Why Ferndale is Growing While Other Suburbs Are Shrinking

Ferndale is bucking the trend. While most of Detroit's inner-ring suburbs are losing people, Ferndale has grown 1.3% since 2020 — outpacing every municipality that touches Detroit's city limits.

We dig into new population data highlighted by the Detroit Free Press and ask what makes Ferndale different: walkable neighborhoods, a real downtown at Woodward and Nine Mile, a strong LGBTQ community, and a place where people say they feel safe because neighbors have their back.

Here's a link to the piece we discussed: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2026/04/28/ferndale-is-growing-while-detroits-other-inner-ring-suburbs-shrink/89644896007/

We contrast Ferndale's urbanist-friendly density and sense of belonging with the population losses in places like Warren, Redford, Dearborn Heights, and River Rouge. Plus, how Gen Z, dual-income-no-kids households, and the Woodward corridor are reshaping where Metro Detroiters choose to live.