The list
Households without a vehicle, Wayne County.
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1
Highland Park 29.2%
Wayne County, population 8,628
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2
Detroit 20.1%
Wayne County, population 638,530
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3
Hamtramck 19.8%
Wayne County, population 27,743
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4
Inkster 16.5%
Wayne County, population 25,428
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5
Ecorse 15.9%
Wayne County, population 9,064
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6
Belleville 13.4%
Wayne County, population 3,910
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7
River Rouge 11.9%
Wayne County, population 7,008
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8
Harper Woods 11.3%
Wayne County, population 15,116
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9
Wayne 10.6%
Wayne County, population 17,310
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10
Grosse Pointe Farms 8.7%
Wayne County, population 9,904
Some places keep winning, and the data shows exactly why. Rebuild Detroit compared 42 communities in Wayne County by households without a vehicle for 2026.
Highland Park comes first with 29.2%, 376% above the median. The Wayne County median is 6.1%.
Who leads the list
Highland Park leads the list with 29.2% (Wayne County, population 8,628). Detroit is second with 20.1% (Wayne County, population 638,530).
Hamtramck takes third with 19.8% (Wayne County, population 27,743).
The rest of the top 10
Rounding out the top 10 are Inkster (16.5%), Ecorse (15.9%), Belleville (13.4%), River Rouge (11.9%), Harper Woods (11.3%), Wayne (10.6%), and Grosse Pointe Farms (8.7%). Every one of the top 10 is in Wayne County.
The other end of the list
At the other end of Wayne County, Rockwood has the lowest figure with 0.9%. That is a spread of 28.3% between first and last place.
By the numbers
The gap between number 1 and number 2 is 9.1%. The top 10 average 15.8%, against 5.2% for the other 32 communities.
21 of the 42 communities sit above the median.
What it means for you
So what does that mean for you?
A household without a car depends on transit, neighbors and stores within walking distance. 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. Keep this page handy.
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.