The 2000 Census shows that Detroit's population fell below the one-million mark to 951,270, a 7.5 percent drop, in the 1990s. This is in spite of new housing developments, the building of two new sports stadiums, the revamping of public schools, and corporate investment in new offices in the city.

Detroit is not alone. Elsewhere in Michigan, the Lansing, the state capital, lost 6.4 percent, while Flint lost 11.2 percent. The reason is that many cities were over-reliant on manufacturing, which downsized to become more efficient. Added to this, immigration from outside the state was lower, and the harsh winters led some to settle farther south.

However, overall, Michigan grew slowly to 9,938,444, a 6.9 percent increase. In particular, Livingston County, which borders Detroit, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Flint, grew 35.7 percent as people deserted the cities and commuted to work. Also, counties in the northwestern corner of the Lower Peninsula grew more than 20 percent due to available land, cheaper housing, and the ability to telecommute. The Grand Rapids population expanded because of the booming furniture industry and tourism to the Lake Michigan coast.

(Updated June 1, 2001)