Creating A Healthy Detroit

Understanding How the Systems We Live in Impact Our Health

New Detroit commissioned Detroit Future City to conduct this study to inform our Racism is a Public Health Crisis Campaign.

Introduction

Addressing community health is essential for creating a thriving and resilient Detroit where everyone can prosper. From neighborhoods, to schools, to workplaces, our environments shape us and lay the foundation for community health. Yet all too often, place and race have a profound impact on residents. A person’s income and ability to access clean air, healthy food, good jobs, and affordable and safe housing, along with many other factors, deeply influence individual and community health outcomes. Access to these critical resources and choices is not universal, as systemic inequities, historical injustices, and individual decisions shape health outcomes differently across communities.

Many factors impact the health of Detroiters, resulting in disparities in health outcomes in the region, both by place and race. Two common indicators of overall community health are life expectancy and infant mortality.

As of 2021, Detroiters had a life expectancy at birth of 69 years, which is four years lower than that of Wayne County (73) and seven years less than the state and national average of 76.i Disparities exist by race, as well. Black Detroiters have a lower life expectancy than white Detroiters—68 years versus 76.ii

In 2022, 14 out of 1,000 babies in Detroit died before their first birthday – more than twice the rate for the state.iii Despite some progress, Detroit had the highest infant mortality rate in the country among the 50 most populous cities.iv

Race and where someone lives should not be the decisive factors that determine someone’s overall health or the health care that they receive. Detroiters should not be dying prematurely because they are discriminated against and systematically denied conditions that are critical to their health. In a thriving Detroit, the humanity and health of all Detroiters would be valued, and Detroiters would have the opportunity to fairly and fully meet their health needs.

This brief explores five factors specific to Detroit that are impacting the health and well-being of Detroiters. It aims to provide insights to philanthropy, policy makers, nonprofits, and public and private sector leaders to inform decision-making and strategy development to improve public health and create a healthy future for all Detroiters.