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Cost of living, pay and housing

42.95° N · 85.60° W · GEOID 2623980

East Grand Rapids

Kent County, Michigan · part of the Grand Rapids, MI metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

MichiganEast Grand Rapids, MIEast Grand RapidsEast Grand Rapids

The short answer

East Grand Rapids is home to 11,445 people. Median household income is $166,610 a year and median rent is $1,862 a month, 13.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $521,300, about 3.1x annual median household income.

What sets East Grand Rapids apart is how far household money goes. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $148,100 a year, more than in 95% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 148 Michigan places we track. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 100 hours a year commuting, less than in 97% of places its size.

#6OF 6,612

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

East Grand Rapids ranks 6th of the 6,612 places we rate, in the top 1%, and 2nd of 176 in Michigan.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%83
Economy 20%90
Safety 20%87
Amenities 15%61
Education 10%99
Commute 10%90
Growth 5%30
Median gross rent
$1,862
36% above the median place
Median household income
$166,610
108% above the median place
Median home value
$521,300
63% above the median place
Unemployment
3.2%
34% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about East Grand Rapids

  • AffordabilityThe median rent takes 13.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 95% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to East Grand Rapids

Kent County loses about 3.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in23,291
Moved out24,962
Net−1,671

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Ottawa County, MI3,6944,720−1,026
Allegan County, MI9091,226−317
Montcalm County, MI8101,080−270
Muskegon County, MI798920−122
Barry County, MI615960−345
Ionia County, MI593887−294
Oakland County, MI683595+88
Kalamazoo County, MI691

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MichiganOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$62K
Leavers$68K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Kent County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 4.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Kent County report $61,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,500, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$74,500 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,862 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,720 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $521,300.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 26.0% work from home; 1.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Wyoming, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
4.0%
105% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
6.2%
8% above the median place
Income of households moving in8
$61,700
13% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year16.2%8% above
Moved from another state14.0%105% above
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-3.0400% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$61,70013% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$68,4623% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 92 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

East Grand Rapids13.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$74,480
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.4%
34% below the median place
Home price to income
3.1x
18% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$148,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Grand Rapids, $1,862 a month, and local prices for everything else (97.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like East Grand Rapids, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Grand Rapids on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Wyoming, OH959.1% vs 13.4%$6,800Compare
Western Springs, IL9310.5% vs 13.4%$54,300Compare
Winnetka, IL928.8% vs 13.4%$75,600Compare
Milton, MA859.4% vs 13.4%$22,600Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Grand Rapids.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Grand Rapids? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
28.3%
44% below the median place
Homeownership1
93.9%
41% above the median place
Median year built1
1954
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,86236% above
Rent to income113.4%34% below
Property tax rate11.4%57% above
Home price to income13.1x18% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure95.55% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6301% above
HUD area median income4County figure$106,6001% below
Property tax paid (median)1$7,474129% above
Median home value1$521,30063% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.5%40% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure60.2%17% above
Homeownership193.9%41% above
Renters paying 30%+128.3%44% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,72045% above
Vacant homes1County figure4.6%34% below
Median year built119541% below
03

Work and pay

26% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 96% of places.

Poverty rate1
3.6%
67% below the median place
Median household income1
$166,610
108% above the median place
Income per person1
$79,053
97% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Mean commute18 min −29%
Works from home26.0% 2.1×
Unemployment3.2% −34%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$166,610108% above
Income per person1$79,05397% above
Unemployment13.2%34% below
Average annual pay6County figure$64,7992% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.0%8% above
Jobs6County figure417,408177% above
Poverty rate13.6%67% below
Mean commute118 min29% below
Works from home126.0%109% above
Commutes by transit1County figure1.5%75% above
04

Who lives here

80% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 98% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 176 Michigan places we track.

High school or higher1
99.1%
7% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
79.9%
149% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
97.7%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.0 +20%
Born abroad4.7% −46%
Median age37.0 −5%
All 9 people measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,4453709th largest
Population change since 202072.2%94% above
Median age137.05% below
Bachelor's or higher179.9%149% above
High school or higher199.1%7% above
Household size13.020% above
Born abroad14.7%46% below
No health insurance1County figure4.8%25% below
Homes with broadband197.7%6% above
05

Life in East Grand Rapids

The nearest National Park Service site is North Country Trail, about 14 miles away.

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

  • Blodgett, John W., Estate listed 1983

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.5 +3%
Playgrounds per 10k7.0 −26%
Grocery stores per 10k1.8 −17%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k14.0 +25%
Libraries per 10k1.8 2.0×
Named paths and bike trails10 km 5.2×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.3 +62%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • North Country Trail 14 miles
  • Indiana Dunes National Park 118 miles
  • Pullman National Historical Park 134 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.7 −0%
Shops32.6 +8%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.2 +2%
Doctors' offices and clinics20.3 +0%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site11
13.7
56% below the median place
Public schools14
229
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students14
96,389
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools14County figure229above (median 9)
Public school students14County figure96,389above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher14County figure17.111% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.70% below
Shops per 10k9County figure32.68% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure4.22% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure20.30% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k1010.53% above
Playgrounds per 10k107.026% below
Grocery stores per 10k101.817% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1014.025% above
Libraries per 10k101.8101% above
Named paths and bike trails1010.4above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.362% above
Nearest National Park Service site1113.756% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 43, 78% below the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
43
78% below the median place
Property crime per 100k
574
53% below the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Average temperature15
48°F
13% below the median place
Tornado risk16
97.8
20% above the median place
January average low15
16°F
35% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureEast Grand RapidsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high15County figure83°F5% below
January average low15County figure16°F35% below
Average temperature15County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation15County figure37.4 in15% below
Natural hazard risk16County figure92.20% below
Hurricane risk16County figure33.652% below
Tornado risk16County figure97.820% above
Wildfire risk16County figure42.630% below
Heat wave risk16County figure95.06% above
Median air quality index17County figure5221% above
Good air days17County figure41.9%39% below
08

East Grand Rapids in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 14% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 13% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, East Grand Rapids does better than 83% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 26%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,862/mo (2024)$2,400/mo$1,970 to $2,920/mo+4.3%
Median household income$166,610 (2024)$210,000$177,500 to $248,500+3.9%
Median home value$521,300 (2024)$736,000$534,000 to $1,013,000+5.9%
Population11,663 (2025)11,88011,390 to 12,380+0.4%

The median home would be worth 3.5 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like East Grand Rapids

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Madeira, OH$1,777$167,653Compare
Glendale, MO$1,855$170,700Compare
Naperville, IL$1,885$155,105Compare
Bala Cynwyd, PA$1,886$150,000Compare
Bala Cynwyd, PANaperville, ILGlendale, MOMadeira, OHEast Grand Rapids, MIEast Grand RapidsMadeiraGlendaleNapervilleEast Grand RapidsMadeiraGlendaleNaperville

Places built like East Grand Rapids

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how East Grand Rapids performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Grand Rapids, MI13.4%2.8%/yr2.2%
Wyoming, OH9.1%5.7%/yr0.4%Compare
Western Springs, IL10.5%5.7%/yr-0.3%Compare
Madeira, OH12.7%7.3%/yr1.5%Compare
Winnetka, IL8.8%0.0%/yr-1.8%Compare
Whitefish Bay, WI10.2%4.8%/yr-3.1%Compare
Bexley, OH9.6%7.7%/yr-10.6%Compare

Common questions

Is East Grand Rapids a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. It ranks 6th of the 6,612 places we rate on the Citytistics Index, in the top 1%, and 2nd of 176 in Michigan. The median rent takes 13.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 95% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 100 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Grand Rapids expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $521,300.

What salary do you need to live in East Grand Rapids?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $74,480 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is East Grand Rapids safe?

There were 43 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to East Grand Rapids?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Madeira, OH, Glendale, MO, Naperville, IL and Bala Cynwyd, PA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  16. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  17. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Grand Rapids with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Grand Rapids itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-grand-rapids-michigan

Citytistics. “East Grand Rapids, Michigan.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-grand-rapids-michigan/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.