The list
Homes standing vacant, Metro Detroit.
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1
Highland Park 32.4%
Wayne County, population 8,628
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2
Clay Township 23.4%
St. Clair County, population 8,357
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3
Detroit 21.7%
Wayne County, population 638,530
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4
Burtchville Township 17.1%
St. Clair County, population 4,065
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5
Inkster 15.3%
Wayne County, population 25,428
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6
Hamtramck 14.9%
Wayne County, population 27,743
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7
Burlington Township 14.8%
Lapeer County, population 1,332
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8
Lake Orion 14.8%
Oakland County, population 2,863
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9
Burnside Township 14.0%
Lapeer County, population 1,792
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10
Lapeer County, population 5,761
Your next step
Thinking of selling? See what your house could bring today.
Get a cash offer for your houseHere is how the numbers shake out. Rebuild Detroit compared 195 communities in Metro Detroit by homes standing vacant for 2026.
Highland Park comes first with 32.4%, 545% above the median. The Metro Detroit median is 5.0%.
Who leads the list
Highland Park leads the list with 32.4% (Wayne County, population 8,628). Clay Township is second with 23.4% (St. Clair County, population 8,357).
Detroit takes third with 21.7% (Wayne County, population 638,530).
The rest of the top 10
Rounding out the top 10 are Burtchville Township (17.1%), Inkster (15.3%), Hamtramck (14.9%), Burlington Township (14.8%), Lake Orion (14.8%), Burnside Township (14.0%), and Deerfield Township Lapeer (13.9%). Wayne County holds 4 of the top 10 spots, and Lapeer County holds 3.
The other end of the list
At the other end of Metro Detroit, Mayfield Township has the lowest figure with 0.4%. That is a spread of 32.0% between first and last place.
By the numbers
The gap between number 1 and number 2 is 9.1%. The top 10 average 18.2%, against 5.2% for the other 185 communities.
97 of the 195 communities sit above the median.
What it means for you
So what does that mean for you?
Vacant homes weigh on a block, and they are also where the next renovation usually starts. A low spot here is not a verdict on the people who live there. It is one public number, and numbers move when a community moves them.
How we ranked
Every number is the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Communities with fewer than 1,000 residents are left out.
Ties are broken alphabetically.
Final word
This list updates when the numbers behind it do, and every place on it links to its own guide on Rebuild Detroit. That is the story so far.
Sources
Editor In Chief, Detroit Ledger
Victoria Jackson is a lifelong student and sharp-eyed documentarian of all things Detroit, from its rich musical roots and cultural icons to its shifting neighborhoods, storied architecture, and underground legends.