St. Clair Shores receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
St. Clair Shores
Southfield
Opportunity
63 · Top 35%
vs48 · Bottom 34%
Growth
37 · Bottom 27%
vs50 · Bottom 49%
Climate
63 · Bottom 28%
vs63 · Bottom 28%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs94 · Top 5%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 15%
vs82 · Top 48%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs21 · Bottom 13%
Access
86 · Bottom 31%
vs93 · Top 47%
Economic stability
66 · Top 38%
vs53 · Bottom 37%
Measured values
| Metric | St. Clair Shores | Southfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 58,140 | 76,236 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,500 | $68,166 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,941 | $41,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,977/sq mi | 2,903/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $210,700 | $236,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,183 | $1,340 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 83.1% | 53.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 6.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.2% | 1.2% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.7% | 40.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.4% | 10.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 7 | 82 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 40.0% | 645.5% | 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 | 31 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 25.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.8 | 42.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 31 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.11 | 16.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.5% | 16.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 45.9% | 31.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 49.3% | 67.7% | 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
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St. Clair Shores
67
Your Score
66
Area Score
Southfield
63
Your Score
62
Area Score
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Full profiles: St. Clair Shores, MI · Southfield, MI · How this is calculated: methodology