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Place dossier plate
SheetMI-GRAND-RAPIDS-MI · Grand Rapids, MI 197,768 pop · income 44th pct · 145 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Grand Rapids
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Grand Rapids on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Birmingham · lowest
44,376
Birmingham · lowest
44,376 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #1
Soso · near
65,521
Soso · near
65,521 median HH income
63.1% of the leader · rank #2
Sterling · near
65,521
Sterling · near
65,521 median HH income
63.1% of the leader · rank #3
Grand Rapids · this city
65,526
Grand Rapids · this city
65,526 median HH income
63.1% of the leader · rank #4
Tyler · near
65,527
Tyler · near
65,527 median HH income
63.1% of the leader · rank #5
Churchill · near
65,533
Churchill · near
65,533 median HH income
63.1% of the leader · rank #6
Overland Park · highest
103,838
Overland Park · highest
103,838 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Grand Rapids on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 197,768.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Grand Rapids - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Grand Rapids places in the 44th percentile for household income and the 12th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
44th
percentile, household income
50th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
12th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Grand Rapids, MI
197,768 people live in Grand Rapids, Michigan - a mid-sized U.S. city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $65,526 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 13.1%. Typical homes in Grand Rapids are valued around $225,500, and the median resident age is 32.1 years. About 40.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 65.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 859 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 156% from five years earlier. Grand Rapids's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3390.8 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 49.3°F with 39.4 inches of precipitation per year and 77.6 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Michigan at 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,113 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Michigan's average monthly utility costs around $238 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 out of 100 (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Grand Rapids's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from comparison shortlist to schools and households to housing and income to climate and hazard context to within-city variation to population change to work and mobility to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Grand Rapids, city-specific coverage includes within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Comparison shortlist
Which cities make useful reference points for Grand Rapids?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Warren (138,128 residents, $63,741 income); Sterling Heights (133,473 residents, $78,429 income); Ann Arbor (121,179 residents, $81,089 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Sioux Falls, SD (197,642 residents); Overland Park, KS (197,199 residents); Montgomery, AL (198,440 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What does the education layer cover for Grand Rapids?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 24 public schools within the city match. 40.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
How far does income reach against housing in Grand Rapids?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 13.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
What can 145 Census tracts reveal inside Grand Rapids?
PlainCities matches 145 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Climate and hazard context
What physical conditions frame life in Grand Rapids?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 49.3°F, with 39.4 inches of precipitation and 77.6 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Michigan is 49.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
FEMA risk index (state avg)
49.6
Annual precipitation
39.4 in
Mean temperature
49.3°F
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Grand Rapids growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +2,494 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 859 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
2020 estimate
198,689
2025 estimate
201,183
Period change
+1.3%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Grand Rapids?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 69.3%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
69.3%
Work from home
12.3%
Public transit
3.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 102,450 workers age 16+.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Grand Rapids?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3390.8 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 49% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
3390.8
Violent rate
910.1
Property rate
2480.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 13.1% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
F
City profile score · Grand Rapids, MI
39/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
40.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living C
96.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Household income D
$65,526
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
13.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
910 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Grand Rapids profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 75/100 (B+) · 40.1%
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Household income: 43/100 (D) · $65,526
Poverty rate: 27/100 (F) · 13.1%
Violent crime: 0/100 (F) · 910 /100k
Where Grand Rapids sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Grand Rapids's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Grand Rapids highlighted among 12 peers.Read the chart values
Grand Rapids, MI (this city): home $225,500, crime 3,391/100k
Sioux Falls, SD : home $271,400, crime 3,442/100k
Overland Park, KS : home $384,400, crime 1,946/100k
Montgomery, AL : home $148,500, crime 2,830/100k
Grand Prairie, TX : home $272,200, crime 1,822/100k
Birmingham, AL : home $138,600, crime 5,278/100k
Warren, MI : home $181,900, crime 2,096/100k
Sterling Heights, MI : home $260,700, crime 1,272/100k
Ann Arbor, MI : home $435,100, crime 2,018/100k
Lansing, MI : home $119,400, crime 3,844/100k
Dearborn, MI : home $205,900, crime 2,292/100k
Livonia, MI : home $265,300, crime 1,490/100k
How does Grand Rapids compare to other US cities?
Grand Rapids measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income44% higher than other cities
Home value50% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety12% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Michigan alone, Grand Rapids ranks #231 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Grand Rapids against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Michigan only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Michigan-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Grand Rapids near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Grand Rapids ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Grand Rapids only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#276 of 718
62nd percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#174 of 721
76th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#214 of 727
71st percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#122 of 727
83rd percentile in Michigan
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Michigan only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
44th percentile nationally for median household income · 12th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Grand Rapids's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Grand Rapids's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Grand Rapids's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$225,500Among the most affordablemore affordable than 50% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Grand Rapids's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,739 of 15,516
More affordable than 44% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#199 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 3.4×, Grand Rapids sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,739 of 15,516 and #199 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$65,526Grand Rapids, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Grand Rapids, MI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Grand Rapids, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)40.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)13.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)65.2%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
197,768
Median Income
$65,526
Median Home Value
$225,500
Median Age
32.1
Poverty Rate
13.1%
Labor force participation
65.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3390.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
910.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2480.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
49.3°F
Annual Precipitation
39.4"
Annual Snowfall
77.6"
Schools
Total Schools
24
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Grand Rapids's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
198,689 residents
2021
197,753 residents
2022
197,579 residents
2023
197,880 residents
2024
199,388 residents
2025
201,183 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
859
housing units authorized
Single-Family
95
detached homes
Multifamily
764
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
336
153
183
$37.2M
2020
305
54
251
$70.6M
2021
286
43
243
$41.4M
2022
234
23
211
$28.4M
2023
495
78
417
$105.7M
2024
859
95
764
$194.1M
Permit volume increased 156% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
69.3%
Carpool
8.9%
Public Transit
3.1%
Walk
4.3%
Work from Home
12.3%
Other
2.1%
Based on 102,450 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Michigan statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $238
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Michigan at $238 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Michigan statewide averages, not a meter reading for Grand Rapids. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Michigan's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Grand Rapids is $1,113/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Michigan statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Michigan statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Grand Rapids sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Grand Rapids compares to similar-size Michigan cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.