For the first time since 1957, Detroit has seen population growth after decades of decline as the state is thrown into the national spotlight once again ahead of the 2024 general election .
Between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, Detroit gained 1,852 residents, which brought its total population to 633,366. It was the fastest-growing city of any in Michigan .
"We have known for some time that Detroit's population has been growing, but this is the first time the U.S. Census Bureau has confirmed it in its official estimate," Mayor Mike Duggan said. "This day is for the Detroiters who stayed and for everyone who has put in the hard work to make Detroit a great place to live.”
Duggan previously challenged the Census Bureau in a 2022 lawsuit, claiming it overestimated the number of people who moved from the city. The move followed the Census Bureau previously acknowledging that a higher percentage of African Americans and Hispanics were undercounted than the decade prior. It was worrisome for Detroit, as 77.5% of the city is black.
In 2024, Duggan reinforced his claim that Detroit was a growing city and said much of the growth was through the rehabilitation of vacant homes, not new builds. Rehabilitating vacant homes is not accounted for by the Census Bureau.
“This is the first time since 1957 that the Census Bureau has put Detroit in the category of a growing city in population, so it probably means more to our national brand than the NFL draft did,” Duggan said.
In a push for more tourism, Detroit hosted the 2024 NFL draft last month and had 775,000 fans attend, breaking the overall record set in 2019. Duggan said the event was a chance for Detroit to “reintroduce ourselves to America.”
“Of course, this is not just about three days in April,” Christopher Moyer, spokesman for Visit Detroit, said. “The success of this event will help accelerate Detroit and Michigan’s growth for the next 30 years. Success this week will help us attract more visitors, events, and billions of dollars in investment.”
In the 1950s, Detroit had a population of 1.8 million people. White residents flocked to the suburbs, and black middle-class families followed. In recent years, many Midwestern cities like Cleveland , Detroit, and Milwaukee have seen their populations continue to decline as cities in the Sun Belt grow rapidly in popularity and population.
“This is the first time since 1957 that the Census Bureau has put Detroit in the category of a growing city in population, so it probably means more to our national brand than the NFL draft did,” Duggan said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Michigan is also at the center of the 2024 election as one of seven key swing states, viewed as a "must-win" state for both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. In 2016, Trump won by about 10,000 votes, the narrowest presidential margin in Michigan history. Biden flipped the state blue in 2020 by more than 150,000 votes.
Early polling shows Trump with a 3-point lead in the state. In the Michigan House, Senate, and office of the governor, Democrats are in control .
Most Popular
Comments / 0