Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Few places in the country grade higher. Berkley earns an A+, 1st of 697 graded towns in Michigan. The median household earns $116K, it is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns, and it reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C, is in cost of living. 59% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Berkley, against 26% in Michigan’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Berkley's schools rank ahead of 89% of Michigan towns. Berkley's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Where Berkley beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Angell Elementary School | K–5 | 411 |
| Rogers Elementary School | PK–5 | 366 |
| Pattengill Elementary School | PK–5 | 295 |
Where Berkley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Berkley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 5,571 in 1930, a peak of 23,275 in 1960, 15,194 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1976 and 7 maps from 1908 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berkley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
13 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
14 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
13 mi TheatreFox Theatre
26 mi LakeLake Saint ClairMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berkley, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Berkley.
Berkley has less tooth loss than most of Michigan and has household incomes well above the Michigan norm, but it has seen reported crime rise beyond ordinary swings.
Its widest gap with Michigan is tooth loss: 4.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.2% statewide.
Among adults in Berkley, 19% binge drink. Only 6 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Berkley. The town does better than the Michigan average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 2.
| Berkley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 25% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Berkley | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.3% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.5% | 15.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.1% | 15.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The largest public high school is Berkley High School, with 1,200 students. Public schools: the Berkley School District. Of its 5 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–8 | Grades 4–8 | 489 | B |
| Berkley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 1,200 | A |
| Rogers Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 366 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes rose from 66 to 76 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 13 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
In Berkley, the violent crime rate is 0.8 per 1,000 residents. The rate of thefts and burglaries for Berkley comes to 4.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Berkley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
22.6% of workers work from home, against 13.5% across Michigan.
Berkley had 4,181 jobs in 2021, down 756 from 2011. For workers locally, the share who do their job from home is 23%. The top destinations are Detroit (14%), Troy (9%) and Southfield (7%). The typical journey to work in the town is 22 minutes.
| Berkley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 23% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Federal aid has come to Berkley households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023. Compared with 71% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. One claim on flood insurance has been paid out in the town since 2014. Nearly half of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 25%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The range runs from 18° on a January night to 84° on a July afternoon, with about 31 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A home in Berkley typically sold within 8 days of listing. Values rose 1.9% in the 12 months to September 2026. Its midpoint rent is $1,526 a month.
| Berkley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,526 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For Berkley, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. Count the trails in 7 parks and preserves and they come to 0.2 miles.
| Berkley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Community Park | — | 19 |
| 2. Merchants Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Jaycee Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
21 within 15 miles of the center of Berkley
About 5 of every 100 Berkley residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Berkley is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Detroit on the Woodward Corridor, Berkley is located roughly 14 miles (22.5 km) northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 15,194.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Berkley.
At #1 in MI, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Huntington Woods (A+) comes closest.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkley | #1 | A+ | C | A | A | A+ |
| Royal Oak | #74 | A | C− | B | A− | A+ |
| Oak Park | #643 | D | C | C− | D | B− |
| Huntington Woods | #5 | A+ | C− | A | A | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Berkley grades A+ overall, among the top 2% of U.S. towns and #1 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A+ for health, A for safety and A for schools.
Yes, by national standards. Berkley reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, an A Safety Grade: 13 violent and 63 property crimes in 2025.
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($76,664 across the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
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