Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US counties.

Safety45#1,696/3,096
Economy83#520/3,143
Housing22#2,447/3,140
Health91#278/3,144
Healthcare96#112/3,143
Environment12#2,739/3,108
Education77#710/3,144
Infrastructure99#42/3,144
Community91#275/3,144
Leisure & amenities69#986/3,143

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Kent County, Michigan ranks highest and lowest among US counties (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an airport · low10 mi
97/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau
Access to exercise opportunities · high95.6%
95/100Michigan 85.7%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Natural hazard risk · low6.3
94/100Michigan 10.32025Federal Emergency Management Agency
Mental health providers · high546 /100k
93/100Michigan 371 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
Distance to an Amtrak station · low7 mi
92/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau
Bachelor's degree or higher · high40.8%
92/100Michigan 32.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Median Air Quality Index · high52
4/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
High ozone days · high4 days
5/100Michigan 3 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.9 µg/m³
9/100Michigan 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Days with unhealthy air · high2.5%
10/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Violent crime rate · high430 /100k
11/100Michigan 416 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of Investigation
Students per teacher · high16.9×
12/100Michigan 16.5×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education Statistics

Trends

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

Child care cost burdenImproving
39.8% (2020 & 2021) → 22.1% (2023 & 2024)
−18 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
22.8% (Dec 2021) → 33.2% (Aug 2026)
+10 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drought exposureImproving
23% (2021) → 14% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−9.4 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
86.3% (2010 & 2021) → 95.6% (2022 & 2024)
+9.3 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
17.6 /100k (2021) → 9.7 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−45%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.9 /10k (2020) → 1.2 /10k (2025)
+45%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k

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, Kent County, Michigan improved on 17 of 33 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among counties: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2020 with 2025); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved17

Gyms+45%0.9 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Poverty−2 points11.2% → 9.2%
Bachelor's++5.1 points35.7% → 40.8%
Arts & recreation+26%3.6 /10k → 4.5 /10k
Homicides−60%8.2 /100k → 3.3 /100k

Declined5

Suicides+47%8.8 /100k → 12.9 /100k
Pharmacies−23%1.5 /10k → 1.2 /10k
Transit use−0.4 points1.9% → 1.5%
Price / income+0.8×2.8× → 3.5×
Rent / income+0.9 points28.7% → 29.6%

All 33 measures

Change of every measure of Kent County, Michigan between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.6 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+26%	Improved	78%
Average commute time	21.3 min2015-2019	21.0 min2020-2024	−0.2 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$1,0712020	$1,2462025	+16%	Improved	9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	35.7%2015-2019	40.8%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Improved	85%
Broadband subscriptions	86.3%2015-2019	92.2%2020-2024	+5.9 points	Improved	15%
Child poverty rate	14.7%2019	11.2%2024	−3.5 points	Improved	77%
Distance to an airport	10 mi2020	10 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	14.9 /100k2020	9.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−35%	Improved	58%
Effective property tax rate	1.35%2015-2019	1.05%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	89%
Firearm deaths	10.8 /100k2020	11.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.6%	Within the margin of error	41%
Grocery stores	1.3 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+19%	Within the margin of error	85%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+45%	Improved	85%
High school diploma or higher	90.7%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	19%
Homicide rate	8.2 /100k2020	3.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−60%	Improved	79%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,2412019	$76,9182024	+37%	Improved	76%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.4492020-2024	−0.008	Little change	69%
Median household income	$66,5602019	$80,7682024	+21%	Improved	31%
New business applications	12.0 /1k2020	14.4 /1k2025	+19%	Improved	22%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	−23%	Declined	21%
Poverty rate	11.2%2019	9.2%2024	−2 points	Improved	84%
Property crime rate	1,846 /100k2020	1,531 /100k2025	−17%	Improved	23%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	+8.1%	Within the margin of error	88%
Public transit commuters	1.9%2015-2019	1.5%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Declined	36%
Rent as share of income	28.7%2015-2019	29.6%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Declined	41%
Rent-burdened households	46.9%2015-2019	49.0%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Restaurants and bars	7.8 /10k2020	8.8 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	77%
Students per teacher	17.8×2019	16.9×2024	−0.8×	Little change	56%
Suicide rate	8.8 /100k2020	12.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+47%	Declined	7%
Traffic deaths	9.4 /100k2015-2019	9.1 /100k2020-2024	−2.4%	Within the margin of error	59%
Unemployment rate	8.1%2020	4.4%2025	−3.7 points	Improved	77%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.4%2019	6.2%2024	−1.2 points	Improved	54%
Violent crime rate	484 /100k2020	430 /100k2025	−11%	Improved	44%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 2303 counties 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; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Common Core of Data; 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 3144 counties 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.

Counties like Kent County, Michigan five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Kent County, Michigan 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, Kent County, Michigan itself moved +3.2 points in standing on average over the same 32 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

663,150 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 70–79 men (+0.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

663,150 residents

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

White70%467,038
Black9.4%62,581
Hispanic or Latino12%77,304

Education

445,698 residents (±67)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

No high school diploma7.7%34,360
High school or GED23%104,091
Some college19%84,691

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

256,648 households (±994)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $25k12%31,381
$25k–50k16%41,244
$50k–75k17%43,505
$75k–100k14%36,582
$100k–150k19%49,849
$150k–200k10%25,888
$200k or more11%28,199

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−6.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

256,648 households (±994)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Own70%180,482
Rent30%76,166

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

74,074 households (±1,739)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $75011%8,297
$750–1,00016%11,566
$1,000–1,50043%31,544

Home values

180,482 homes (±1,769)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $150k13%22,742
$150k–250k27%47,922
$250k–400k35%63,256

Age of homes

269,136 homes (±174)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

2010 or later9.5%25,579
2000–200912%32,190
1980–199925%66,005

Size of homes

269,136 homes (±174)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Studio2.1%5,609
1 bedroom11%28,275
2 bedrooms23%62,666

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

340,801 workers (±2,670)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Drive alone73%249,423
Carpool7.8%26,493
Public transit1.5%5,074
Walk2.0%6,760
Bike0.4%1,307
Work from home14%48,715
Other0.9%3,029

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+9.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

292,086 workers (±2,978)

Kent County, Michigan
Michigan share

Under 15 min31%90,248
15–29 min48%138,752
30–44 min14%41,952

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

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

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI

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.

Kent County has 17,799 employer establishments, 268 for every 10,000 residents (1.08× the US rate of 248; 1.18× Michigan's), with 384,635 paid employees at an average annual pay of $59,787. The Census Bureau also counts 58,452 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 17,799; 58,452 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 268; US 248 · Michigan 228
Paid employees: 384,635
Average annual pay: $59,787; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Kent County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	1,344	20.2	0.97×About typical	22,617	$75,707	2,728
Restaurants and other eating places	1,181	17.8	0.97×About typical	25,729	$22,006	227
Specialty trade contractors	1,003	15.1	0.98×About typical	13,345	$77,109	3,281
Lessors of real estate	701	10.6	0.86×About typical	3,100	$52,778	6,392
Limited-service restaurants	564	8.5	1.06×About typical	10,796	$18,758	91
Construction of buildings	548	8.3	1.09×About typical	4,720	$80,879	1,587
Religious organizations	538	8.1	1.46×More than typical	5,769	$32,866	—
Offices of other health practitioners	518	7.8	1.28×More than typical	2,505	$43,621	1,459
Services to buildings and dwellings	504	7.6	1.13×About typical	7,297	$35,040	2,621
Full-service restaurants	474	7.1	0.93×About typical	13,034	$25,272	93
Management, scientific and technical consulting	409	6.2	0.92×About typical	2,478	$83,933	2,279
Insurance agencies and brokerages	404	6.1	1.39×More than typical	3,999	$85,598	729

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 663,819 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.
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 $136.1M on contracts performed in Kent County, Michigan: $202 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $136.1M; −32% vs FY2025
Per resident: $202; US $1,995
Sole-source: 41%; US 30%
Single offer: 7.8%; US 8.8%

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$34.1M25%
Department of the Navy$20.8M15%
Department of the Air Force$15.9M12%
Forest Service$13.5M10.0%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$10.3M7.6%
Drug Enforcement Administration$7.3M5.3%
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$7M5.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs$5.7M4.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

175.9MFY2017
161MFY2018
191.8MFY2019
489.5MFY2020
353.2MFY2021
242.2MFY2022
240.2MFY2023
199.2M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$22.2M16%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$16.8M12%
Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing · 3362$13.6M10.0%
Other residential care facilities · 6239$10.2M7.5%
Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$9.8M7.2%
Professional and commercial equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers · 4234$8.3M

Largest awards

OPERATION OF THE GERALD R. FORD JOB CORPS CENTER$40.7M
HUMAN LEARNING SYSTEMS LLC· Kent County, MI· Facilities & utilities· Jun 28, 2018 – May 20, 2026· 1630J518C0013
GERALD FORD JCC W/ OACTS$30M
HUMAN LEARNING SYSTEMS LLC· Kent County, MI· Education & social services· Sep 25, 2023 – Jul 22, 2026· 1605JW23C0010
ADVANCED BATTLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS$21.7M
BRAINGU LLC· Kent County, MI· Research & development· Jun 8, 2023 – Apr 23, 2026· FA861223FB017
NAVY ACQUISITION$16.4M

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Explore contracts in Kent County, Michigan

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 $7.3B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Kent County, Michigan: $10,784 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $7.3B; +4.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,784; US $12,957
Loan face value: $543.4M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$2.4B33%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$2B27%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$1.3B17%
93.770 · Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage$464.5M6.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$267.4M3.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$207.4M2.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$173.9M2.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$101.5M1.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF$88.9M1.2%
LANSING, MI
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS$61.2M0.8%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
GERALD R FORD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY$31.9M0.4%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
VAN ANDEL RESEARCH INSTITUTE$28.3M0.4%
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
GRAND RAPIDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$3.7B51%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$3B41%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$238.2M3.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$88.9M1.2%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

5.5BFY2021
5.6BFY2022
6BFY2023
6.3BFY2024
7BFY2025
7.3BFY2026

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 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in Kent County, Michigan

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

How Kent County, Michigan compares: the federal money it received per resident, and how jobs, income, housing and other outcomes moved, each next to the United States.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

Kent County, Michigan
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2017	$271	$1,436
FY2018	$246	$1,552
FY2019	$292	$1,654
FY2020	$743	$1,880
FY2021	$536	$1,810
FY2022	$367	$1,917
FY2023	$362	$2,079
FY2024	$297	$2,047
FY2025	$294	$2,165
FY2026	$202 (partial year)	$1,912
FY2027	$0 (partial year)	—

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2017	$2.07	$93.28
FY2018	$3.14	$105
FY2019	$0.87	$128
FY2020	$1.46	$145
FY2021	$3.54	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2021	$1,092	$5,748
FY2022	$702	$5,221
FY2023	$605	$5,364
FY2024	$524	$5,501
FY2025	$546	$5,732
FY2026	$541

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2021	$190	$298
FY2022	$108	$357
FY2023	$114	$301
FY2024	$89.33	$319
FY2025	$96.51	$360
FY2026	$179

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2021	$134	$239
FY2022	$120	$185
FY2023	$163	$229
FY2024	$141	$229
FY2025	$143	$249
FY2026	$129

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2021	$131	$2,304
FY2022	$59.75	$2,197
FY2023	$95.65	$2,274
FY2024	$107	$2,267
FY2025	$106	$2,397
FY2026	$103

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	Kent County, Michigan	United States
FY2021	$1,293	$1,186
FY2022	$382	$465
FY2023	$80.24	$76.52
FY2024	$136	$120
FY2025	$177	$148
FY2026	$140

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

Kent County, Michigan
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, Kent County, Michigan and the United States, by year
Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	2.5%	2.0%
2015

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

No jump in federal money met the criteria in the years loaded, so there is no comparison for this place.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/26081

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Kent County, Michigan is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Metro area

The metro or micro area Kent County belongs to. A county is in at most one.

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI80Central county

Cities and towns in Kent County

Places whose residents live mostly in Kent County, largest first.

Neighboring counties

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar counties

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
National Risk IndexFederal Emergency Management Agency · release v1.20.0
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-06
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
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/26081

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	−2.8%	−4.2%
2015	0.0%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.7%	+3.3%
2018	+5.6%	+6.8%
2019	+9.2%	+10.5%
2020	+20.1%	+19.4%
2021	+24.0%	+26.1%
2022	+28.7%	+30.6%
2023	+29.5%	+35.0%
2024	+34.3%	+41.0%
2025	+39.7%	+46.8%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	−6.7%	−5.5%
2015	−1.6%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+0.3%	+4.1%
2018	+4.4%	+8.9%
2019	+7.9%	+13.5%
2020	+18.4%	+20.8%
2021	+32.9%	+32.1%
2022	+35.8%	+35.4%
2023	+42.0%	+42.9%
2024	+47.4%	+49.5%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	2.7/1k	3.3/1k
2015	2.9/1k	3.7/1k
2016	4.4/1k	3.7/1k
2017	4.0/1k	3.9/1k
2018	3.6/1k	4.1/1k
2019	3.9/1k	4.2/1k
2020	2.6/1k	4.4/1k
2021	2.9/1k	5.2/1k
2022	3.6/1k	5.0/1k
2023	3.0/1k	4.5/1k
2024	3.1/1k	4.3/1k
2025	3.6/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	−10.6%	−6.9%
2015	−8.5%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+2.5%	+4.7%
2018	+3.4%	+7.5%
2019	+11.6%	+14.0%
2020	+9.0%	+16.9%
2021	+20.6%	+21.0%
2022	+29.0%	+29.7%
2023	+33.6%	+34.9%
2024	+35.4%	+41.6%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	15.3%	15.5%
2015	14.5%	14.7%
2016	12.1%	14.0%
2017	10.4%	13.4%
2018	11.3%	13.1%
2019	11.2%	12.3%
2020	11.1%	11.9%
2021	9.9%	12.8%
2022	10.7%	12.6%
2023	10.5%	12.5%
2024	9.2%	12.1%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	4.9%	6.2%
2015	3.8%	5.3%
2016	3.6%	4.9%
2017	3.5%	4.4%
2018	3.1%	3.9%
2019	3.0%	3.7%
2020	8.1%	8.1%
2021	4.6%	5.4%
2022	3.5%	3.7%
2023	3.3%	3.6%
2024	3.9%	4.0%
2025	4.4%	4.3%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	−16.7% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−9.5% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+8.8% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+16.7% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+23.7% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+37.2% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+56.9% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+69.7% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+78.8% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+87.9% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+96.0% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2015	−8.0% (Dec 2015)	−3.3% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+4.9% (Dec 2017)	+4.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+11.7% (Dec 2018)	+8.8% (Dec 2018)
2019	+17.2% (Dec 2019)	+13.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+23.4% (Dec 2020)	+15.2% (Dec 2020)
2021	+36.5% (Dec 2021)	+32.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+46.9% (Dec 2022)	+42.1% (Dec 2022)
2023	+54.0% (Dec 2023)	+46.3% (Dec 2023)
2024	+60.6% (Dec 2024)	+50.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+66.9% (Dec 2025)	+53.5% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	10.7%	13.5%
2015	7.5%	10.9%
2016	6.9%	10.0%
2017	6.4%	10.2%
2018	6.8%	10.4%
2019	7.4%	10.8%
2020	7.1%	10.4%
2021	6.4%	10.2%
2022	5.5%	9.5%
2023	5.8%	9.5%
2024	6.2%	9.8%

Calendar years	Kent County, Michigan	United States
2014	7.3/1k	8.5/1k
2015	7.2/1k	8.7/1k
2016	7.9/1k	9.1/1k
2017	7.9/1k	9.8/1k
2018	9.3/1k	10.7/1k
2019	9.2/1k	10.6/1k
2020	12.0/1k	13.1/1k
2021	14.0/1k	16.2/1k
2022	13.2/1k	15.1/1k
2023	13.9/1k	16.2/1k
2024	13.2/1k	15.4/1k
2025	14.4/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved17

Declined5

Counties like Kent County, Michigan five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Metro area

Cities and towns in Kent County

Neighboring counties

Similar counties

Data and sources

Improved17

Declined5

Household income

House

Senate

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought