The borough's main settlement is Dudley but it also includes the outlying towns of Brierley Hill, Halesowen, Kingswinford, Lye, Netherton, Sedgley, and Stourbridge.

In 1986 metropolitan county councils were abolished under the Local Government Act 1985, and Dudley effectively became a unitary authority.

[13] A part of the Black Country, Dudley traditionally has been an industrial centre of manufacturing, quarrying, and mining, although this has declined in more recent years, with a shift in focus towards the service sector (accounting for 79.1% of employment)[14] and tourism.

[14] Attractions such as the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Zoo bring in hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

[16] Other large employers in the borough include JCDecaux UK, which has its Birmingham area office in Halesowen,[17] Rentokil Initial, and Midtherm Engineering.

Dudley borough has an increasing tourism offer, with attractions such as the Black Country Geopark being recognised in 2020[18] and the Stourbridge Glass Museum due to open in 2022.

The Caste Hill area of Dudley is also a hub of visitor attractions including the Black Country Living Museum and the Canal and Tunnel Trust.

[25] Dudley Zoological Gardens, which is also in this area, is the second most visited paid visitor attraction in the West Midlands.

[28] Along with sites recognised as part of the Geopark, the borough has seven nature reserves[29] and many parks contributing to its green spaces.

In addition to the 180 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland, the Hall has a gallery exhibition space[31] and is a wedding venue.

Large public and private sector developments have taken place in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley since its creation in 1974.

The closure of Round Oak Steelworks in December 1982 paved the way for the creation of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre on nearby farmland between 1985 and 1989.

A major redevelopment of Halesowen town centre took place in 2007/08, when the bus station was rebuilt and a section of the 1960s shopping area demolished to make way for a new Asda superstore.

Significant infrastructure projects include the new Dudley Transport Interchange[32] and the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill West Midlands Metro extension.

[35] The second phase will then extend to Brierley Hill, terminating in Cottage Street in the town centre following an additional £60million funding from central government.

In July 1999, four of the borough's tower blocks (two at Eve Hill in Dudley and two at Tanhouse in Halesowen) were demolished on consecutive weekends in controlled explosions.

In the mid-1990s, the neighbouring Wren's Nest Estate underwent extensive refurbishment as well as improved community facilities in a multimillion-pound project funded by the European Single Budget.

The homes have been built across the borough (Brierley Hill, Coseley, Dudley, Halesowen, Kingswinford, Lower Gornal, Sedgley and Stourbridge).

[54] The Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology opened in September 2021, with a focus on higher level engineering courses, it partners Dudley College of Technology, University of Wolverhampton, University of Worcester, In-Comm Training Services Limited and Avensys UK Limited.

[55] A Higher Education Centre for Health & Care is proposed as a partnership between Dudley College of Technology and University of Worcester and expected to be open for Autumn 2024.

The 1980s had also seen the closure of some the borough's less popular and smaller primary schools, with the older buildings mostly being demolished and the more modern ones being converted for community use.

Psychiatric care is offered at the Bushey Fields Hospital, located adjacent to Russells Hall Hospital.See also Healthcare in West Midlands.