Latest Census city estimates released May 14, 2026 · Population as of July 1, 2025 · Next city estimates scheduled for May 2027. Release schedule
Grand Rapids, Michigan population is 201,183 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #127 nationally and #2 in Michigan. Cost of living runs 4.5% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); the four-person spending scenario corresponds to modeled gross income of $106,496/yr (TY2026 tax assumptions; partial scenario excluding unverified local income tax). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
201,183 people live in Grand Rapids as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #127 largest U.S. city.
How big is Grand Rapids?
Grand Rapids covers 44.8 square miles of land and 0.9 square miles of water. Its population density is about 4,493 residents per square mile of land. Compare U.S. cities by land area →
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population grew 1.2% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 198,843 → 2025: 201,183 (+1.2%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
198,843
April 1, 2020
2020
198,689
July 1, 2020
2021
197,753
July 1, 2021
2022
197,579
July 1, 2022
2023
197,880
July 1, 2023
2024
199,388
July 1, 2024
2025
201,183
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population grew 6.9% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Grand Rapids is the #127 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #2 in Michigan.
▸Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
198,843
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
+2,340
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
+1.2%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
+1,795
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
+0.9%
within V2025 only
Density
4,493
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
44.8
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#127
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#2
of 533 in Michigan
What is the median household income in Grand Rapids?
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: household income $80,734 ± $166; per-capita income $44,673 ± $122. Margins are at 90% confidence. Comparison badges describe point estimates; they are not significance tests.
Median household income is 14% below the U.S. median ($69,108 vs $80,734); 16.9% live in poverty, 4.5 points above the 12.5% U.S. estimate.
Median household income$69,108
US
Grand Rapids: $69,108 — 14% below the US median of $80,734.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data; censored rows retained in the distribution
Grand Rapids
$69,108
United States
$80,734
Income and poverty estimates for Grand Rapids from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
$69,108-14.4% vs US
±$1,869
Per capita income
$35,921-19.6% vs US
±$708
Population in poverty
16.9% ± 1.2 percentage points
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 27% below the U.S. median ($244,500 vs $332,700); median rent is 10% below ($1,266 vs $1,413); the ratio of median home value to median household income is 3.5× versus 4.1× nationally; this compares two distributions and does not measure an individual household's housing burden.
Median home value$244,500
US
Grand Rapids: $244,500 — 27% below the US median of $332,700.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data; censored rows retained in the distribution
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,531/mo
US
Grand Rapids: $1,531/mo — 42% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Same-period U.S. benchmarks: home value $332,700 ± $236; gross rent $1,413 ± $2. Comparison badges describe estimates and do not establish statistical significance.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median value, owner-occupied units
$244,500-26.5% vs US
±$3,433
Median gross rent
$1,266-10.4% vs US
±$35
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR (FY2026)
$1,531-17.3% vs US
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area· 40th-percentile gross rent · HUD methodology
Owner-occupied share
54.0% ± 1.1 percentage points
of occupied housing units
Price-to-income ratio
3.5x± 0.11x approximate 90% MOE-14.1% vs US
median home value ÷ median household income · U.S. ratio: 4.1x
Rent-burdened (≥30% of income)
49.1% ± 2.9 percentage points-3.9% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 51.1%
Severely rent-burdened (≥50%)
25.1% ± 2.4 percentage points-2.9% vs US
renters with a computed rent/income ratio · U.S. share: 25.9%
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2025 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Grand Rapids. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
5.3%
Grand Rapids (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
110,613
2025 annual avg
Worked from home
13.9% ± 0.8 percentage points-7.9% vs US
share of workers 16+ working from home · U.S. share: 15.1% · ACS
County context — Grand Rapids sits in Kent County:
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Kent County
9.2%
$80,768
4.4%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Grand Rapids's linked county in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2025 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
68,533
$1,323 / wk
#2
Manufacturing (31-33)
62,100
$1,544 / wk
#3
Administrative and waste services (56)
46,901
$633 / wk
#4
Retail trade (44-45)
36,743
$860 / wk
#5
Accommodation and food services (72)
30,965
$517 / wk
What workers earn in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators is the largest tracked occupation in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro (19,540 jobs, median $39,120/yr).
▸Show all 12 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
19,540
$39,120
$18.81
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
18,840
$36,130
$17.37
Fast Food and Counter Workers
13,190
$28,240
$13.58
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
11,490
$35,890
$17.26
Office Clerks, General
11,310
$45,320
$21.79
Stockers and Order Fillers
10,960
$35,840
$17.23
Registered Nurses · benchmark
13,740
$83,920
$40.35
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
12,600
$34,800
$16.73
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
10,880
$101,720
$48.91
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
10,820
$58,270
$28.02
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 4.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 95.5); rents run 13.4% below (RPP 86.6) — the metro's housing affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 95.5
US
Grand Rapids's cost of living runs 4.5% below the U.S. average (RPP 95.5 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 95.5
−4.5% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,531/mo
FY2026 · Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
State income tax (top marginal rate)
4.25%
flat · TY2026
Four-person monthly spending scenario
$8,875/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
One-person monthly spending scenario
$3,543/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources; excludes unverified local income tax
Local income tax
—
Unverified and excluded from the spending scenario; not a verified zero
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
11.1% ± 0.8 percentage points foreign-born (U.S. share 14.1%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (10.9% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Grand Rapids's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
These are K-12 public school districts. Higher education (colleges and universities) is not represented in this dataset.
Public school districts serving Grand Rapids, from the NCES EDGE Geographic Relationship Files (GRF25, 2024–25 school year boundaries). The join is many-to-many — large cities often span multiple districts, and one district often serves multiple cities. Sorted primary district first. See methodology §12 for the consolidated-city fallback and Milford CT special case.
Source: NCES EDGE GRF25 · school year 2024–25 · methodology →
What is the climate like in Grand Rapids?
Hottest month: July (83°F avg high). Coldest: January (17°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 37.2 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Grand Rapids from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Natural-hazard exposure for Grand Rapids from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Kent County
92.2
Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind 99.0 Very High · Tornado 97.8 Relatively High · Winter Weather 95.7 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Grand Rapids?
14 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 92% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Grand Rapids from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of December 31, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
14 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
13
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
91.6%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
91.6%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
81,202
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of December 31, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Grand Rapids?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 1,783 violent and 4,860 property offenses in the Grand Rapids jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 910.1 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Grand Rapids — an FBI jurisdiction population of 195,913, versus the Census place population of 201,183. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
1,783
910.1
359.1
Property crime
4,860
2,480.7
1,760.1
▸Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
12
Rape
176
Robbery
228
Aggravated assault
1,367
Burglary
524
Larceny-theft
3,583
Motor vehicle theft
753
Arson (12-month reporters only)
50
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
979.3
3,006.2
196,662
2023
882.6
3,043.6
196,019
2024
910.1
2,480.7
195,913
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Grand Rapids · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Grand Rapids sits at state rank #2 among 533 cities in Michigan. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Knoxville, TN · #126 · 202,021 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Peoria, AZ · #128 · 200,881 residents.
Quick travel facts for Grand Rapids
Quick travel facts.
Elevation
747 ft · at city centroid, from USGS 3D Elevation Program
Nearest scheduled-service airport
Gerald R. Ford International Airport(GRR) · 9 mi 14 km from city centroid
Best months to visit
Sep · months when the avg high sits in 65–80°F and precipitation is at or below the city's median monthly precip
Sources: elevation from USGS 3DEP · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (OurAirports type=large/medium and scheduled_service=yes; not an FAA service classification) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Grand Rapids.
How many people live in Grand Rapids, MI?
Grand Rapids has 201,183 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #127 largest city in the United States and #2 in Michigan. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Grand Rapids growing or shrinking?
Grand Rapids has grown 1.2% since the April 2020 census baseline, adding 2,340 residents, including a 0.9% increase from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Grand Rapids's population in the 2020 census?
Grand Rapids covers 44.8 square miles of land, with a population density of about 4,493 residents per square mile. Source: Census Gazetteer 2025.
What is the median household income in Grand Rapids?
$69,108, about 14% below the U.S. median. Source: ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
SourceU.S. Census · PEP
VintageV2025
Reference2025-07-01
Place typeIncorporated place
GEOID2634000
Last build2026-09-30
Sources · provenance
Every listed dataset is used on this page.
The GEOID for Grand Rapids is 2634000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
