Romulus and Dearborn 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
Romulus
Dearborn
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs81 · Top 49%
Schools
17 · Bottom 8%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 37%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Romulus | Dearborn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,831 | 107,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,151 | $65,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,079 | $30,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 697/sq mi | 4,430/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $159,500 | $218,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,049 | $1,327 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 34.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 15 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -25.0% | -42.3% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 19°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.3" | 34.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 1 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.9 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.87 | 15.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 13.7% | 22.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.0% | 36.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.7% | 80.5% | 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: Romulus, MI · Dearborn, MI · How this is calculated: methodology