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Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit.
As of the 2000 census, the City of Royal Oak had a total population of 60,062. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby. It is the 5th largest city in Oakland County and the 18th largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan.

History
Royal Oak was incorporated as a village in 1891, and as a city in 1921. The city's name originates in 1819, from one of Territorial Governor Lewis Cass' expeditions surveying land. A tree located near the present day intersection of Crooks, Rochester, and Main reminded Cass of the Royal Oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester.

In the 1920s, Charles Coughlin became Father of Shrine of the Little Flower, a prominent landmark in the City of Royal Oak. In 1926, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on the lawn of the original wooden church, and Coughlin used the incident to launch radio broadcasts on station WJR. Through this publicity he raised enough money to build the current limestone complex and tower from which he aired his radio show thereafter. He built a large following; however, in the late 30s Coughlin's broadcasts became increasingly controversial eventually leading to his removal from the air in 1939.

On November 14, 1991, Thomas McIlvane killed five people, including himself, with a Ruger .22 caliber rifle in Royal Oak's post office, which was one of a string of incidents across the United States in which current or recently fired postal workers attacked and killed co-workers en masse, leading to the phrase "going postal."

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Royal Oak's downtown grew into an entertainment and nightlife destination. A number of large condominiums and lofts were built throughout the downtown and industrial areas. Though the economy took a downturn in 2006, the area remains an attractive area for young professionals and families.

Today
The past decade has seen much in the way of development as the City of Royal Oak's downtown has been transformed into a trendy and urban-chic restaurant, shopping, and entertainment district. Construction is underway on a number of high-rise building developments — mostly condo "lofts" with retail and office space on the lower levels. Points of interest include the Detroit Zoo, the renowned William Beaumont Hospital, the Royal Oak Music Theatre, the Main Art Theatre, the Baldwin Theatre, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, and the many unique shops, cafes, and restaurants which line the streets of the downtown area. In addition, the offices of Hour Detroit, a Metro Detroit lifestyle magazine, are located in the City of Royal Oak. Royal Oak still has some edgier retail establishments, a few chain restaurants, dozens of unique restaurants and many new condominium projects.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has awarded Royal Oak the distinction of "Tree City USA" every year since 1976 due to the City of Royal Oak's commitment to tree planting and preservation.

In 1998, the foundation of famous Saturday Night Live comedian and Detroit-area native Gilda Radner created a free cancer support community for people with cancer, their families, and friends. Gilda's Club Metro Detroit operates a three-story non-residential house in Royal Oak and has welcomed more than 3,000 members for social and emotional support and fun activities.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 60,062 people, 28,880 households, and 14,440 families residing in the City of Royal Oak. The population density was 5,083.0 people per square mile (1,961.9/km²). There were 29,942 housing units at an average density of 2,534.0 per square mile (978.1/km² ). The racial makeup of the City of Royal Oak was 94.80% White, 1.54% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 28,880 households out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the City of Royal Oak the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the City of Royal Oak was $52,252, and the median income for a family was $68,109. Males had a median income of $50,562 versus $36,392 for females. The per capita income for the City of Royal Oak was $30,990. About 2.0% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.