Capping off a historic turnaround, Detroit now leads Michigan in population growth

2025
Detroit population growth pic

The U.S. Census report released in May 2025 states Detroit’s population estimate at 645,705, a gain of 12,487 from last year’s U.S. Census report. With that gain, Detroit has now moved ahead of Portland, Oregon, as the 26th largest city in the United States. Detroit now ranks just behind Boston at 25. 

Detroit’s gain of 12,487 residents was made up of two elements:

  1. A record increase of 6,791 Detroiters in 2024 alone.
  2. The addition of 5,696 Detroiters who the Census Bureau acknowledged had been undercounted from 2021-2023

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