Grand Rapids, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Grand Rapids, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 196,641 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4309.3 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.35% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.3 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 79,825 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Grand Rapids grew by 3.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 196,641 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Grand Rapids is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 28.2% of residents. That is 7.0 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 55,458 28.2% +7.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 47,522 24.2% +3.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 31,472 16.0% -4.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 24,421 12.4% -5.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Grand Rapids and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.1% Michigan 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Grand Rapids
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Economy
Grand Rapids has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $69,819 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.34% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Grand Rapids is about 4% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $249,625 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,254 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.5% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Grand Rapids is about 16.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,254 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Grand Rapids spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 145 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 34.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 145 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,504 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.9% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,865 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,310 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Grand Rapids is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Grand Rapids has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.9% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Grand Rapids has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Grand Rapids | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.9% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Grand Rapids, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Grand Rapids, MI compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids, MI | 196,641 | $69,819 #3/3 | $249,625 #2/3 | 17.4 min #1/3 |
| Wyoming, MI | 77,126 | $73,270 | $163,065 | 18.8 min |
| Walker, MI | 24,855 | $77,523 | $350,000 | 17.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What is the population of Grand Rapids, Michigan?
About 196,641 people live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 79,825 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 30.3, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
How densely populated is Grand Rapids, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Grand Rapids, Michigan has 4,309 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 50 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Grand Rapids, Michigan?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($249,625 against $69,819), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,254 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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