Detroit Today: How Dearborn is growing its population, opposite of state trends
Dearborn’s mayor explains why his city is growing, and what the state needs to do to achieve similar results.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud (left) speaks about the new DPH NARCAN Station in the city's transit center on Nov. 16, 2022.
Two weeks ago, Dearborn mayor Abdullah Hammoud’s addressed plans to grow the city’s population and invest in its residents during his State of the City speech.
As Michigan’s population continues to stagnate, many across the state are wondering how to promote growth.
According to the US Census, Michigan ranks 49th in the country for population growth; while the state experienced 1.8% growth from 2010, the city of Dearborn grew 9.7%, and about 40% of its population remains under the age of 24.
Listen: How Dearborn is growing its population, opposite of state trends
Guests
Abdullah Hammoud is the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan. He says in order to keep citizens interested in Michigan, the city needs to shift their policies to support raising the quality of life.
“The whole idea behind the so-called Dearborn Advantage is we have to make a value proposition: what is the advantage behind being a Dearborn resident? And I think the state of Michigan has to do the same — what is the Michigan Advantage?” says Hammoud.
Gabe Ehrlich is an economic forecaster and researcher at the University of Michigan’s Research Seminar in Quantitative Economics. He says the relationship between government funding and population growth is a never-ending cycle.
“Population growth puts a speed limit on the economic growth we can achieve, especially here in Michigan,” says Ehrlich.
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