Detroiters who believe the city is moving in the right direction are far more likely to vote in next week’s mayoral election than those who say it’s on the wrong track, according to a new University of Michigan survey.
The Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS), conducted from Aug. 6 to Oct. 1, found that 70% of Detroiters with a positive view of the city’s direction said they’ll “definitely” vote on Nov. 4, compared to 41% of those who believe the city is on the wrong track and 52% of those unsure about its direction.
Overall, 56% of residents said Detroit is headed in the right direction, while 13% said it’s on the wrong track and 31% were unsure. Optimism is highest in Downtown, Midtown, and Southwest Detroit and lowest on the east side.
Older, higher-income, and more educated residents were far more likely to say the city is improving. Nearly 80% of Detroiters with household incomes above $100,000 said the city is on the right track, compared to just 35% of those earning under $10,000. Men and white residents were also more optimistic than women and Black or Latino residents.
“The survey offers powerful insights into some of the hopes and concerns shaping this historic election,” Yucheng Fan, data manager at DMACS and co-author of the report, said Tuesday. “We’re seeing variation in who feels motivated to vote.”
The election marks the first time in more than a decade that Detroiters will choose a new mayor. Mayor Mike Duggan served three terms and is running for governor as an independent. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield is running for mayor against Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and has a 64.9%-14.1% lead, according to a WDIV/Detroit News poll.
According to the survey, 61% of residents said they “definitely will vote” this year, while 25% said they “probably will,” and 14% said they probably or definitely will not. Those numbers closely mirror last year’s presidential election intentions, when roughly six in 10 Detroiters said they planned to vote.
Age was one of the strongest predictors of voter participation. More than 80% of residents 65 and older said they will definitely vote, compared with just 39% of Detroiters under 35.
Education and income also play a major role. About 80% of college graduates and 78% of residents earning at least $100,000 said they’re certain to vote, compared with 48% of Detroiters whose education ended at high school and 37% of those with incomes under $10,000.
There were no significant gender differences in voter enthusiasm, but Latino Detroiters were far less likely to say they’ll definitely vote (27%) compared to 65% of Black residents and 64% of white residents.
When asked about their top priorities for the next mayor, residents pointed overwhelmingly to education, public safety, affordable housing, and jobs.
- 81% said improving K-12 schools is a high priority;
- 80% cited crime and safety;
- 77% named affordable housing;
- 75% pointed to access to high-quality jobs.
Infrastructure, business investment, and public transportation also were key issues, with more than 60% of residents calling them high priorities.
Black residents were more likely than white residents to identify schools, crime, and housing as top concerns, and women rated safety and affordability higher than men. Optimism about the city’s direction also varied by geography: 65% of residents in District 5 (downtown and Midtown) and 61% in District 6 (Southwest Detroit) said the city is on the right track, compared with less than half of east side residents in Districts 3 and 4.
Jeffrey Morenoff, a University of Michigan sociology and public policy professor who co-leads DMACS, said the findings highlight both progress and persistent divides across the city.
“We see notable differences by age, race, and city council district, which underscore the importance of capturing the diversity of Detroiters’ views,” Morenoff said.
The full report, “Detroit Decides: Views on the City, Priorities for the Next Mayor, and Intentions to Vote,” is available at detroitsurvey.umich.edu.
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Steve Neavling
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