Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.2 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Belding gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $272K, 3.3 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. It grades B− overall, 419th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. On the plus side, it has 10 miles of trail. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Belding’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Belding's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns. On history, just 64 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better.
Where Belding beats most towns.
Richardson Silk Mill11.7% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Belding is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 562 in 1880, 5,938 in 2020. The archive holds 8 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Belding, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Belding.
11 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Lightning Bend Park, at 99 acres with 8.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lightning Bend Park | 8.1 mi | 99 |
| 2. Central Riverside Park | 0.4 mi | 15 |
| 3. Demorest Field | 0.1 mi | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Belding Area School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Belding High School, with 511 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 391 | – |
| Belding High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 511 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
21% of adults report frequent mental distress in Belding, above both Michigan’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (17%). 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Belding. Belding beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Belding | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Belding | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.6% | 10.2% |
| More smokers | 18.4% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Belding since 1981.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Belding for work: only 9% work in town. 16% of Belding residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (13%), Greenville (7%) and Ionia (5%).
| Belding | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Belding has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 15° and about 73 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (about $272K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 22 miles.
The median rent in Belding is $668 a month. Typical home values rose 7.1% in the year to September 2026.
| Belding | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $668 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Belding’s violent crime rate is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Belding | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.9 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Belding
About 6 of every 100 Belding residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Where Belding’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
3 places in Belding on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Michigan, United States
Belding is a city in Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan, completely surrounded by Otisco Township, Michigan. The population was 5,937 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Belding grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #419 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
2 notable people were born here, including Carleton W. Angell and Clay Tallman.
