The Ups and Downs of Population in Cities and Townships Across Oakland County
(Kurt Metzger, May 15, 2026)
Oakland County, MI – The Census Bureau released mid-decade population estimates on May 14 for all cities, villages and townships across the country. Oakland County’s population gain between 2024 and 2025 is reflected by the fact that 35 communities[1] gained population between 2024 and 2025, while 12 lost population, and 4 showed no change.
I wanted to look at the halfway point of the decade and see where things stand. Today’s chart lists the 51 communities in order of population change between the 2020 Census and the 2025 estimate. In this case we find that 27 communities have gained population over the 5-year period, while 24 communities have lost population.
While the chart speaks for itself, allow me to list a few highlights.
- The largest increase was seen in Lyon township, an increase almost double that of second place Commerce Township.
- Townships dominated the population gainers, except for Waterford and Southfield Townships.
- Cities that gained population included Auburn Hills, Troy, Rochester Hills, Novi, and Pontiac.
- The greatest losses were experienced by some of the larger inner ring suburbs – Farmington Hills, Royal Oak, Oak Park, and Southfield.
While Oakland County continues to lead the state in population growth, the population trends across the county are showing a push toward more sprawl as the northern and western townships show renewed growth. Inner-ring suburbs, on the other hand, are, for the most part, showing stability, with infilled single- and multi-family developments continuing. The City of Detroit’s third year in a row of population growth is good news for the region, and for the near-in suburbs that benefit from a strong central city.
[1] This report covers the 51 cities and townships in Oakland County. There are, in addition, 10 villages that are incorporated within townships. I will look at those 10 in a follow-on post.
For stories about voter turnout rates, dog licensing statistics, population trends, and other interesting numbers, visit the Data-Based Stories Archives on Oakland County Times. Thanks to Data Expert Kurt Metzger for this work!
