Royal Oak, MI - Dec. 28, 1906, 1906
Royal Oak Township’s story
135 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906.
- 1891Royal Oak Township is settled
Royal Oak TownshipMI
A town of 2,323, settled in 1891.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Lrgjr72 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,323
2025 Census estimate · −2.1% since 2020
Typical home
$136K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$48K
median
Median age
35.2
years
Jobs based here
1,011
Balanced
Is Royal Oak Township a good place to live?
Royal Oak Township’s best subject grades are an A for walkability and health; its weakest is a C− for incomes. Royal Oak Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Royal Oak Township stand out
Where Royal Oak Township beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
3.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. Michigan
16 better13 too close to call3 worse
| Widest gap | Royal Oak Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.3% | 7% |
HealthA
Healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
How Royal Oak Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Royal Oak Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 15.1 of 20; 17% of households have no carAOpen →HealthSinai-Grace Hospital 2.3 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & income$48K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $136K, 1.8 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landB−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life0 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.2; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 67 attractions →Michigan Stadium and 53 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Royal Oak Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
10 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
11 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
10 mi TheatreFox Theatre
8 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Michigan 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 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Royal Oak Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Royal Oak Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRoyal Oak Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offResource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County, 4 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsOak Park City School DistrictFerndale Public Schools2 districts serve Royal Oak Township; 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 hereRoyal Oak Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4822048220 100%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 Royal Oak Township.
HousingCost of living grade B
Royal Oak Township stands out in Michigan and nationally: a smaller share of its households live in a home they own
Homes in Royal Oak Township are typically worth about $136,000, up 1.7% in a year, 48% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent for Royal Oak Township comes to $864 a month, where Michigan’s towns sit at $1,046 a month and U.S. towns at $1,185 a month.
$136KZillow home value
| Royal Oak Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 36% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $864 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Royal Oak Township$136K
Michigan$264K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Royal Oak Township’s schools trail 80% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Ferndale Public Schools. The largest public high school is Tri County Educational Center, with 348 students.
20%of MI districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri County Educational CenterLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 348 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthA
A smaller share of adults have diabetes in Royal Oak Township than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Nearly a quarter of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Royal Oak Township, against 27% in Michigan’s towns and 23% across U.S. towns. Royal Oak Township: 29% of adults have high blood pressure.
86%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Royal Oak Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
16 better13 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Royal Oak Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 4.3% | 7% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 5.1% | 8.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 19.2% | 15.9% |
Sinai-Grace Hospital
2.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Royal Oak Township faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
For Royal Oak Township, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 14 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 37% come from inland flooding and 30% from tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 86% of U.S. communities.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Royal Oak Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
A winter brings about 31 inches of snow, with January nights at 18° and July afternoons at 84°.
31″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–35°
Spring38–58°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–61°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Royal Oak Township draws in 1,000 commuters
The top destinations are Detroit (21%), Southfield (7%) and Warren (6%). Commuting out is the norm in Royal Oak Township: 1% of working residents work locally. Also worth knowing: 27% of residents live below the poverty line locally. Since 2011, Royal Oak Township has added 311 jobs, to 1,011 in 2021.
1%work in town
| Royal Oak Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 27% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Royal Oak Township1%
Detroit21%
Southfield7%
Warren6%
Troy5%
10 mi
median commute distance
1,011
jobs based in Royal Oak Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 89% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
OutdoorsB−
3.6% of the land in Royal Oak Township is protected from building
3 parks and preserves cover 16 acres in Royal Oak Township.
3.6%conserved
3.6%
conserved · 12 of 347 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal Oak Township Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Mack-Rowe Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Grant Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Royal Oak Township
18pages on Royal Oak Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
19 within 15 miles of the center of Royal Oak Township
Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater DetroitUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Oak Park2.5 mi$6,100 tuitionWayne State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Detroit7.9 mi$15,190 in-state tuitionWayne County Community College DistrictCommunity college · Public · Detroit10.1 mi$3,112 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Royal Oak Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
About Royal Oak Township
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)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 12 sq mi
- Elevation
- 663 ft
- ZIP code
- 48067, 48068, 48073
- Area code
- 248
Royal Oak Township’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Royal Oak Township.
Oak ParkFerndaleRoyal Oak Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak Township | — | — | B | — | C− | A |
| Oak Park | #643 | D | C | C− | D | B− |
| Ferndale | #396 | B− | C+ | C | C− | A |
Royal Oak Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Royal Oak Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Royal Oak Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Royal Oak Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Royal Oak Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.