Population decline is not a new problem for Michigan, but the numbers keep getting worse, especially for Metro Detroit.
The U.S. Census Bureau puts Wayne County in the top 10 for the largest population decline in 2023.
The situation, once dubbed the ‘Brain Drain,’ has escalated beyond Local 4′s expectations.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s data is alarming: Wayne County has lost 50,000 residents since 2020.
At the Detroit U-Haul center, we encountered Jason Wheeler, a skilled trades union bricklayer, and his girlfriend, Christina Aloisio. They are among the many who are forced to relocate, in their case, to Washtenaw County due to the lack of opportunities in Wayne County.
“It’s hard to get work close in the city,” said Wheeler. “You’ll find work in Lansing or north of here.”
Metro Detroiters learned the hard way when Amazon looked away from Detroit for its second headquarters project a few years ago.
Too many of our kids graduate from top-flight universities and leave with their degrees, and there’s limited mass transit.
Lou Glazer runs Michigan Future, a think tank researching all these issues.
“Compared to the country, we have too many old people and not enough working, younger working-age adults, which is not good for the economy,” said Lou Glazer.
The census gives us a historical perspective. In 2010, Wayne County had just over 1.8 million people, but a dozen years later, that number was down 3%.
The estimated numbers show steady declines of 1% or more since 2020, a stark contrast to Harris County, Texas, the Houston area, which is seeing 1% a year growth.
“Home values go down, so there’s an immediate impact in Wayne County, but for the whole region and whole state, the impact is on the economy,” Glazer said. “Employers can’t grow, particularly high-wage employers can’t grow.”
“I’m done with Wayne County,” Wheeler said.