Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Below: maps from 1912 on and the census since 1980.
Detroit Beach dates its founding to 1923 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1980.
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Detroit Beach’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Detroit Beach. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Detroit Beach.
From Wikipedia’s history of Detroit Beach.
The community of Detroit Beach was established by the Industrial Development Company in 1923 and so named in order to attract lot buyers from Detroit.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Between 1,957 and 2,289 people in every census since 1980.
5 censuses, 1980–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Detroit Beach’s Wikipedia page.
Nobody well known was born in Detroit Beach itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1923, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1980 counted 2,112 people here.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
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). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
