Stats and Facts

This year, Birmingham celebrates the 70th anniversary of its incorporation as a home rule city. Throughout its history, Birmingham has enjoyed a high level of citizen involvement, which has contributed to the high quality of life in the community. Residents are elected or appointed to serve on a variety of commissions, committees, councils and boards. Public officials also are actively involved in the life of the community. Residents and officials alike belong to civic organizations and service clubs, and volunteer their time and talent to support various projects to benefit the community.

When settlers arrived in the early 1800s, what is now Birmingham was beautiful wilderness they hoped to farm and develop into an industrial center like the city's namesake, Birmingham, England. The town did prosper with shops and businesses that meet the needs of homesteaders, becoming an incorporated village in 1864. But eventually the farms gave way to summer homes in the country for Detroit businessmen, and Birmingham became a bedroom community, not the manufacturing mecca its founders had imagined.

Named one of the country's "Top 20 Most Walkable Communities," Birmingham covers 4.73 square miles. A close but welcoming community, city maintains its small-town feel while offering the recreational and cultural advantages of a prosperous urban area just 30 minutes north of downtown Detroit. Birmingham's thriving pedestrian-friendly downtown includes restaurants, movie theaters, art and antique galleries and retailers, and also is a center for real estate, accounting, finance, insurance, legal, and other services. The Birmingham Principal Shopping District, established in 1993, provides leadership in marketing, advertising and promotion of the downtown.

Birmingham has a population of 19,287 according to the 2000 Census. It is a fairly young community, with 35 percent of the residents are between the ages of 25 and 44, and 26 percent between 45 and 64. Twenty-one percent are under age 18. The population is expected to decline only slightly over the next 30 years, with the number of households remaining steady.

Located in the heart of Oakland County, one of the wealthiest counties (per capita income) in the country, Birmingham is an affluent city, with a median household income of just over $100,000 (2000) and poverty just under three percent.

Birmingham residents also are well-educated, with 30 percent of the population 25 or older holding a graduate degree, and 38 percent holding a bachelor's degree. Fifty-one percent of the jobs held in Birmingham (2000) are in the service sector, followed by finance/insurance/real estate (19 percent) and retail trade (17 percent).

Birmingham is an established, upscale community with tree-lined streets, a wide variety of home styles and sizes, and consistently rising property values. There are few remaining sites on which to build new homes, so developers and homeowners renovate or enlarge, or raze and rebuild on existing property. The average selling price of a single-family home was $369,201 in 2001, an increase of nearly 61 percent from 1997. Many Birmingham neighborhoods have active neighborhood associations, which work to boost the sense of pride neighbors take in owning and caring for their homes.

The number of historic homes and buildings reflect the historic character of the city, which is preserved by the city's Historic District Design and Review Commission. The HDDRC and the Birmingham City Commission give yearly Historic Preservation Awards to residential and commercial property owners and merchants, recognizing their efforts in preservation and maintaining historic properties.

Education is highly valued, and a tradition of achievement and academic excellence has resulted in some of the finest schools in the country. Students routinely demonstrate educational proficiency with high scores on national and state achievement and aptitude tests. The dropout rate in 2001 was 1.2 percent. More than 98 percent of students graduate from high school.

Birmingham students are served by 13 elementary, middle and high schools in the Birmingham Public School District. Additional facilities include a 10-acre environmental center, an alternative high school, a center offering programs and services to senior citizens, a corporate training and conference center, and an early childhood center. Parents, business people and other community members are actively involved in the schools, sharing their interest and expertise.

A number of renowned private, parochial and independent schools with outstanding reputations also serve Birmingham students, among them the Roeper Schools, Eton Academy, Holy Name, Our Shepherd Lutheran, Gateway Montessori, and nearby Cranbrook Educational Community, Detroit Country Day School, and the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

Birmingham residents esteem culture and the arts, and support a variety of community-based organizations in their hometown and in the larger metropolitan Detroit community. From the 24-foot-high bronze statue of artist Marshall Fredericks' "The Freedom of the Human Spirit" in downtown Birmingham's Shain Park, to a rotating public art project, visual arts are evident throughout the community. The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center offers classes, workshops and tours; The Community House offers hundreds of enrichment classes and programs for all ages; the Baldwin Public Library shares its vast multi-media collections with the community. A host of free public concerts like the city's summer "In the Park" series, and events like First Night Birmingham, a no-alcohol family-oriented celebration of the arts on New Year's Eve, attract residents throughout the year.

Opportunities for recreation are available year-round in Birmingham. Residents walk, jog, bike, skate, or play street hockey or soccer on their neighborhood streets. Twenty-two parks with 300 acres cover more than 10 percent of the city's total acreage, and the school district also provides recreational facilities. Residents can swim, play baseball, softball and tennis, and enjoy playgrounds and picnic facilities. Two nine-hole municipal golf courses offer golf and golf lessons.  The Birmingham Tennis Bubble features indoor courts and a clubhouse and a 32-week season.

Those who enjoy winter sports can sled, toboggan and cross country ski at Birmingham's municipal golf course, Lincoln Hills. Indoor ice-skating is available at the Birmingham Ice Sports Arena, including open skating, lessons and ice hockey groups.

Additional information about Birmingham demographics is provided courtesy of the Oakland county Planning and Economic Development Services.