Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Big Rapids is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 535th among Michigan's 697 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 59% of Michigan towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $44K, and 34% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $221K, 3.6 years of the Big Rapids area’s $61K median household income. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Big Rapids, above both the Michigan town median (8.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 8 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on walkability. Big Rapids is home to Ferris State University.
Where Big Rapids beats most towns.
10,601 counted in 2010 and 7,727 in 2020; an estimated 8,623 in 2025.
The decline has turned around: up 3.3% since 2020, after a 27.1% drop in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Big Rapids is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,237 in 1870, a peak of 14,361 in 1980, 7,727 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Big Rapids, 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 Big Rapids.
Big Rapids is shaped by its college students and draws workers from Big Rapids Township and beyond, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Michigan (mostly strong winds).
41.5% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.1% statewide, which pulls the median age down. Only 41.5% of households own their home, against 73.2% across Michigan.
Big Rapids’ median age is 22.9 years. Big Rapids has grown 3.3% since 2020, to 8,623 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 12% of Big Rapids residents are under 18.
| Big Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 22.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 9.7% | 19% | 18% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.7 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 23.6, men 22.4.
| Big Rapids | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 47.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 5.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.9% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.9% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Big Rapids Public Schools. Three of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 644 | B |
| MecostaOsceola Education CenterLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 121 | B+ |
| Riverview Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 346 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
4.3 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail density in Big Rapids is 1.0 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is NorthEnd Park, 112 acres with 2.3 miles of trail.
| Big Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. NorthEnd Park | 2.3 mi | 112 |
| 2. River Street Park | 0.3 mi | 28 |
| 3. Vogel Field | 0.3 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
5,742 jobs are based in Big Rapids, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 7,381 in 2011 to 5,742.
About one in 4 of Big Rapids’s working residents works in town. Since 2011, Big Rapids has lost 1,639 jobs, to 5,742 in 2021. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (7%), Big Rapids Township (6%) and Reed City (3%).
| Big Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 99% of Michigan towns, with expected losses of about $641 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Only 8 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Big Rapids. Since 1991, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Big Rapids.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Big Rapids has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 14° and about 61 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
42% of households own their home in Big Rapids. Typical home values rose 6.8% in the year to September 2026.
| Big Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $929 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 3,636 U.S. towns with household incomes like Big Rapids’s, it is healthier than 95%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Big Rapids beats the Michigan average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Only 2 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Big Rapids.
| Big Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 27% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Big Rapids | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.5% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 20.5% | 29.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.9% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Big Rapids
College town 42 of every 100 Big Rapids residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
2 places in Big Rapids on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Big Rapids.
City in Michigan, United States
Big Rapids is a city and the seat of government of Mecosta County, Michigan, United States. The population was 7,727 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 8,565 in 2024, The city is surrounded by Big Rapids Charter Township but they are completely separate jurisdictions. Big Rapids is home of the main campus of Ferris State University, a four-year public university.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Big Rapids grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #535 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health, C for safety and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
16 notable people were born here, including Ben Hebard Fuller and Chris Gore.
