Census tract · Kent County
Census Tract 42, Kent County, Michigan
Census Tract 42, GEOID 26081004200, in Kent County, Michigan, entirely within Grand Rapids. 3,898 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±441); the 2020 Census counted 3,877.
Residents, 2020-2024
3,898
±441 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 3,877
Median household income
$70,976
±$14,772 (90% margin)
Kent County: $82,631
Median home value
$238,600
±$13,304 (90% margin)
Kent County: $289,900
Median gross rent
$1,034
±$122 (90% margin)
Kent County: $1,243
Where is Census Tract 42?
Census Tract 42 is one of 145 census tracts in Kent County, Michigan. It covers 0.78 square miles of land, 4,996 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 26081004200, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 100% |
5 census tracts border Census Tract 42: Tract 35 ($54,375), Tract 37 ($64,960), Tract 41 ($95,179), Tract 43 ($98,382) and Tract 46 ($44,195). 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 42?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 42's population at 3,898 (±441) in 1,794 households; the 2020 Census counted 3,877 residents and 1,696 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 3,898±441 | 198,535 |
| Households | 1,794±198 | 80,222 |
| Average household size | 2.16±0.19 | 2.38 |
| Housing units | 1,794±198 | 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 42?
The median resident of Census Tract 42 is 33.2 years old; 20.8% are under 18 and 15.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 56.4%, then non-Hispanic Black residents at 22.5%. 4.8% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2±2.3 | 32.3 |
| Under 18 years | 20.8%±4.8 pts | 21.0% |
| 65 years and over | 15.4%±3.4 pts | 12.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.0%±6.3 pts | 16.3% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 56.4%±8.1 pts | 57.5% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 22.5%±6.9 pts | 17.5% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.5%±1.5 pts | 2.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.8 pts | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.8 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.8%±2.7 pts | 5.0% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 1.8%±2.6 pts | 0.6% |
| Born outside the United States | 4.8%±2.7 pts | 11.1% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 10.6%±4.9 pts | 16.4% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.3%±3.5 pts | 4.0% |
| With a disability | 13.4%±4.8 pts | 11.9% |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.2%±3.9 pts | 7.2% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.3%±3.6 pts | 89.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 47.1%±6.7 pts | 41.6% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 18.7%±5.1 pts | 14.3% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 90.1%±6.3 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 42 earn?
Half of the 1,794 households in Census Tract 42 earn less than $70,976 a year (±$14,772), against $82,631 across Kent County: 90th highest of the county's 144 tracts with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,976±$14,772 | $69,108 |
| Mean household income | $89,752±$11,393 | $86,109 |
| Per capita income | $41,173±$5,897 | $35,921 |
| People below the poverty line | 9.9%±7.2 pts | 16.9% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 11.0%±18.8 pts | 23.0% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.9%±7.5 pts | 15.5% |
| Households with a computer | 92.9%±7.0 pts | 94.9% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 88.1%±6.9 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 42?
Owners occupy 71.7% of Census Tract 42's occupied homes and renters 28.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $238,600 by its owner (±$13,304). The median renter pays $1,034 a month including utilities, and 60.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $238,600±$13,304 | $244,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,034±$122 | $1,266 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 60.3%±19.8 pts | 41.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,326±$114 | $1,393 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.7%±8.3 pts | 54.0% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.3%±8.3 pts | 46.0% |
| Housing units | 1,794±198 | 84,894 |
| Single-family detached homes | 81.7%±7.8 pts | 56.2% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 0.4% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 0.6% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0%±1.7 pts | 5.3% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 11.1%±4.5 pts | 37.5% |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.7%±3.7 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 42 get to work?
77.5% of Census Tract 42's workers drive alone and 7.7% work from home. The average trip to work takes 17.9 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 42 | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 72.0%±6.1 pts | 69.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8%±2.1 pts | 5.2% |
| Drove alone to work | 77.5%±6.0 pts | 68.7% |
| Carpooled | 7.7%±4.3 pts | 8.1% |
| Public transportation | 0.5%±1.2 pts | 3.0% |
| Walked | 5.1%±3.2 pts | 4.2% |
| Worked from home | 7.7%±3.0 pts | 13.9% |
| Mean travel time to work | 17.9 min±1.6 | 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 42 compare with the other tracts in Kent County?
Among Kent County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 42 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Kent County | In Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 98th of 145 | 28th of 53 |
| Residents per square mile | 38th of 145 | 25th of 53 |
| Median household income | 90th of 144 | 25th of 52 |
| Per capita income | 69th of 145 | 20th of 53 |
| Median home value | 95th of 143 | 32nd of 52 |
| Median gross rent | 112th of 126 | 44th of 52 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 44th of 144 | 22nd of 52 |
| Median age | 103rd of 145 | 27th of 53 |
| Owner-occupied share | 75th of 144 | 13th of 52 |
The tracts next to it on Kent County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 130 | 87th | $72,500±$9,836 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 126.10 | 88th | $72,331±$7,072 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 18.01 | 89th | $72,048±$18,358 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 42 | 90th | $70,976±$14,772 |
| Tract 136 | 91st | $70,833±$34,434 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 112 | 92nd | $69,953±$9,919 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 148.08 | 93rd | $69,773±$24,222 · 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 42?
2 of the 18 figures for Census Tract 42 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