Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety59#377/924
Economy86#134/925
Housing43#529/925
Health90#95/925
Healthcare84#148/923
Environment7#855/917
Education83#157/925
Infrastructure94#53/925
Community91#80/925
Leisure & amenities44#515/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Voter turnout · high77.4%
95/100Michigan 74.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Premature death · low6,136 /100k
92/100Michigan 8,443 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low8.5 /100k
91/100Michigan 16.2 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low21.6%
90/100Michigan 25.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low5.5%
90/100Michigan 6.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Distance to an airport · low17 mi
89/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

High ozone days · high6 days
6/100Michigan 3 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · high52
9/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Days with unhealthy air · high2.5%
12/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
14/100Michigan 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Depression · high27.5%
17/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.6 µg/m³
18/100Michigan 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

High ozone daysWorsening
3 days (2017) → 6 days (2022)
+111%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Child care cost burdenImproving
37.1% (2020 & 2021) → 21.6% (2023 & 2024)
−15 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.7 /10k (2020) → 1.0 /10k (2025)
+50%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
22.7% (Dec 2021) → 32.8% (Aug 2026)
+10 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drought exposureImproving
23% (2021) → 13% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
−9.4 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
14.9 /100k (2021) → 8.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−43%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area improved on 18 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 2 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved18

Gyms+50%0.7 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Restaurants+15%6.6 /10k → 7.6 /10k
Grocery stores+15%1.1 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Arts & recreation+25%3.3 /10k → 4.1 /10k
Real income+36%$52,156 → $70,796

Declined6

Suicides+28%10.7 /100k → 13.7 /100k
Pharmacies−24%1.3 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Price / income+0.7×2.7× → 3.4×
Firearm deaths+9.6%9.9 /100k → 10.8 /100k
Rent / income+1.2 points28.3% → 29.5%

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.3 /10k2020	4.1 /10k2025	+25%	Improved	81%
Average commute time	21.8 min2015-2019	22.0 min2020-2024	+0.2 min	Within the margin of error	58%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.7%2015-2019	36.5%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	76%
Broadband subscriptions	85.2%2015-2019	91.4%2020-2024	+6.2 points	Improved	16%
Child poverty rate	13.7%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	47%
Distance to an airport	17 mi2020	17 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	13%
Drug overdose deaths	14.1 /100k2020	8.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−40%	Improved	70%
Effective property tax rate	1.29%2015-2019	1.03%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	84%
Firearm deaths	9.9 /100k2020	10.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+9.6%	Declined	35%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	85%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+50%	Improved	89%
High school diploma or higher	91.2%2015-2019	92.6%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Improved	42%
Home price to income ratio	2.7×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	26%
Homicide rate	5.7 /100k2020	2.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−50%	Improved	78%
Income adjusted for local prices	$52,1562019	$70,7962024	+36%	Improved	75%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4432015-2019	0.4422020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	58%
Median household income	$63,3022015-2019	$82,8742020-2024	+31%	Improved	70%
New business applications	9.7 /1k2020	12.4 /1k2025	+28%	Improved	25%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−24%	Declined	13%
Poverty rate	11.0%2015-2019	9.7%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Improved	61%
Property crime rate	1,440 /100k2020	1,167 /100k2025	−19%	Improved	22%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+1.5%	Little change	74%
Public transit commuters	1.4%2015-2019	1.1%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Little change	46%
Rent as share of income	28.3%2015-2019	29.5%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Declined	32%
Rent-burdened households	46.1%2015-2019	48.8%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Declined	34%
Restaurants and bars	6.6 /10k2020	7.6 /10k2025	+15%	Improved	87%
Suicide rate	10.7 /100k2020	13.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+28%	Declined	17%
Traffic deaths	9.8 /100k2015-2019	9.7 /100k2020-2024	−1.2%	Little change	65%
Unemployment rate	7.9%2020	4.4%2025	−3.5 points	Improved	65%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.2%2015-2019	5.5%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Improved	62%
Violent crime rate	387 /100k2020	354 /100k2025	−8.7%	Improved	39%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area itself moved +1.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,162,152 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

440,316 households (±1,454)

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area
United States share

Under $25k12%51,589
$25k–50k16%72,503
$50k–75k17%74,201

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

440,316 households (±1,454)

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area
United States share

Own75%328,536
Rent25%111,780

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.9 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

581,776 workers (±3,470)

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area
United States share

Drive alone75%437,911
Carpool7.9%46,163
Public transit1.1%6,192

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI employ 133,370 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators19,540 jobs	19,540	$39,120US $44,650	−12%	3.61×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand18,840 jobs	18,840	$36,130US $40,240	−10%	1.66×
Registered Nurses13,740 jobs	13,740	$83,920US $97,550	−14%	1.06×
Fast Food and Counter Workers13,190 jobs	13,190	$28,240US $31,200	−9%	0.89×
Retail Salespersons12,600 jobs	12,600	$34,800US $35,410	−2%	0.84×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners11,490 jobs	11,490	$35,890US $36,840	−3%	1.35×
Office Clerks, General11,310 jobs	11,310	$45,320US $45,010	+1%	1.19×
Stockers and Order Fillers10,960 jobs	10,960	$35,840US $37,330	−4%	1.01×
General and Operations Managers10,880 jobs	10,880	$101,720US $105,770	−4%	0.81×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers10,820 jobs	10,820	$58,270US $58,640	−1%	1.36×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI has 27,591 employer establishments, 237 for every 10,000 residents (0.95× the US rate of 248), with 539,797 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,571. The Census Bureau also counts 94,051 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 27,591; 94,051 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 237; US 248
Paid employees: 539,797
Average annual pay: $57,571; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,959	16.8	0.81×About typical	29,026	$72,645	4,113
Specialty trade contractors	1,926	16.5	1.07×About typical	19,453	$74,192	6,109
Restaurants and other eating places	1,765	15.1	0.82×About typical	37,755	$21,476	320
Lessors of real estate	1,046	9	0.73×Fewer than typical	4,240	$53,180	10,141
Construction of buildings	1,010	8.7	1.15×About typical	6,859	$75,882	3,193
Religious organizations	934	8	1.44×More than typical	8,844	$30,865	—
Limited-service restaurants	836	7.2	0.89×About typical	16,627	$18,575	112
Services to buildings and dwellings	803	6.9	1.02×About typical	10,777	$35,866	4,882
Offices of other health practitioners	755	6.5	1.07×About typical	3,716	$44,011	2,275
Full-service restaurants	720	6.2	0.80×About typical	18,406	$24,641	137
Automotive repair and maintenance	701	6	1.19×About typical	5,278	$50,809	907
Building equipment contractors	644	5.5	0.92×About typical	9,549	$76,675	824

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,165,657 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $187M on contracts performed in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area: $158 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $187M; −28% vs FY2025
Per resident: $158; US $2,008
Sole-source: 34%; US 30%
Single offer: 9.9%; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$51.2M27%
Department of the Navy$21.2M11%
Department of the Air Force$19.1M10%
Forest Service$13.5M7.2%
Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$13.4M7.2%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$10.3M5.5%
Agricultural Marketing Service$9.9M5.3%
Department of the Army$9.1M4.9%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

225.7MFY2017
214.6MFY2018
263.3MFY2019
543.3MFY2020
385.8MFY2021
287.7MFY2022
280.2MFY2023
253.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$27.7M15%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$16.9M9.0%
Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing · 3362$13.7M7.3%
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$12.6M6.8%
Other residential care facilities · 6239$10.2M5.5%
Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$10.1M

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $10.3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area: $8,663 per resident (US $12,990).

Assistance · FY2026: $10.3B; +2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,663; US $12,990
Loan face value: $657M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$4.5B44%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$2B19%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$1.3B12%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$499.1M4.9%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$464.5M4.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$397M3.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$326.3M3.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$151.1M1.5%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF$128.6M1.3%
LANSING, MI
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS$61.2M0.6%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY$58.7M0.6%
ALLENDALE, MI
GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY$31.9M0.3%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$5.5B54%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$3.7B36%
Department of Health and Human Services
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$455.3M4.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$128.6M1.3%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

8BFY2021
8BFY2022
8.6BFY2023
9.2BFY2024
10BFY2025
10.3BFY2026

County aggregates

95%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Areas based in Michigan, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M24340

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved18

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

What was bought