Royal Oak and Troy 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
Royal Oak
Troy
Opportunity
83 · Top 4%
vs78 · Top 10%
Growth
48 · Bottom 46%
vs43 · Bottom 37%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
94 · Top 5%
vs94 · Top 5%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 14%
vs94 · Top 21%
Schools
71 · Top 25%
vs84 · Top 9%
Access
90 · Bottom 43%
vs87 · Bottom 34%
Economic stability
76 · Top 15%
vs73 · Top 22%
Measured values
| Metric | Royal Oak | Troy | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,950 | 87,898 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $101,109 | $120,045 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,293 | $58,119 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,914/sq mi | 2,628/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $328,700 | $420,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,381 | $1,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 68.0% | 73.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.0% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 64.1% | 64.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.2% | 5.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 138 | 150 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -3.5% | -37.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 29.9" | 29.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 28 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.5 min | 25.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 42.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.46 | 16.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.2% | 62.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 62.2% | 72.3% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 21.1% | 15.6% | 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: Royal Oak, MI · Troy, MI · How this is calculated: methodology