Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
River Rouge gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $83K, 1.1 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 625th of 697 in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. On CDC estimates, its residents' health ranks in the bottom 2% nationally, and its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. 40% of residents live below the poverty line in River Rouge, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 2 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns score lower on civic life. West Jefferson Avenue-Rouge River Bridge and Church of the Transfiguration Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where River Rouge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | River Rouge | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 27.8% | 8.7% |
Where River Rouge’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 River Rouge is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 86% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 1%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,748 in 1900, a peak of 20,549 in 1950, 7,224 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 8 maps from 1905 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around River Rouge. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
6 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
6 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
6 mi TheatreFox Theatre
7 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsFord Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Michigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 River Rouge, 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 River Rouge.
River Rouge has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it has poverty well above the Michigan rate.
At 1.1 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income, the typical home (about $83K) costs less against local pay than in 99% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. Values fell 2.9% in the past year while the Michigan typical home rose 3.8%.
River Rouge’s median rent is $839 a month. The typical River Rouge home is worth about $83,000, 68% below the Michigan typical home. In River Rouge, 57% of households own their home.
| River Rouge | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $839 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Below: Two of its 5 schools, each with why it was picked. The public schools here belong to the School District of the City of River Rouge. The largest public high school is River Rouge High School, with 987 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Visger K5 Preparatory AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 625 | D− |
| River Rouge High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 987 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
River Rouge beats the Michigan average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 25. Among adults in the town, 48% sleep under 7 hours. Add to that, only 2 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a higher share of adults who get no exercise outside work than River Rouge.
| River Rouge | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | River Rouge | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.9% | 8.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.4% | 15.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 27.8% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The top destinations are Detroit (15%), Dearborn (5%) and Southfield (4%). For half of commuters, work is under 13 miles away. 7.6% of workers work from home in River Rouge. Jobs based in River Rouge grew to 1,023 in 2021, 80 more than in 2011.
| River Rouge | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.6% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 20°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
On expected storm and flood damage, River Rouge sits below 67% of U.S. communities. 65% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 12%. One flood insurance claim has been paid in the town since 1979.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails total 0.6 miles in 3 parks and preserves. River Rouge’s trail density stands at 0.2 miles per square mile.
| River Rouge | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Belanger Park | 0.6 mi | 10 |
| 2. Memorial Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Cicotte Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
9 within 15 miles of the center of River Rouge
About 4 of every 100 River Rouge residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
6 notable people were born in River Rouge.
City in Michigan, United States
River Rouge (, French: Rivière Rouge, lit. 'red river') is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring, Downriver suburb of Detroit, River Rouge is located roughly 7 miles (11.3 km) southwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 7,224. The city is named after the River Rouge, which flows along the city's northern border and into the Detroit River. The city includes the heavily industrialized Zug Island and also has its own school district, River Rouge School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with River Rouge.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Rouge | #625 | C− | A− | — | D | D− |
| Detroit | #680 | D | B+ | D− | C− | D− |
| Ecorse | #622 | C− | A− | — | D | D− |
River Rouge and Ecorse report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare River Rouge with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
River Rouge grades C− overall, better than 15% of U.S. towns and #625 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D− for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
6 notable people were born here, including Brent Darby and Chester Taylor.
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