Westland 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
Westland
Dearborn
Opportunity
60 · Top 42%
vs51 · Bottom 40%
Growth
13 · Bottom 3%
vs22 · Bottom 9%
Climate
62 · Bottom 24%
vs62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience
81 · Top 21%
vs81 · Top 21%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs81 · Top 49%
Schools
20 · Bottom 11%
vs31 · Bottom 24%
Access
99 · Top 14%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 38%
vs34 · Bottom 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Westland | Dearborn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 83,633 | 107,423 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,076 | $65,324 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,530 | $30,588 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,093/sq mi | 4,430/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $184,600 | $218,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,158 | $1,327 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 61.3% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.9% | 0.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.0% | 34.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 24.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 8 | 15 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 0.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -83.0% | -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 | 8 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 23.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 33.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.44 | 15.92 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 15.2% | 22.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 32.5% | 36.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 57.7% | 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: Westland, MI · Dearborn, MI · How this is calculated: methodology