City safety & data profile

PontiacMI

Pontiac, MI is a 60K-resident city in Oakland County with a median household income of $44,329.

Oakland County, Michigan. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Pontiac, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Pontiac has a population larger than 84% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $121,700, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

60K
Population
Top 16%
By size
$44,329
Median income
$121,700
Median home
24.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Pontiac

Pontiac posts a median household income higher than 4% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Pontiac area.

Top 96%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Pontiac

Where Pontiac income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$44,329 Bottom 4% higher than 4% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Pontiac, MI beyond the headline numbers

Pontiac sits inside Oakland County, Michigan, at roughly 42.64°N, -83.29°W. Population 59,917, $44,329 median household income. Median home value $121,700, median rent $1,063. Poverty rate 24.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Pontiac's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 43.5%, then short sleep duration at 41.4%. 2 hospitals in/around Pontiac, 2/5 avg rating, 2 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Pontiac from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
59,917
Pontiac
Median Income
$44,329
-35% vs avg
Median Home Value
$121,700
-47% vs avg
Median Age
36.5
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Oakland County) - Pontiac's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
1.3M+5%
Median Income
$97,760+49%
Median Home Value
$343,600+102%
Poverty Rate
7.7%-25%
Unemployment
4.8%-53%

Economics

Economics indicators for Pontiac, MI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,063/mo
Poverty Rate
24.4% +72% vs avg
Unemployment 10.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 16.1%
Work From Home 4.8%
Public Transit 0.6%

Population

White 25.6%
African American 42.9%
Asian 4.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
43.5%
Short Sleep Duration
41.4%
High Blood Pressure
41.2%
Physical Inactivity
33.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
20.7%
Current Smoking
20.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.6%
Diabetes
16%
Lack of Health Insurance
13.6%
Binge Drinking
13.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 53.8%
Annual Checkup 79.7%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
12.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
7.2%
Stroke
4.7%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
2
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
2
TRINITY HEALTH OAKLAND HOSPITAL
PONTIAC · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆
MCLAREN OAKLAND
PONTIAC · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Pontiac, MI? ▼
Pontiac, MI has a population of 59,917 people, located in Oakland County, Michigan.
What is the median household income in Pontiac? ▼
The median household income in Pontiac, MI is $44,329 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 24.4%.
What is the median home value in Pontiac? ▼
The median home value in Pontiac, MI is $121,700. Median rent is $1,063/month.
What are the top health concerns in Pontiac? ▼
The top health indicators in Pontiac include Obesity (43.5%), Short Sleep Duration (41.4%), High Blood Pressure (41.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Pontiac? ▼
Pontiac has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 2 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Pontiac? ▼
The median age in Pontiac, MI is 36.5 years. 16.1% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Pontiac, MI is located in Oakland County, Michigan. With a population of 60K and a $44,329 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Pontiac area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Michigan

Real-time AQI for every monitored Michigan location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Auburn Hills, MI 23K West Bloomfield Township, MI 65K Birmingham, MI 21K Waterford, MI 76K Beverly Hills, MI 10K Rochester Hills, MI 73K Troy, MI 83K Rochester, MI 13K
All cities in Michigan → Compare Pontiac vs Auburn Hills → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Pontiac's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Pontiac area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Pontiac against Michigan peers on any ranking lens. Explore Michigan

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Oakland County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.