Census tract · Kent County
Census Tract 21, Kent County, Michigan
Census Tract 21, GEOID 26081002100, in Kent County, Michigan, entirely within Grand Rapids. 2,840 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±435); the 2020 Census counted 3,076.
Residents, 2020-2024
2,840
±435 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,076
Median household income
$62,788
±$12,612 (90% margin)
Kent County: $82,631
Median home value
$346,500
±$78,250 (90% margin)
Kent County: $289,900
Median gross rent
$1,034
±$88 (90% margin)
Kent County: $1,243
Where is Census Tract 21?
Census Tract 21 is one of 145 census tracts in Kent County, Michigan. It covers 0.48 square miles of land, 6,422 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26081002100, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 100% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 21: Tract 14 ($80,395), Tract 20 ($41,786), Tract 22 ($66,485), Tract 25 ($80,000), Tract 28 and Tract 29 ($88,375). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 21?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 21's population at 2,840 (±435) in 1,986 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,076 residents and 2,193 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 2,840±435 | 198,535 |
| Households | 1,986±308 | 80,222 |
| Average household size | 1.39±0.13 | 2.38 |
| Housing units | 2,134±286 | 84,894 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 21?
The median resident of Census Tract 21 is 33.7 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 86.9%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 6.0%.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.7±6.2 | 32.3 |
| Under 18 years | 7.0%±4.7 pts | 21.0% |
| 65 years and over | 18.0%±7.2 pts | 12.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.9%±4.8 pts | 16.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 86.9%±6.2 pts | 57.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 6.0%±4.3 pts | 17.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.0%±1.7 pts | 2.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.0 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.7 pts | 5.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±1.0 pts | 0.6% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.2%±3.7 pts | 11.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 9.3%±5.4 pts | 16.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6%±3.3 pts | 4.0% |
| With a disability | 14.5%±6.3 pts | 11.9% |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.8%±1.9 pts | 7.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.2%±6.3 pts | 89.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 54.8%±11.4 pts | 41.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 22.8%±7.3 pts | 14.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 75.3%±7.2 pts | 82.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 21 earn?
Half of the 1,986 households in Census Tract 21 earn less than $62,788 a year (±$12,612), against $82,631 across Kent County: 113th highest of the county's 144 tracts with a reliable estimate. 22.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,788±$12,612 | $69,108 |
| Mean household income | $74,388±$9,271 | $86,109 |
| Per capita income | $52,215±$6,688 | $35,921 |
| People below the poverty line | 22.1%±9.2 pts | 16.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 40.4%±43.7 pts | 23.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 17.8%±7.1 pts | 15.5% |
| Households with a computer | 92.1%±5.4 pts | 94.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.2%±6.8 pts | 90.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 21?
Owners occupy 17.5% of Census Tract 21's occupied homes and renters 82.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $346,500 by its owner (±$78,250). The median renter pays $1,034 a month including utilities, and 36.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $346,500±$78,250 | $244,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,034±$88 | $1,266 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 36.4%±12.6 pts | 41.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,105±$215 | $1,393 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 17.5%±6.6 pts | 54.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 82.5%±6.6 pts | 46.0% |
| Housing units | 2,134±286 | 84,894 |
| Single-family detached homes | 11.9%±5.9 pts | 56.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±1.4 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±1.4 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.5%±5.6 pts | 5.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 82.3%±6.9 pts | 37.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 15.1%±7.1 pts | 10.9% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 21 get to work?
55.6% of Census Tract 21's workers drive alone and 11.9% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.2 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 21 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 73.8%±8.2 pts | 69.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3%±3.3 pts | 5.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 55.6%±12.0 pts | 68.7% |
| Carpooled | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 8.1% |
| Public transportation | 3.2%±3.4 pts | 3.0% |
| Walked | 29.3%±12.9 pts | 4.2% |
| Worked from home | 11.9%±5.7 pts | 13.9% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.2 min±2.8 | 19.0 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 21 compare with the other tracts in Kent County?
Among Kent County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 21 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Kent County | In Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 122nd of 145 | 42nd of 53 |
| Residents per square mile | 21st of 145 | 20th of 53 |
| Median household income | 113th of 144 | 36th of 52 |
| Per capita income | 25th of 145 | 5th of 53 |
| Median home value | 40th of 143 | 8th of 52 |
| Median gross rent | 112th of 126 | 44th of 52 |
| Poverty rate | 18th of 95 | 15th of 45 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26th of 144 | 13th of 52 |
| Median age | 98th of 145 | 24th of 53 |
| Owner-occupied share | 141st of 144 | 50th of 52 |
The tracts next to it on Kent County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 37 | 111th | $64,960±$21,990 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 137 | 112th | $63,235±$11,562 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 21 | 113th | $62,788±$12,612 |
| Tract 26 | 114th | $62,396±$8,827 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 40 | 115th | $61,792±$14,784 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 135 | 116th | $61,076±$11,932 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 21?
3 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 21 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections