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Place dossier plate
SheetMN-GRAND-RAPIDS-MN · Grand Rapids, MN 11,186 pop · income 30th pct · 21 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
Sebring · lowest
42,072
Sebring · lowest
42,072 median HH income
21.8% of the leader · rank #1
Sawmills · near
56,534
Sawmills · near
56,534 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #2
Washington · near
56,536
Washington · near
56,536 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #3
Grand Rapids · this city
56,542
Grand Rapids · this city
56,542 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #4
Hamilton · near
56,548
Hamilton · near
56,548 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #5
Reedsville · near
56,548
Reedsville · near
56,548 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #6
Victoria · highest
192,821
Victoria · highest
192,821 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: 11,186.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Grand Rapids - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Grand Rapids lands in the 30th percentile for household income and the 59th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
30th
percentile, household income
43rd
percentile, home value
36th
percentile, median rent
59th
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, MN
Grand Rapids is a small town in Minnesota, home to 11,186 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $56,542 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 12.8%. Home values in Grand Rapids run a median of $200,600, and the median resident age is 44.5 years. 30.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 50.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 2 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 75% from five years earlier. Grand Rapids reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1120.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Minnesota tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Minnesota scores 98.6 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,125 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Minnesota's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Commute times here average 14.0 minutes, with 70.1% driving alone and 7.7% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 42.4 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (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 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, matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for Grand Rapids?
Within Minnesota, the closest population matches are North Branch (11,182 residents, $90,383 income); Victoria (10,972 residents, $192,821 income); Mendota Heights (11,644 residents, $132,935 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Sebring, FL (11,185 residents); Prineville, OR (11,187 residents); Collegedale, TN (11,185 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.
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.
What does the education layer cover for Grand Rapids?
The NCES join finds 8 public schools within the city match. 30.0% 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.
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.
How far does income reach against housing in Grand Rapids?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.8%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
What can 21 Census tracts reveal inside Grand Rapids?
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.
PlainCities matches 21 Census tracts to this city.
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.
Population change
Is Grand Rapids growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +100 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.9% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 2 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+0.9%
2025 estimate
11,181
2020 estimate
11,081
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What does the journey to work look like in Grand Rapids?
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.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 70.1%. The reported mean trip to work is 14.0 minutes.
Public transit
3.8%
Work from home
7.7%
Drive alone
70.1%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 4,648 workers age 16+.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Grand Rapids?
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.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1120.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 51% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1032.4
Violent rate
88.2
Total reported rate
1120.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 12.8% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
98.6 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Minnesota average
D
City profile score · Grand Rapids, MN
46/100
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.
Violent crime B
88 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C
30.0%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living D
98.6 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 F
$56,542
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
12.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Grand Rapids profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Violent crime: 74/100 (B) · 88 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.0%
Cost of living: 46/100 (D) · 98.6 index
Household income: 29/100 (F) · $56,542
Poverty rate: 29/100 (F) · 12.8%
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 8 peers.Read the chart values
Grand Rapids, MN (this city): home $200,600, crime 1,121/100k
Prineville, OR : home $364,600, crime 971/100k
Collegedale, TN : home $332,700, crime 845/100k
Petal, MS : home $161,400, crime 522/100k
Monmouth, OR : home $380,500, crime 1,079/100k
North Branch, MN : home $290,600, crime 264/100k
Mendota Heights, MN : home $504,100, crime 1,070/100k
Fairmont, MN : home $168,800, crime 1,691/100k
How does Grand Rapids compare to other US cities?
Where Grand Rapids sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income30% higher than other cities
Home value43% pricier than other cities
Median rent36% pricier than other cities
Safety59% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Minnesota and the picture shifts: Grand Rapids ranks #131 of 229 Minnesota cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Grand Rapids against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Minnesota only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Minnesota-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Grand Rapids near the bottom of Minnesota's cities
Among the 785 Minnesota 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
#578 of 775
25th percentile in Minnesota
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 785
0th percentile in Minnesota
Median Home Value
#314 of 774
59th percentile in Minnesota
Poverty Rate
#121 of 785
84th percentile in Minnesota
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#211 of 784
73rd percentile in Minnesota
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 Minnesota only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
30th percentile nationally for median household income · 59th 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+)
$200,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 57% 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: 3.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#9,175 of 15,516
More affordable than 41% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#1,539 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 3.5×, Grand Rapids sits in the moderate band:
national rank #9,175 of 15,516 and #1,539 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
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
$56,542Grand Rapids, MN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Grand Rapids, MN 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, MN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.0%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)12.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)50.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
11,186
Median Income
$56,542
Median Home Value
$200,600
Median Age
44.5
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Labor force participation
50.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1120.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
88.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1032.4
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.
Schools
Total Schools
8
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
11,081 residents
2021
11,243 residents
2022
11,281 residents
2023
11,274 residents
2024
11,238 residents
2025
11,181 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
2
housing units authorized
Single-Family
2
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
8
6
2
$1.2M
2020
126
14
112
$16.4M
2021
6
6
0
$1.7M
2022
5
5
0
$1.0M
2023
10
10
0
$3.0M
2024
2
2
0
$0.7M
Permit volume decreased 75% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
14.0 minutes
Drive Alone
70.1%
Carpool
10.1%
Public Transit
3.8%
Walk
4.2%
Work from Home
7.7%
Other
4.1%
Based on 4,648 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Minnesota statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Minnesota at $225 (electricity about $95 , water and sewer about $45 ).
These are Minnesota 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
Minnesota's BEA cost-of-living index is 98.6 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Grand Rapids is $1,125/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Minnesota statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 42.4 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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, 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.