Royal Oak receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Royal Oak
Sterling Heights
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs66 · Top 23%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs62 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs85 · Bottom 30%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs58 · Bottom 45%
Measured values
| Metric | Royal Oak | Sterling Heights | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,950 | 133,573 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,109 | $79,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,293 | $38,084 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,914/sq mi | 3,665/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $328,700 | $274,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,381 | $1,292 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 75.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 5.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.1% | 31.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.2% | 11.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 138 | 728 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.5% | 89.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.9" | 35.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 30 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 41.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.46 | 16.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.2% | 30.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 62.2% | 46.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.1% | 62.7% | 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.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Royal Oak
78
Your Score
78
Area Score
Sterling Heights
68
Your Score
66
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Royal Oak, MI · Sterling Heights, MI · How this is calculated: methodology