Bloomfield Hills dates to 1927, and 5 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 41% of U.S. towns · #446 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of Bloomfield Hills was built recently: 7% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1972. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Cranbrook, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 14 buildings. Below: 10 old photos and papers, maps from 1908 on, and the census since 1930.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bloomfield Hills is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #446 of 701 in Michigan. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bloomfield Hills’ overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bloomfield Hills’ 43.0 sits above most of its state (90% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 19 historic buildings outnumber those of 79% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.9 points). Two sources give 1927.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Bloomfield Hills’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
On the map
Bloomfield Hills on the map, 1908 to 1981
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bloomfield Hills. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1908Rochester sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bloomfield Hills.
Famous people
14 famous people were born in Bloomfield Hills
Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.
On June 28, 1820, Oakland County was divided into two townships: Pontiac Township and Bloomfield Township, the latter covering the southern part of the county that would include West Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak and Southfield. What is now Bloomfield Hills was a farming area until the turn of the 20th century when wealthy Detroit residents bought up the land. The settlement became a village in 1927, and in 1929 residents voted to become a city to avoid being incorporated into growing Birmingham.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1927, according to Wikidata. the census of 1930 counted 1,127 people here.
How does Bloomfield Hills rank for history?
Bloomfield Hills is more historic than 41% of U.S. towns, #446 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Bloomfield Hills?
5 listings: 4 buildings and 1 historic district, the Cranbrook, with 14 contributing buildings. 19 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Bloomfield Hills?
7% of Bloomfield Hills’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.9 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1972.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
1976
2009