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EconPulse

Local economy signal dashboard

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COUNTYStable

Wayne County, MI

Stable overall. Federal Funds is the clearest support signal, while jobs needs the most attention. Housing reads as affordable for a median-income household.

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Overall score62out of 100
Compare
66
42
57
69
100

Population

1,772,259

Data freshness

Unknown

GDP / Output

+3.9% YoY

66

$129.9B

Output changed +3.9% in 2024.

Vintage date unknown

State growth3.9%
U.S. growth5.3%

Jobs

Unemployment rate

42

5.3%

Unemployment is 5.3% for April 2026.

Vintage date unknown

State avg5.0%
U.S. avg4.3%

Population

+1.1% 5-year

57

1,772,259

Population moved +1.1% over the latest ACS window.

Vintage date unknown

State population10,077,761
U.S. population334,922,499

Housing

Rent share of income

69

22.4%

Median rent consumes 22.4% of median household income: Affordable.

Vintage date unknown

State rent$1.1K
U.S. rent$1.4K
HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

Federal Funds

$12.6K per resident

100

$22.6B

$22.6B in federal obligations flowed here in FY2025.

Vintage date unknown

State total$126.3B
U.S. total$5.3T

Population and output

Trend Snapshot

Reported share

Industry Breakdown

FY2025

Federal Money

Federal obligations

$22.6B

$12.6K per resident in reported federal flow.

Top agencies

Dollars
1. Department of Health and Human Services$10.3B
2. Social Security Administration$8.7B
3. General Services Administration$789.9M

Top recipients

Dollars
1. CITY OF DETROIT$512.4M
2. FORD MOTOR CO$474.0M
3. GM DEFENSE LLC$320.7M

Affordable

Housing Affordability

22.4%

of median income

1BR estimate$928
2BR estimate$1,223
Median income$60,539
Median home value$178,500

ACS context

Quick Facts

Population

1,772,259

Median age

37.9

Bachelor's degree+

27.6%

Poverty rate

20.8%

Labor force participation

59.2%

Prime rate

6.8%

CPI YoY

+3.9%

U.S. GDP YoY

+5.9%

Sources and warnings

Data Provenance

Census ACS 5-year

2024

BLS LAUS / CPS

April 2026

BEA regional CAGDP1

2024

USAspending

FY2025

FRED

2026-06-10

HUD Fair Market Rent

Latest available

Data notes
  • HUD_API_TOKEN missing; ACS median gross rent is used as the housing affordability fallback.

5-year compound growth

Historical Trends

Population CAGR

+0.2%

GDP CAGR

+6.0%

Federal flow

5 years

Population (5 years)
20201,753,059
20211,789,781
20221,781,641
20231,773,767
20241,772,259
GDP (5 years)
2020$97.0B
2021$103.2B
2022$114.1B
2023$125.1B
2024$129.9B

2-year linear forecast

Predictive Outlook

Population forecast

20241,772,259
20251,780,817 *
20261,783,056 *

R² = 6.7% · * projected

GDP forecast

2024$129.9B
2025$140.2B *
2026$148.9B *

R² = 98.4% · * projected

Linear regression over available historical data. Projections are estimates based on past trends and do not account for policy changes, economic shocks, or other external factors.

housing affordability breakdown

Cost of Living

Median household income$60,539/yr
Median rent$1,132/mo
Rent share of income22.4%
Est. mortgage (30yr, 6.5%)$10,831/yr
Mortgage share of income17.9%

Rent data from Census ACS 5-year. Mortgage estimate assumes 20% down, 6.5% APR, 30-year fixed.

employment snapshot

Job Market

Unemployment rate5.3%
State avg5.0%
U.S. avg4.3%
Labor force participation59.2%
Poverty rate20.8%

Data from BLS LAUS / CPS. April 2026.

valuation snapshot

Real Estate

Median home value$178,500
Median monthly rent$1,132
Price-to-rent ratio13.1x

Low price-to-rent ratio — buying may be more favorable than renting in this market.

composite score

Investment Climate

Investment climateModerate
Composite score57/100
Economic growth66/100
Labor market42/100
Population momentum57/100
Overall stability62/100

Composite score weighs economic growth, labor market health, population momentum, and overall stability. Not financial advice.

Location Context

Wayne County, Michigan

County

Part of

Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

Nearby locations

Inkster, MIAllen Park, MIDearborn, MIDearborn Heights, MIMelvindale, MI