Grand Rapids, Michigan
Cost of living, housing, income, commute, climate, and safety — compiled for relocators researching Grand Rapids.
Key figures
Each metric shows how Grand Rapids compares with the U.S. baseline (ACS/BLS nationals where available; catalog-city averages for crime, climate, and commute). Income, housing, population, and crime are for the incorporated city (city limits), not the broader metro/MSA — unemployment is county-level (BLS LAUS).
- Population
- 197,768City limits · not metro/MSA
- Median household income
- $65,526Incorporated place (ACS)17% below U.S. avgU.S. $78,538
- Housing cost index
- 81ACS home+rent vs U.S. (100 = avg)19% below U.S. avgU.S. 100
- Median home value
- $225,500City limits (ACS)26% below U.S. avgU.S. $303,400
- Median rent
- $1,191City limits (ACS)12% below U.S. avgU.S. $1,348
- Unemployment
- 4.4%County LAUS · not city-onlyNear U.S. avg (4.2 pts)U.S. 4.2 pts
- Avg commute
- 21 min16% below U.S. avgU.S. 25 min
- Walk Score
- 5113% above U.S. avgU.S. 45
- Violent crime rate
- 637.3annualized per 100k · citywide6% above U.S. avgU.S. 602.7
- Property crime rate
- 1907.8annualized per 100k · citywide38% below U.S. avgU.S. 3084.9
- Summer high
- 81°F6.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 87°F
- Winter low
- 21°F13.0°F below U.S. avgU.S. 34°F
- Annual rainfall
- 39.4 in20% above U.S. avgU.S. 32.9 in
- Sunny days
- 21619% below U.S. avgU.S. 266
Compare Grand Rapids with another city
Grand Rapids (pop. 197,768) sits in Michigan. Households here report a median income near $65,526; our housing-derived cost index is about 81 (among the more affordable large markets in this catalog on housing costs). Ownership is a high bar — typical values near $225,500 push many newcomers toward renting first.
Lake-effect snow and automotive supply chains still color the local economy. Pack for 81°F summer peaks; winter mornings often settle near 21°F. Commutes average near 21 minutes one-way, with walkability near 51/100. BLS LAUS puts recent unemployment around 4.4% for the surrounding county. Violent-offense rates near 637.3 per 100k sit in a mid-to-elevated band versus many peer cities in this catalog.
Grand Rapids is compact enough that a single wrong neighborhood choice is easy to feel day to day — visit at commute hour before signing. Figures on this page are merged from Census ACS, BLS LAUS, FBI Crime Data Explorer, and NOAA Climate Normals — use them to compare Grand Rapids with nearby alternatives before you relocate.
Nearby & similar cities
Continue researching with these internal links — each page is a full data profile.
Sources
- Census / ACS: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 5-year (Grand Rapids city, 1600000US2634000)
- BLS: BLS LAUS LAUCN260810000000003 (Kent County, May 2026)
- Crime: FBI CIUS Table 8 (2019) city offenses known to law enforcement — rates per 100k; CDE API unavailable at enrich time
- Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Monthly Normals (USW00094860 GRAND RAPIDS)
Last updated 2026-07-28