Downtown Detroit, 2025 by The Numbers
With nearly 31 million visits and 8.7 million unique visitors in 2025, Downtown Detroit remained incredibly active. As we look forward to 2026, let’s reflect on Downtown in 2025 (from a data perspective).
Business
As of the middle of December, Downtown Detroit had 301 restaurants, retail, and personal service businesses, often referred to as “small businesses.” This includes 26 new businesses that opened this year.
| New Businesses, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| A.M Buzz | High Spirits |
| Alo | Just Smash It |
| ANVIO Virtual Reality | Lana's Bodega |
| Apple Downtown Detroit | Museum of Illusions |
| Bar Chenin | ORA Detroit |
| Baru | Ostrea Seafood |
| Bastille Bar | Pingree Detroit |
| Beloved Bridal | Saksey's |
| CAVA | Sweetgreen |
| Did It My Way Detroit Cigar & Wine Bar | Tecovas |
| Enomah 1895 | The Social Brews |
| Free People | Timberland Community Store |
| GW Home | Toastique |
Visitation and Activity
Downtown continues to grow as a destination for visitors. In 2025, the number of visits (not including people who live and/or work Downtown) was nearly 31 million, up 3.5% over 2024. As a business district, the Downtown neighborhood is a dynamic place during workdays.
In 2025, the “Daytime Population,” an aggregate of those working and visiting during that day, was over 86,300 people daily Monday-Friday. On the weekends the population increases, with fewer workers but more outside visitors. On average, there were 143,000 visits from people outside Downtown on Saturdays alone. August was the busiest month with more than 173,000 visits from people outside Downtown each Saturday.
Workers
Across the country, the landscape of business districts has changed due to the increasing number of remote work offerings, which started in 2020 due to the global pandemic, and continues to change and shift in Downtown Detroit.
In 2025, there were nearly 32,000 daily workers on average Monday-Friday within the Downtown Detroit Business Improvement Zone. That is about 60% of the number of workers during the week in 2019, the year before the landscape shifted, and the benchmark often used to measure recovery. It is important to note, however, that General Motors was in the middle of a move out of the Renaissance Center, and, as such, a large number of workers were not working Downtown. That will likely change as the company officially moves into the newly completed Hudson’s Detroit in early 2026.
Real Estate Development
2025 was a great year for real estate development in Downtown and surrounding areas. The DDP and BIZ tracked of investment in real estate under construction this year alone. We saw the long-awaited opening of the new Hudson’s Detroit building (the tower portion will open in 2027), which is elevating the office and shopping experience along Woodward Avenue.
Downtown Detroit continues to add the residential units needed to grow its population. There were 705 new residential units under construction this year.
Downtown Residential, 2025
| Name | Number of Units |
|---|---|
| 1133 Griswold | 27 |
| 2205 Cass | 313 |
| Hudson's Detroit- Residences at the Detroit EDITION | 95 |
| The Belle (Harvard Square Centre) | 42 |
| The Reckmeyer (Broadway Lofts) | 80 |
| The Residences @ 150 Bagley (United Artists Theater Building) | 148 |
| Total | 705 |
Additionally, Downtown’s hotel capacity is growing to better accommodate visitors and attract large conferences, conventions, and sporting events. There were 957 additional hotel rooms under construction in 2025. The JW Marriott will add 600 rooms in 2027, with a direct connection to Huntington Place. The 5-star Detroit Edition will bring an additional 227 rooms in 2027.
People
According to the latest U.S. Census figures, Downtown has a residential population of 6,893 people, which skews toward younger professionals. The 20 to 34-year-old cohort has grown 58% since 2011. The number of families with children has decreased, however, with 11% fewer who are 19 years old and younger since 2011.
Looking Forward to 2026!
Downtown continues to be a vibrant destination, with increasing numbers of retail and restaurant choices, a growing population, and more places to stay overnight. 2025 was another fantastic year of growth for Downtown Detroit, and the momentum is carrying into 2026. Happy New Year.
