The rebound from the Great Recession that began in 2008 was rather spectacular for many suburban households in the Detroit area, with income gains of 50 percent or more in areas of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.
According to Internal Revenue Service data compiled by MLive, the total adjusted gross incomes (AGI) reported on federal tax returns – after deductions and credits – show that AGI gains of 50 percent-plus from 2009-17 were recorded in 29 ZIP codes in Oakland County, seven in Macomb County and two in Wayne County.
An inflation rate of 14.3 percent over that time period reduced the real gains made, still the increases demonstrate dramatic hikes in some areas of southeast Michigan. The data also shows major AGI improvements in portions of the nearby counties of Washtenaw and Livingston.
The biggest income jump in the tri-county area (139 percent) was enjoyed by the 48363 ZIP code in Oakland Township, Oakland County, an upscale area featuring mansion-like homes, followed by the 48380 ZIP code in semi-rural Milford (102 percent), also in Oakland County.
Meanwhile, MLive reports that 29 Michigan ZIP codes, almost all located in Detroit, experienced total income losses of up to 28 percent in the period from 2009-17. One glaring exception to inner city losses was Center Line in Macomb County (ZIP 48015), where incomes fell by 27 percent, for an average AGI loss per household of nearly $16,000 a year.
To view a statewide map of income gains by ZIP code, click here and proceed to the interactive green map.
