Farmington Hills, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City of Farmington Hills | |
 Farmington Hills City Hall in 2012 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location withinOakland County | |
  Farmington Hills Location within the state of Michigan | |
| Coordinates:42°29′07″N83°22′37″W / 42.48528°N 83.37694°W /42.48528; -83.37694 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Oakland |
| Settled | 1824 |
| Organized | 1827 (township) |
| Incorporated | 1973 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Theresa Rich (D) |
| • Manager | Gary Mekjian |
| Area | |
• City | 33.30 sq mi (86.24 km2) |
| • Land | 33.27 sq mi (86.16 km2) |
| • Water | 0.027 sq mi (0.07 km2) |
| Elevation | 860 ft (262 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• City | 83,986 |
| • Density | 2,524.5/sq mi (974.72/km2) |
| • Metro | 4,285,832 (Metro Detroit) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) | 48331, 48334–48336 |
| Area code | 248 |
| FIPS code | 26-27440 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1616988[2] |
| Website | fhgov |
Farmington Hills is a city inOakland County in theU.S. state ofMichigan. A northwesternsuburb of Detroit, Farmington Hills is located roughly 22 miles (35.4 km) fromdowntown Detroit. As of the2020 census, the city's population was 83,986, making it the second-largest community in Oakland County.[3]
Farmington Hills consistently ranks as one of the safest cities in theUnited States, as well as in the state of Michigan. The area ranked as the 30th safest city in the U.S. in 2010 and as the 2nd safest city in Michigan in 2020.[4][5][6] Farmington Hills also ranks as the 36th highest-income place in the United States with a population of 50,000 or more and ranked as 14th America's best cities to live by 24/7 Wall St. in 2016.[7]
Although the two cities have separate services and addresses,Farmington and Farmington Hills are often thought of as the same community. These two cities combined were part of Farmington Township in the time of the Northwest Territory. Features of the community include a recently renovated downtown, boutiques, a vintage cinema, numerous restaurants, exotic car dealerships, art galleries, and public parks including Heritage Park. There are several historical sites including the Longacre House and theGovernor Warner Mansion. Both cities are served byFarmington Public Schools and theFarmington Community Library.
Farmington Hills is the home of theHolocaust Memorial Center, the only Holocaust memorial in the State of Michigan. The center's mission is to educate the public aboutthe Holocaust that took place duringWorld War II. The Holocaust Memorial Center was originally located in neighboring West Bloomfield Township, but has since expanded and moved to its current facility.[8]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 33.31 square miles (86.27 km2), of which 33.28 square miles (86.19 km2) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) is water.[9] Farmington Hills is bordered byWest Bloomfield to the north,Franklin andSouthfield to the east,Livonia to the south, andNovi to the west.
The first white settler in what became Farmington Township was aQuaker fromFarmington, New York, named Arthur Power. He purchased land in 1823 and returned in 1824 with a group of families and associates to clear the land. The settlement became known asQuakertown. A post office was established in February 1826 with the name of Farmington. The original post office is still standing today, and is a designatedhistorical site. The township of Farmington was organized in 1827, and the settlement was incorporated as the village ofFarmington in the winter of 1866–67. A fire on October 9, 1872, destroyed many buildings in the village center. Farmington was incorporated as a city in 1926.
A small settlement was also developed inClarenceville, in the extreme southeast corner of the township on the boundary withLivonia inWayne County. Stephen Jennings built a tavern and a general store to accommodate travelers on the plank road between Detroit and Howell. The name remains in theClarenceville School District. Even though the school buildings for Clarenceville are in Livonia in Wayne County, the school district serves a portion of Farmington Hills.
In 1839, a post office namedEast Farmington was opened, but it closed in 1842.[10]
In 1847, a post office namedNorth Farmington was established a mile south of the township line as Wolcott's Corners. After the death of postmaster Chauncey D. Walcott in 1865, the office moved to the township line in the northeast quarter ofsection 4 (near the intersection of 14 Mile Road and Farmington Road). The post office functioned until September 1902.[11]
Before the remainder of Farmington Township was incorporated as the city of Farmington Hills, there were two other incorporated entities within its boundaries. The first began as a subdivision namedQuaker Valley Farms that was incorporated as the village of Quakertown in 1959. The other wasWood Creek Farms, developed in 1937 as a subdivision by George Wellington of Franklin, who named it after aNew England estate. It was incorporated as a village in 1957.[11] The villages, together with the remainder of Farmington Township, were incorporated into the City of Farmington Hills in 1973. The City grew rapidly throughout the mid-20th century.
A community calledQuakertown North was recognized in the1970 United States census,[12] with a population of 7,101 recorded.[13] It was located north of the former municipality of Quakertown.[14] Theland area was 1.6 square miles and a housing unit count of 1,803.[15] The area, along with neighboring communities merged, to the newly created city of Farmington Hills in 1973.[16] TheZIP code serving the area was 48331.
Farmington Hills is home to the headquarters of numerous major companies, includingGale,Mango Languages,5-Hour Energy, andThe Sharper Image,[17] as well as the United States headquarters ofBosch,[18]Mercedes-Benz Financial Services,[19] andTD Auto Finance.[20] The city was also previously home to the headquarters ofCompuware,[21]White Motor Company,[22]A&W Restaurants,[23] andMichigan National Bank.[24]
Nissan's North American technical center is located in Farmington Hills.[25] The Nissan technical center handled project engineering of vehicle bodies used in North America and Latin America. It also has a small laboratory, where as of 2012, research is being conducted with hydrogen fuel cells. The company planned to add electrical battery and recharging of electrical vehicle research to the laboratory. As of January 2012 the technical center had 800 full-time employees. At that time Nissan planned to hire 150 more engineers to work in the technical center.[26] The technical center opened in November 1991 at a cost of $80 million.[27] In 2005, Nissan added a $14 million design studio at their Farmington Hills campus, and theNissan AZEAL was the first car to be designed there.[28]
Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas, Inc. maintains an office in Farmington Hills,[29] as doesPanasonic Automotive Systems.[30]Lordstown Motors operates a research and development center in Farmington Hills.[31]
According to the city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[32] the top local employers are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beaumont Hospital | 2,500 |
| 2 | Robert Bosch Corporation | 1,400 |
| 3 | Nissan Technical Center North America | 1,200 |
| 4 | Hitachi | 1,200 |
| 5 | Farmington Public Schools | 1,100 |
| 6 | TRW Automotive Electronics | 650 |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz Financial Services | 650 |
| 8 | Concentrix | 550 |
| 9 | Gale | 500 |
| 10 | Mahle | 500 |
Farmington Hills operates under thecouncil-manager form of government. It is governed by a 7-membercity council, consisting of amayor elected to two-year terms, and six councilmembers elected to staggered four-year terms.[33] Councilmembers serveat-large, and are elected in a nonpartisan capacity in odd-numbered years.[34] Mayors are limited to two consecutive terms, while other councilmembers are not subject toterm limits. The council elects one of its members to serve asmayor pro tempore.[33]
| Councilmember | Since | Term expires |
|---|---|---|
| Theresa Rich (mayor) | 2023 | 2025 |
| Jon Aldred | 2023 | 2027 |
| Jackie Boleware | 2019 | 2027 |
| Michael Bridges | 2008 | 2025 |
| Randy Bruce | 2021 | 2025 |
| Bill Dwyer | 2023 | 2027 |
| Valerie Knol | 2015 | 2025 |
The city council appoints acity manager, who manages the day-to-day operations of the city; aclerk who oversees elections and maintains city codes, ordinances, resolutions and other legal documents; and acity attorney who acts as a legal advisor and representative for all City matters.[33]
| District | Representative | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th | Haley Stevens | Democratic | 2023[a] |
| District | Senator | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | Mary Cavanagh | Democratic | 2023 |
| 13th | Rosemary Bayer | Democratic | 2023 |
| District | Representative | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th | Jason Hoskins | Democratic | 2023 |
| 19th | Samantha Steckloff | Democratic | 2021[b] |
| 21st | Kelly Breen | Democratic | 2023 |
| District | Commissioner | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Gwen Markham | Democratic | 2019 |
| 16 | William Miller | Democratic | 2019 |
The Mayor's Youth Council is an active teen committee/council who work under the city to help address teen problems and issues. This council helped to build the Riley Skate Park (the largest skate park in the Midwest), and sends delegates to theNational League of Cities (NLC) conferences, has articles published in the local newspaper, helps run citywide events, organizes battle of the bands, and hosts their own talk show.
The Commission for Children, Youth and Families, operated in partnership with neighboring Farmington, is dedicated to creating a welcoming community for individuals of all ages and backgrounds.[citation needed] With a special emphasis on volunteerism, community service, and education, the Commission partners with the Multi-Racial Multi-Cultural Commission (MRMC), the Commission on Aging, Farmington Public School District, and the Farmington Public Library to inform residents on a variety of quality-of-life issues designed to promote wellness, access, and knowledge.
In 2006, a public meeting was held in Farmington Hills to discuss the possible merger withFarmington as a money-saving venture and also as a way to keep the two communities vibrant.[citation needed] Farmington and Farmington Hills already share several services, such as a school district, a library system, and a district court. However, both cities utilize their own fire departments, and Farmington has a public safety department rather than a police department.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 58,056 | — | |
| 1990 | 74,611 | 28.5% | |
| 2000 | 82,111 | 10.1% | |
| 2010 | 79,740 | −2.9% | |
| 2020 | 83,986 | 5.3% | |
| 2018 Estimate[41] | |||
According to a 2015 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $93,274, and the median income for a family was $198,136. Males had a median income of $61,757 versus $39,540 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $36,134. Farmington Hills is well known for its luxury estates, its rolling hills, and is also listed on Forbes as one of the most prosperous suburbs in the US, with a household net worth of $725,120.[citation needed] About 2.4% of families and 4.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.
As of thecensus[3] of 2020, there were 83,986 people residing in the city, and 33,972 households. Thepopulation density was 2,396.0 inhabitants per square mile (925.1/km2). The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial categories) of the city was 62.7%White, 19.9%Black or African American, 0.4%Native American, 14.1%Asian, and 2.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.3% of the population.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[42] | Pop 2010[43] | Pop 2020[44] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 67,250 | 54,466 | 49,603 | 81.90% | 68.30% | 59.06% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 5,681 | 13,768 | 15,268 | 6.92% | 17.27% | 18.18% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 132 | 139 | 110 | 0.16% | 0.17% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 6,184 | 8,063 | 12,867 | 7.53% | 10.11% | 15.32% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 12 | 20 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 145 | 144 | 374 | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.45% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,494 | 1,604 | 3,104 | 1.82% | 2.01% | 3.70% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,211 | 1,544 | 2,640 | 1.47% | 1.94% | 3.14% |
| Total | 82,111 | 79,740 | 83,986 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[45] of 2010, there were 79,740 people, 33,559 households, and 21,412 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 2,396.0 inhabitants per square mile (925.1/km2). There were 36,178 housing units at an average density of 1,087.1 per square mile (419.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 69.7%White, 17.4%African American, 0.2%Native American, 10.1%Asian, 0.4% fromother races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Together, individuals ofHispanic orLatino identification comprised 1.9% of the population.
There were 33,559 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% weremarried couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 42.1 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.2% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.
In April 2013, Farmington Hills had the fourth largest Japanese national population in the state of Michigan, at 589.[46]
As of thecensus[47] of 2000, there were 82,111 people, 33,559 households, and 21,813 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,466.4 inhabitants per square mile (952.3/km2). There were 34,858 housing units at an average density of 1,047.0 per square mile (404.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.95%White, 6.94%African American, 0.17%Native American, 7.54%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.46% fromother races, and 1.93% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.47% of the population. 12.6% were ofGerman, 9.1%Polish, 8.3%Irish, 7.1%English and 5.5%Italian ancestry according toCensus 2000.
There were 33,559 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% weremarried couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
Almost all of Farmington Hills is located in theFarmington Public Schools district.[48] The district includes eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and one K-8 lottery school, of which all but one are located in Farmington Hills.North Farmington High School, a large traditional high school, andFarmington Central High School, a smaller alternative high school, are located in Farmington Hills, andFarmington High School in neighboring Farmington also serves portions of Farmington Hills.Harrison High School also operated in the city from 1970 until its closure in 2019, after which it was repurposed as a community center, named The Hawk.[49]
Small portions of the city are within theClarenceville andWalled Lake Consolidated school districts.[50][51] The city is also home toOakland Early College, an early college high school administered by theWest Bloomfield School District.
The area includes severalprivate schools, including two parochialCatholic schools, Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Fabian, run by theArchdiocese of Detroit. St. Fabian is in Farmington Hills,[52] and Our Lady of Sorrows School is inFarmington.[53] Farmington Hills also includes an all-girls Catholic high school,Mercy High School, one Lutheran school, Concordia Lutheran School/St. Paul's Lutheran Preschool, andHillel Day School, a non-denominationalJewish day school.
The Orchard Ridge campus ofOakland Community College is located in Farmington Hills, as is theMichigan School of Psychology.
Farmington Hills was also the location for the fictitiousUniversity of Farmington, created by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement'sHomeland Security Investigations (HSI) as part of a sting operation.
The major thoroughfares in the city areM-5, Orchard Lake Road, 12 Mile Road, 8 Mile Road, Northwestern Highway,I-696, andI-275. The city contains several freeway interchanges connecting local roads to the two interstates. Public transit services are provided bySMART.
Notable current and former residents include:
| Topics | .jpg) | |
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| Detroit | ||
| Municipalities over 80,000 | ||
| Municipalities 40,000 to 80,000 | ||
| Cultural enclaves | ||
| Satellite cities | ||
| Counties in MSA | ||
| Counties in CSA | ||
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
