Rochester receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Rochester
Detroit
Opportunity
69 · Top 25%
vs35 · Bottom 11%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs54 · Top 44%
Climate
61 · Bottom 16%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 6%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
86 · Top 40%
vs68 · Bottom 31%
Access
82 · Bottom 25%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs19 · Bottom 1%
Measured values
| Metric | Rochester | Detroit | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,934 | 638,530 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,750 | $39,938 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $72,366 | $24,594 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,376/sq mi | 4,603/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $473,200 | $83,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,350 | $1,074 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 50.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 10.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.0% | 18.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.2% | 32.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 31 | 1,908 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 3.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 138.5% | -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 | 35 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.0 min | 26.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.2 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-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: Rochester, MI · Detroit, MI · How this is calculated: methodology