Information about Detroit
Originally settled as a major fur-trading post, Detroit, Michigan, grew into the world's automotive capital during the early 20th century. As of 2021 U.S. census estimates, Detroit's population is 632,464. Detroit's residents are 77.1% African American, 14.4% white and 7.7% Hispanic. Residents of Arabic descent also make up a large portion of the metro area population.
Home of Motown Records, Detroit offers music enthusiasts the chance to learn about the history of musicians such as the Temptations, Diana Ross or the Four Tops, while sports teams like the Pistons, Tigers and Lions enjoy a rabid following among local fans. A variety of restaurants and shops can be found in downtown along with the stadium for the Detroit Lions, the International Riverfront and General Motors headquarters.
Higher Education
The city of Detroit is home to 35 public and private non-profit colleges, universities, technical institutes, seminaries and career schools. The 15-mile area surrounding the city has an additional 16 postsecondary institutions. Detroit's largest school is Wayne State University, a public research university that enrolls nearly 24,000 students. Wayne State has large medical and law schools, and the university is a major economic as well as educational force in the greater Detroit area. The University of Detroit Mercy is a Jesuit-affiliated institution known for its high academic standards and its nursing and physician assistant programs. It was ranked 40th among best value schools by U.S. News & World Report in 2022.
Other local colleges and universities include Marygrove College, Wayne County Community College District, College for Creative Studies, Sacred Heart Major Seminary and Focus-Hope Information Technologies Center. The University of Michigan at Dearborn and Davenport University's Warren campus are about 12 miles from Detroit.
Economy and Employment
In Detroit, some of the largest employers are Detroit Medical Center, City of Detroit, Quicken Loans and the Henry Ford Health System. Chrysler and General Motors also employ a large number of residents. Ally Financial, DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company are headquartered in Detroit. Detroit's location across from Windsor, Ontario, makes it a major center for shipping and international trade with Canada.
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