Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Inkster earns a D−, ranked 689th of 697 in Michigan, mostly because of health and safety. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally. It reports more crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, including 257 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it has 6 miles of trail. 35% of residents live below the poverty line in Inkster, above both Michigan’s towns (8.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On civic life, just 1 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns do worse. Malcolm X House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Inkster beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Inkster | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.6% | 8.7% |
11.6% of the town is conserved land, across 16 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Inkster is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,440 in 1930, a peak of 39,097 in 1960, 26,088 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 8 maps from 1905 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Inkster. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
5 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
14 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
14 mi TheatreFox Theatre
14 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Inkster, 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 Inkster.
Inkster has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Michigan rate and has poverty well above the Michigan rate.
24% of Inkster adults smoke cigarettes. Only 3 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Inkster. 40% of Inkster adults get no exercise outside work.
| Inkster | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Inkster | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 8.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12% | 15.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 26.6% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Hicks SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 466 | D− |
| American International Academy High SchoolMiddle SchoollLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 240 | D− |
| Burger Development CenterTop results in townGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 108 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
6.3 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. The trail density in Inkster is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Lower Rouge Parkway, 374 acres with 4.3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lower Rouge Parkway | 4.3 mi | 374 |
| 2. Inkster Park | 0.9 mi | 64 |
| 3. Westwood Park | 0.5 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 1.4 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income, the typical home (about $106K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
47% of households own their home in Inkster. The typical Inkster home is worth about $106,000, up 1.3% in a year, 60% below the Michigan typical home.
| Inkster | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,170 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Violent crime runs at 10.3 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Michigan rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D.
Inkster’s violent crime rate is 10.3 per 1,000 residents. Inkster reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 94% report less. Inkster’s property crime rate is 17.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Inkster | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.4 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Inkster.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Inkster has 2,153 jobs for its 8,469 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Jobs based in Inkster fell to 2,153 in 2021, 337 fewer than in 2011. Among 701 Michigan towns, just 7 have a lower median household income than Inkster. The top destinations are Detroit (12%), Romulus (7%) and Dearborn (7%).
| Inkster | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 5.9% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Inkster has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 18° and about 31 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
14 within 15 miles of the center of Inkster
About 5 of every 100 Inkster residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Where Inkster’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
16 notable people were born in Inkster.
City in Michigan, United States
Inkster is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Inkster is located about 14 miles (23 km) southwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 26,088.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Inkster.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkster | #689 | D− | B | D | C− | D− |
| Dearborn Heights | #594 | C− | C | C | B+ | C |
| Westland | #552 | C | B− | C− | B | C |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Inkster grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #689 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D− for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
16 notable people were born here, including Geraldine Doyle and Anavia Battle.
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