Eight Mile Road, 2004
Harper Woods’s story
75 years in pictures
Census counts: 858 in 1940, 15,492 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 8 maps from 1905 on.
- 1951Harper Woods is settled
Harper WoodsMI
A town of 14,860, settled in 1951. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Population
14,860
2025 Census estimate · −4.2% since 2020
Typical home
$150K
−1.2% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
37.1
years
Jobs based here
2,485
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#656 of 697 in MI
Is Harper Woods a good place to live?
Harper Woods grades D overall, ranked 656th of 697 in Michigan, mostly because of safety and health. Its crime rate is higher than 97% of U.S. towns, with 89 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. What it does well: its public schools beat 78% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. Harper Woods’ property crime rate is 47.5 per 1,000 residents, above both the Michigan town median (7.8) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9). Only 4 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on hazard risk. Harper Woods's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns.
What makes Harper Woods stand out
Where Harper Woods beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Harper Woods The School District of the City of
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Chandler Park Academy Elementary | PK–5 | 817 |
| Discovery Creative Pathways Harper Woods | K–8 | 603 |
| Beacon Elementary School | PK–2 | 368 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Harper Woods6
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Worth knowing · SafetyD−
40% more violent crime than MI
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Harper Woods for work
Where Harper Woods’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,485jobs based in Harper Woods
2%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Harper Woods grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Harper Woods is from typical.
SafetyD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthHenry Ford Health St. John Hospital 1.6 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.6 of 20; 11.3% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Jobs & income$65K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landC+Open →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life0.6 library visits per resident; 3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 61 attractions →Ford Field and 45 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Harper Woods. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
9 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
13 mi LakeLake Saint Clair
9 mi TheatreFox Theatre
7 mi GardenBelle Isle Park
9 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Lake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Belle Isle Park: WMrapids, CC0 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Harper Woods: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Harper Woods, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHarper Woods water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Harper Woods’ trash rules yet
SchoolsHarper Woods City SchoolsGrosse Pointe Public Schools2 districts serve Harper Woods; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHarper Woods City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48225, 4823648225 99% · 48236 1%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Harper Woods.
Harper Woods has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Michigan (mostly inland flooding) and reports property crime at 4 times the Michigan rate.
SafetyD−
For safety, Harper Woods earns a D−
Property crime runs at 47.5 per 1,000 residents, 4 times the Michigan rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Harper Woods is 6 per 1,000 residents. Harper Woods reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.
3%of U.S. towns report more crimeD−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Harper Woods6
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Harper Woods47.5
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
3rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
5th
percentile among MI towns
89
violent crimes reported in 2025
703
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsA−
For schools, Harper Woods earns an A−
Its public schools are run by the School District of the City of Harper Woods. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
78%of MI districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler Park Academy ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 817 | D− |
| Harper Woods High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 877 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
A larger share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Harper Woods than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
45% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Harper Woods. Harper Woods beats the Michigan average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 13% of adults binge drink in Harper Woods.
16%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Harper Woods | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 34% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
3 better12 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Harper Woods | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 8.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.2% | 15.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 17.7% | 8.7% |
Henry Ford Health St. John Hospital
1.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C+
The typical home in Harper Woods is valued at about $150K
At 2 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income, the typical home (about $150K) costs less against local pay than in 95% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living.
The typical Harper Woods home is worth about $150,000, down 1.2% in a year, 43% below the Michigan typical home. 67% of Harper Woods households own their home.
$150KZillow home value
| Harper Woods | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,351 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Harper Woods$150K
Michigan$264K
Market temperature
26
days on market
98.3%
sale-to-list price
−1.2%
value change, 1 year
14
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
#302for trails in MI
| Harper Woods | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1.6%
conserved · 26 of 1,671 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Salter Memorial Park | 0.6 mi | 8 |
| 2. Johnston Park | 0.3 mi | 13 |
| 3. Danbury Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Harper Woods stands out in Michigan and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Michigan towns, with expected losses of about $388 per resident a year; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Harper Woods’ FEMA risk score is 80 of 100. Since 1980, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Harper Woods.
80risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 1980
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Harper Woods’ workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Jobs based here fell from 3,946 in 2011 to 2,485.
Most working residents leave Harper Woods for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Harper Woods fell to 2,485 in 2021, 1,461 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Detroit (26%), Warren (8%) and Troy (5%).
2%work in town
| Harper Woods | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Harper Woods2%
Detroit26%
Warren8%
Troy5%
Southfield4%
12 mi
median commute distance
2,485
jobs based in Harper Woods
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
In Harper Woods, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Harper Woods has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 28 inches of snow falls in a winter.
28″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–35°
Spring38–57°
Summer62–81°
Fall44–61°
Oct 31
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More children than Michigan overall
Children under 18 are 28% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 14% of residents (19% statewide). Harper Woods has lost 4.2% of its people since 2020, down to 14,860 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
37.1median age · MI 40.2
| Harper Woods | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 28% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.1 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
Harper WoodsMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school28%
Some college28%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Harper Woods | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.2% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.1% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Harper Woods
20pages on Harper Woods
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 78% of MI districts · 11 schoolsSafetyD−6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than MI on 3 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$150K typical home · down 1.2% in a yearWork & commuteC+$65K median household income · 2,485 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of Harper Woods
Macomb Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Warren5.1 mi$3,660 in-state tuitionCollege for Creative StudiesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Detroit8.6 mi$53,350 tuitionWayne State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Detroit9 mi$15,190 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Harper Woods residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
About Harper Woods
City in Michigan, United States
Harper Woods is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Harper Woods borders Detroit to the north and east, roughly 9 miles (14.5 km) northeast of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 15,492.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1951
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 587 ft
- ZIP code
- 48225
- Area code
- 313
Harper Woods’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Harper Woods.
Detroit next door grades lower for schools (C− to Harper Woods’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B+ to C+).
DetroitGrosse Pointe WoodsEastpointeHarper Woods
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Woods | #656 | D | C+ | D− | A− | C− |
| Detroit | #680 | D | B+ | D− | C− | D− |
| Grosse Pointe Woods | #180 | A− | C− | B | A | A+ |
| Eastpointe | #687 | D− | B− | D | D | D |
Questions about Harper Woods
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Harper Woods, MI a good place to live?
Harper Woods grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #656 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health, D− for safety and A− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Harper Woods, MI expensive?
That is 2 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+.