7% | 57.7% | 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.
Full profiles: Pontiac, MI · Westland, MI · How this is calculated: methodology