Livonia ( ) is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A western suburb of Detroit, Livonia is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 95,535. Originally organized as Livonia Township in 1835, it was incorporated as a city in 1950.

History After most members of the indigenous tribes were pushed out of the area, ethnic European-American pioneers from New England and New York settled here. The borders of Livonia Township were defined by the Legislature of the Territory of Michigan on March 17, 1835.

The settlers named the community "Livonia", after Livonia, New York, a town in the western part of the state, from where many had migrated. "The name Livonia was chosen because a number of the earliest settlers had come from western New York, where there was also a town named Livonia."City of Livonia.History. Retrieved on January 11, 2009.

Livonia Township was split off from Nankin Township, in which a Livonia post office had been established in June 1834.Democratic Free Press (Detroit, Michigan) June 18, 1834, p. 2 During the days of the township, a number of small communities developed. One of these was Elmwood, initially known as McKinley's Station. It was a stop on the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad. It had a separate post office from 1858 until 1906.Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 182 Another post office in the township was Giltedge, which operated from 1899 until 1902.Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 224

Livonia was incorporated as a city on May 23, 1950, by vote of the citizens of the township. An incentive was that this status would allow the residents to gain tax revenues from the Detroit Race Course (DRC). From 1985, it ran only harness racing for Standardbred, and the track closed in 1998, when the large property was sold for redevelopment. The last race tracks operating in the state were Hazel Park Raceway, which closed in 2018, and Northville Downs, which closed in 2024.

Among the immigrants attracted to Detroit for its industrial jobs in the 20th century have been Palestinian and Lebanese Christians, as well as Muslims. By 1985, Palestinian Christians had settled in Livonia, as well as the western suburbs of Farmington and Westland.Present Tense, Volumes 13–15. American Jewish Committee, 1985. p. 36 As of 2005, there were a number of Christian Palestinian Americans who had immigrated from Ramallah. They have developed and operated several small- and medium-sized businesses.Hassoun, Rosina J. Arab Americans in Michigan (Discovering the Peoples of Michigan). MSU Press, October 24, 2005. , 9781609170462. p. PT21 of Google Books.

Six U.S. presidents have visited Livonia: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

The city has many creeks and rivers, but most notably majority portions of both Newburgh and Nankin Lake in the south and south-west. The two lakes are connected by both a river and Edward N. Hines Drive, known simply as Hines Drive by locals.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Livonia, Michigan – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)94,65187,33280,24294.14%90.09%83.99%Black or African American alone (NH)9453,2644,4880.94%3.37%4.70%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)2072041890.21%0.21%0.20%Asian alone (NH)1,9442,4413,0111.93%2.52%3.15%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)131190.01%0.01%0.01%Other race alone (NH)72863220.07%0.09%0.34%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)9821,2053,7910.98%1.24%3.97%Hispanic or Latino (any race)1,7312,3993,4831.72%2.47%3.65%Total100,54596,94295,535100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Livonia had a population of 95,535. The median age was 45.6 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 39,282 households in Livonia, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.5% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 40,380 housing units, of which 2.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.3%.

The most reported ancestries in the 2020 census were: German (23.5%) Irish (21.1%) English (17.3%) Polish (16%) Italian (9.2%) Scottish (6.2%) French (5.8%) African American (3.5%) Mexican (2.3%) Hungarian (1.9%)

2010 census According to a 2010 American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $65,391, and the median income for a family was $77,119. Males had a median income of $62,071 versus $42,083 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,536. About 5.4% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

As of the census of 2010, there were 96,942 people, 38,714 households, and 26,856 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 40,401 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.0% White, 3.4% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.5% of the population.

There were 38,714 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.6% were non-families. Of all households 26.7% were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 44.5 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.5% were from 45 to 64; and 17.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 100,545 people, 38,089 households, and 28,071 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 38,658 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.45% White, 0.95% African American, 0.22% Native American, 1.94% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 1.72% of the population. 16.3% were of Polish, 15.9% German, 11.2% Irish, 8.6% Italian and 8.5% English ancestry according to Census 2000. Livonia has a substantial Middle Eastern population, mostly Arab, and trace their ancestry to the Levant region, mainly from Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon, and are of the Christian faith. The Arab-American community has few churches in the city, Mainly Saint Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. The community settled in Livonia in the late 1960s and has since continued a steady growth.

There were 38,089 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.3% were non-families. Of all households, 22.9% were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% was from 18 to 24, 28.7% was from 25 to 44, 24.3% was from 45 to 64, and 16.9% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.

As of 2000, Livonia was the city in the United States with over 100,000 people that had the highest percentage of non-Hispanic white people."Race and Ethnicity in the Tri-County Area: Selected Communities and School Districts." (Archive) From a Child's Perspective: Detroit Metropolitan Census 2000 Fact Sheets Series. Wayne State University. June 2002. Volume 2, Issue 2. p. 1. Retrieved on November 10, 2013.

Economy

In addition to its schools, colleges, churches, parks, recreation center, libraries and the St. Mary Mercy Hospital, Livonia also has commercial and industrial sectors, restaurants and retail stores. Laurel Park Place, an upscale fashion mall with 74 stores, was built in 1989 at 6 Mile Road and Newburgh Road. Von Maur department store serves as the anchor.

The city previously featured two other malls which have since been dismantled. Wonderland Mall was the first, opening in 1959 and closing in 2003; it was replaced with a development called Wonderland Village, anchored by Walmart and Target. Livonia Mall was built to the north in 1964. It also closed in 2008 and was redeveloped as Livonia Marketplace, featuring a second Walmart, along with Sears and Kohl's. The Sears store closed in 2020. Other big-box stores are located near Laurel Park Place.

Livonia is home to the Livonia Hockey Association, the largest amateur hockey association in Michigan, as well as two-time state champions the Livonia Knights. The city also boasts the Livonia City Soccer Club, one of the largest soccer programs in the state, with 1,300 participants.

Leading employers Ford Motor Company Trinity Health Livonia Public Schools St. Mary Mercy Hospital NYX, Inc ZF Automotive Schoolcraft College Roush Performance United Parcel Service Mastronardi Produce

Arts and culture The Livonia Public Library includes the Civic Center Library, the Alfred Noble Library, the Carl Sandburg Library, and the Vest Pocket Library."Hours and Locations ." Livonia Public Library. Retrieved on March 29, 2010. The Jack E. Kirksey Livonia Community Recreation Center, named after Mayor Jack Kirksey,"Livonia library, rec center renamed for Bennett, Kirksey ." Livonia Rec Center. Retrieved on April 1st, 2025. is located it 15100 Hubbard Livonia, MI 48154

Every year in June, Livonia hosts a celebration called the Livonia Spree to celebrate the city's anniversary. The Spree includes a fair with food, rides, live music, and has a fireworks show.

Government Livonia's mayor is Maureen Miller Brosnan. The city is located in Michigan's 12th congressional district, represented by Rashida Tlaib (Democrat). Livonia is in Michigan's 7th State Senate District, and is represented by Dayna Polehanki (Democrat).

Most of Livonia makes up Michigan's 19th State House District, which elected Laurie Pohutsky (Democrat) in 2018. A part of southeast Livonia is in the 11th district, which is represented by, Jewell Jones (Democrat).

Education Colleges and universities

Various private and public colleges and universities are located in Livonia, including Madonna University, Schoolcraft College, and a small University of Phoenix campus. The most recent university to open in Livonia is a Davenport University campus, which opened in 2008, but left the city to move to Detroit in 2017.

Primary and secondary schools Public schools