Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Royal Oak grades A overall, 74th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. It is healthier than 95% of U.S. towns. The median household earns $101K and its public schools beat 83% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $328K for a typical one and 4.3 times the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. 64% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Royal Oak, where Michigan’s towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 29%. Royal Oak has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them B and C Grocery Building and Hilzinger Block.
Where Royal Oak beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Royal Oak is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 217 in 1880, a peak of 86,238 in 1970, 58,211 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 8 maps from 1905 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Royal Oak. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
13 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
15 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
13 mi TheatreFox Theatre
25 mi LakeLake Saint ClairMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo
Who provides power, water and the rest in Royal Oak, 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 Royal Oak.
Royal Oak trades workers with Detroit and other neighbors, has less tooth loss than most of Michigan and has seen reported crime fall beyond ordinary swings.
Its widest gap with Michigan is tooth loss: 5.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.2% statewide.
9.7% of Royal Oak adults report frequent physical distress. Royal Oak beats the Michigan average on 25 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 12% of Royal Oak adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Royal Oak | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 25% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 12% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Royal Oak | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.3% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.6% | 15.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 19% | 15.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Royal Oak Schools. Three of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,058 | B+ |
| Royal Oak High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,293 | A |
| Northwood Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 446 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
6.8 miles of trail in 41 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Normandy Oaks Park, at 36 acres.
| Royal Oak | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cummingston Park | 1.4 mi | 31 |
| 2. Quickstad Park | 1.1 mi | 35 |
| 3. Normandy Oaks Park | 0.6 mi | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Royal Oak.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
34% of renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent in Royal Oak. The typical Royal Oak home is worth about $328,000, up 1.9% in a year, 24% above the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Royal Oak is $1,381 a month.
| Royal Oak | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 34% | 45% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,381 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Royal Oak 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
Royal Oak has about as many jobs (28,426) as working residents, but only 2,149 people both live and work here. 27.4% of workers work from home, against 13.5% across Michigan.
Most working residents leave Royal Oak for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are Detroit (14%), Troy (10%) and Warren (7%).
| Royal Oak | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 27% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.2% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 627 to 516 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 85 reported in 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
19 within 15 miles of the center of Royal Oak
About 6 of every 100 Royal Oak residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
2 places in Royal Oak on the National Register of Historic Places.
50 notable people were born in Royal Oak.
City in Michigan, United States
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is located roughly 10 miles (16.1 km) north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,211. Royal Oak is located along the Woodward Corridor, and is served by Interstate 75 and Interstate 696. The city has one of the largest downtowns in Detroit's suburbs, and is also home to much of the Detroit Zoo, with portions extending into neighboring Huntington Woods. Royal Oak describes itself as the "city of trees".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Royal Oak.
Madison Heights next door grades lower for schools (B− to Royal Oak’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B− to C−).
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak | #74 | A | C− | B | A− | A+ |
| Huntington Woods | #5 | A+ | C− | A | A | A+ |
| Madison Heights | #303 | B | B− | C | B− | B+ |
| Clawson | #69 | A | C+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Troy | #98 | A | D | B | A+ | A+ |
| Berkley | #1 | A+ | C | A | A | A+ |
| Ferndale | #396 | B− | C+ | C | C− | A |
| Hazel Park | #539 | C | B | C | D | B− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Royal Oak grades A overall, better than 90% of U.S. towns and #74 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A+ for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
50 notable people were born here, including Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell.
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