Romulus and Westland 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
Westland
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs60 · Top 42%
Growth
35 · Bottom 24%
vs13 · Bottom 3%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
100 · Top 9%
vs90 · Top 32%
Schools
17 · Bottom 8%
vs20 · Bottom 11%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 37%
vs54 · Bottom 38%
Measured values
| Metric | Romulus | Westland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,831 | 83,633 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $69,151 | $62,076 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,079 | $34,530 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 697/sq mi | 4,093/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $159,500 | $184,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,049 | $1,158 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 61.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.2% | 23.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.5% | 14.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 27 | 8 | 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% | -83.0% | 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 | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 27.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.9 | 38.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.87 | 17.44 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 13.7% | 15.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 31.0% | 32.5% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 68.7% | 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: Romulus, MI · Westland, MI · How this is calculated: methodology