Every number on this site, traced back to its dataset.
We make hard claims about how long Detroiters live. Hard claims require receipts. Below is the dataset, geography, and year behind each figure, with a link to the public source so you can run the query yourself.
- All life expectancy and mortality figures are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population so that places with different age profiles can be compared fairly.
- Detroit figures are for the city proper, never the metro area. Metro-level numbers blend Detroit with wealthier suburbs and erase the gap.
- Cause-specific rates are pooled across 2019–2023 to stabilize small annual counts, per CDC guidance on suppressed and unreliable rates.
- The "three miles apart" distance is the straight-line distance from Detroit's northeast city limit to the nearest Macomb County residential area.
- Where a figure is a D-Unit compilation rather than a single published statistic, we label it as such below.
Health and longevity figures
Detroit life expectancy
69.7 years
- Dataset
- Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Vital Statistics
- Geography
- City of Detroit (not metro)
- Year
- 2023
- Source
- MDHHS Vital Statistics
Macomb County life expectancy
79+ years
- Dataset
- Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Vital Statistics
- Geography
- Macomb County, MI
- Year
- 2023
- Source
- MDHHS Vital Statistics
The life expectancy gap
9.3 years
- Dataset
- Difference between the two age-adjusted figures above
- Geography
- Detroit vs. Macomb County
- Year
- 2023
Underlying mortality rates (heart disease, cancer, infant mortality)
Age-adjusted, 2019–2023 pooled
- Dataset
- CDC WONDER Underlying Cause of Death, multi-year pooled files
- Geography
- Wayne County & Macomb County, MI
- Year
- 2019–2023
Heart disease death rate 40% higher in Detroit
~40% higher, age-adjusted
- Dataset
- CDC WONDER Underlying Cause of Death, heart disease (ICD-10 I00–I09, I11, I13, I20–I51)
- Geography
- Wayne County vs. Macomb County, MI
- Year
- 2019–2023 pooled
Infant mortality 2.5x higher in Detroit
13.6 vs. 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births (U.S. average 5.6)
- Dataset
- MDHHS Vital Statistics infant death files; U.S. average from CDC NCHS
- Geography
- City of Detroit vs. Macomb County, MI
- Year
- 2023
- Source
- MDHHS Vital Statistics
Diabetes deaths near twice the state rate
~2x Michigan rate, age-adjusted
- Dataset
- CDC WONDER Underlying Cause of Death, diabetes mellitus (ICD-10 E10–E14)
- Geography
- Wayne County vs. State of Michigan
- Year
- 2019–2023 pooled
Cancer caught at later stage in Detroit
Lower early-stage detection (directional, not a single published rate)
- Dataset
- Michigan Cancer Surveillance Program staging data, reviewed by D-Unit
- Geography
- City of Detroit / Wayne County
- Year
- Most recent published release
County-level health rankings and context
Supporting context only
- Dataset
- County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
- Geography
- Wayne County & Macomb County, MI
- Year
- 2024 release
Investment and ecosystem figures
Detroit life sciences and innovation investment
$1.78B
- Dataset
- Running total of publicly announced capital investment across Detroit life sciences and innovation projects, compiled by D-Unit from institutional and city announcements.
- Geography
- City of Detroit
- Year
- Announcements through 2026
Anchor institutions counted in the network
See the Network page
- Dataset
- D-Unit ecosystem register of named institutions, each linked to its own site
- Geography
- Detroit & Metro Detroit
- Year
- Maintained continuously
- Source
- D-Unit Network register
Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences Research Center
$335M · 335,000 sq ft · opens 2027
- Dataset
- MSU and Henry Ford Health project announcements
- Geography
- Detroit — New Center
- Year
- 2024 groundbreaking, 2027 opening
Wayne State Health Sciences Research Building
$200M · 160,000 sq ft
- Dataset
- Wayne State University groundbreaking announcement
- Geography
- Detroit — Midtown
- Year
- September 2025
- Source
- Today@Wayne
BAMF Health Detroit jobs and average salary
90 jobs · $120,000 average
- Dataset
- State of Michigan / MEDC incentive announcement
- Geography
- Detroit — Gratiot Innovation Corridor
- Year
- April 2025
MSU stake in the Fisher Building
79% ownership stake
- Dataset
- MSU endowment investment announcement
- Geography
- Detroit — New Center
- Year
- 2023
- Source
- MSUToday
U-M Center for Innovation lead gift
$100M gift from Stephen Ross
- Dataset
- University of Michigan Detroit Center for Innovation announcement
- Geography
- Downtown Detroit
- Year
- 2021, opening 2027
- Source
- U-M Detroit
TechTown Detroit businesses supported
6,430+ since 2004
- Dataset
- TechTown Detroit 20th-anniversary reporting
- Geography
- Detroit
- Year
- 2024
- Source
- TechTown Detroit
Network relationships and corrections
The Network index states who owns, develops, funds, or trains for each institution. Below is the source behind each of those connections and why the relationship matters to a Detroit resident, business owner, or founder.
BAMF Health is a Grand Rapids company opening a second site in Detroit
Grand Rapids HQ · Detroit site at the Gratiot Life Sciences Building
Earlier copy on this site called BAMF a Detroit-based company. BAMF was founded in Grand Rapids at the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building; the Detroit facility is its second location, built with Henry Ford Health. The distinction matters for residents: hiring, training, and radiopharmacy operations are run from an existing Grand Rapids operation, not started from zero in Detroit.
- Dataset
- BAMF Health corporate site and Detroit expansion announcements
- Geography
- Grand Rapids and Detroit, MI
- Status
- Detroit site under construction, opening 2027
- Source
- BAMF Health
MSU Research Center is the Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences Research Center
$335M · 30-year Henry Ford Health partnership · opens 2027
The facility is not a standalone MSU building. It is a joint venture governed by a 30-year partnership between Michigan State University and Henry Ford Health on Third Avenue in New Center, which is why job postings and research roles appear under both names.
- Dataset
- MSU Board of Trustees construction approval and MSU Today announcement
- Geography
- New Center, Detroit, MI
- Status
- Approved 2023 · opening 2027
Michigan State University holds a majority ownership stake in the Fisher Building
Majority stake · MSU Detroit incubator space inside
Previously described only as a building that houses MSU space. MSU is an owner, not a tenant, which is why incubator terms and access for Detroit founders are set by the university rather than a private landlord.
- Dataset
- MSU Detroit real estate and incubator announcements
- Geography
- New Center, Detroit, MI
- Status
- Acquired 2023 · incubator active
- Source
- Fisher Building
TechTown Detroit is Wayne State University's incubator
Wayne State affiliate · MedHealth initiative
TechTown was founded by and remains affiliated with Wayne State University. Its MedHealth initiative is the specific program that connects founders and suppliers to health-system buyers, which is the relevant door for D-CONNECT and D-VENTURE referrals.
- Dataset
- TechTown Detroit organizational and program pages
- Geography
- Midtown, Detroit, MI
- Status
- Founded 2004 · active
- Source
- TechTown Detroit
Bedrock is the developer of the Gratiot Life Sciences Building
Gratiot district master developer · UMCI co-developer with Related Companies
The building was listed without naming who controls it. Bedrock develops the Gratiot site and co-develops the University of Michigan Center for Innovation with Related Companies, which means Bedrock — not the health systems — holds the construction, trades, and facilities contracts Detroit firms can bid on now.
- Dataset
- Bedrock Detroit development announcements and City of Detroit project filings
- Geography
- Downtown Detroit, MI
- Status
- Under construction · 2027 delivery
- Source
- Bedrock Detroit
Ferris State University runs the academic pipeline into BAMF Health
Nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy training partnership
Added to the index because it is the named training route into the highest-paid roles at the Gratiot theranostics center. Without it, the career pages point to jobs with no visible credential path.
- Dataset
- Ferris State University and BAMF Health partnership announcements
- Geography
- Big Rapids and Detroit, MI
- Status
- Active
- Source
- Ferris State University
If you find a figure you believe is wrong or out of date, write to info@detroitintelligence.net with the source. We correct publicly and note the date of the change.
This site presents public health data for informational purposes and does not provide medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician about your own health.