Detroit Voters Share Issues They Want Their Next Mayor to Address

Adults age 50 and older make up the largest proportion of the voting population in Michigan and are often the deciders in elections.

In Detroit, older voters will be showing up in substantial numbers to vote in the 2025 Detroit mayoral primary election, with 93% of registered voters 50-plus saying they are 'very certain' to vote.

Given the powerful influence of these older voters, AARP Michigan commissioned EPIC-MRA to conduct a telephone survey with Detroit voters to better understand the needs and wants of voters 50 and older.

The survey was designed to assess issues that are critical to Detroit voters as they cast their ballots and identify the areas voters want addressed by the city's next leader.

Public safety and affordable housing top the list of issues that Detroit voters age 50-plus want the next mayor to address. Ninety percent of voters 50-plus own (77%) or rent (13%) their homes but most (70%) say their housing costs, including taxes, insurance and fees, are not 'very affordable'. When asked to identify the biggest challenge facing older residents in Detroit, voters most often say it is affordable housing.

Detroit voters age 50-plus also want community supports that enable residents to age in place. The vast majority (86%) of residents 45 and older feel it is extremely or very important to be able to say in their own home as they get older, and if needed, most would prefer long-term care provided in the home (72%) over institutional care (17%). Over half of Detroit voters (53%) say that more home care services and programs to help people remain in their homes as they age would be the factor most likely to improve the quality of life for older adults in the city.

See the full survey results here. Learn more about the 2025 Detroit mayoral race here.