Looking Towards Southeast Michigan’s Future

SEMCOG uses the latest data and research to project Southeast Michigan’s economic and demographic future. Our Regional Forecast offers a long-range and comprehensive view of demographic and economic change across the seven-county region, supporting communities, planners, and policymakers make informed decisions about growth and investment. 

The Regional Forecast plays a key role in updating SEMCOG’s Long-Range Transportation Plan and supports planning efforts in areas such as transportation, water quality, air quality, and community and economic development. 

By understanding where people will live and work in the coming decades, we can better plan for the infrastructure that keeps our region moving—roads, bridges, water systems, and more—ensuring a strong and sustainable future for Southeast Michigan. 

Aerial drone photo of a partially-finished housing development in Frenchtown.

2055 Regional Forecast

In early 2025, SEMCOG began developing the 2055 Regional Forecast, a comprehensive thirty-year analysis of projected changes in population, households, employment, and land use for every community in the region. SEMCOG’s forecast is informed by extensive analysis of Southeast Michigan’s competitiveness relative to other regions throughout the country and local data collected from communities within SEMCOG region. The 2055 Regional Forecast will cover the period 2025 through 2055.  

2055 Regional Forecast Development Schedule

Developing a new regional forecast is a multi-year process that results in a complete set of forecast results for multiple geographic areas, beginning with the regional and county baseline forecasts. Key dates in the development of the 2055 Regional Forecast include: 

  • February 2026 – Stakeholder Review of Draft Baseline 2055 Regional and County Forecast 
  • October 2026 – Final Baseline 2055 Regional and County Forecast presented to General Assembly
  • January 2027 – Stakeholder Review of Draft 2055 Community Forecast 
  •  March 2027 – Final 2055 Community Forecast presented to General Assembly for Adoption 
  • June 2027 – Final 2055 Transportation Analysis Zone Forecast completed for Infrastructure Planning 

Community Development Expectations

The 2055 Regional Forecast needs the best possible local data to establish the right future development trends in each community. For that reason, our staff have been meeting with communities across the region to understand their growth expectations and collect data on future planned development.  

With thanks to Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak, this video highlights the type of conversations staff have with communities, and how information on future planned development is collected by SEMCOG. 

Regional Forecast Video Regional Forecast Blog

2050 Regional Forecast

The Economic and Demographic Outlook for Southeast Michigan through 2050

In partnership with the University of Michigan, SEMCOG has published the report, The Economic and Demographic Outlook for Southeast Michigan through 2050: A Baseline and Four Alternative Scenarios. The report summarizes the methods used and the broad results for our most recent outlook for the region. We also consider four alternative scenarios that are of particular interest to Southeast Michigan, which result in different economic trajectories and outcomes for the region.

The last year of historical data in the model used to produce the forecasts is 2019, while the forecast period runs through 2050. The report details future changes in the region among several key indicators; they include population, employment, the labor force participation rate, personal income, households, and Gross Domestic Product. The baseline forecast and alternative scenarios were developed using a version of the REMI TranSight model (REMI, 2021), together with a methodology for developing household forecasts designed by the University of Michigan in cooperation with MDOT.

Outlook through 2050

Regional Forecast Results

SEMCOG’s General Assembly adopted the 2050 Regional Forecast for Counties and Communities on March 23rd, 2023. This includes SEMCOG’s forecast of total population, household, and employment change for each community and county in Southeast Michigan, for the period 2020 through 2050. Prior to General Assembly adoption, SEMCOG’s Executive Committee approved the draft 2050 Regional Forecast for Counties and Communities on February 24th, 2023.

2050 Regional Forecast Explorer

SEMCOG has developed a new interactive data and mapping tool to display 2050 regional forecast results by multiple geographies. The 2050 Regional Forecast Explorer allows users to view several maps of leading forecast indicators, and provides summary reports of 2050 Regional Forecast results for each county and community in Southeast Michigan. These summary reports detail change in population, households, and employment, by several types. Additional geographies and forecast data distributions will continue to be added to the Forecast Explorer in the coming months.

The Forecast Explorer also contains several additional interactive maps and slide presentations that provide context for the demographic, economic, and land use changes the region will experience, and highlights key messages of the 2050 Regional Forecast.

Visit Regional Forecast Explorer
SEMCOG| image: Forecast2050Raw