Byron Center’s typical household income is $123,000, above both the Michigan town median ($77,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Byron Township Whistlestop Park, at 78 acres with 1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Byron Center yet; the figures below are still real.

A growing town

Byron Center has grown 28% from 2010 to 2020

5,822 counted in 2010 and 7,431 in 2020.

5,8222010

7,4312020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

South Christian High School, 2019

Byron Center’s story

133 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.

1893Byron Center is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Byron Center: who provides what

Byron Center is unincorporated, so Kent County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterByron-Gaines Utility AuthorityNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesKent CountyKent County provides services here

SchoolsByron Center Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereByron Township ClerkByron Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2021

ZIP code4931549315 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Byron Center.

Housing

A home in Byron Center is worth about $462K, on Zillow’s estimate

For households in Byron Center, the share who are owner-occupiers is 96%. Values rose 5% in the 12 months to September 2026. A home in Byron Center typically sold within 9 days of listing.

$462KZillow home value

Typical home value

Byron Center$462K

Michigan$264K

Market temperature

days on market

99.8%

sale-to-list price

+5%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in September

Full pageByron Center’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 5% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.8 years of income Rents$1,517 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazards

Very low risk in Byron Center, with inland flooding at the top

On expected storm and flood damage, Byron Center sits below 91% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 44% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 30% to tornadoes.

9risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind

Full pageByron Center’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery low risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters11 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.9 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Work & commute

A smaller share of residents in Byron Center live below the poverty line than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town

Most working residents leave Byron Center for work: only 5% work in town. Byron Center’s average commute comes in at 20 minutes. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (19%), Wyoming (13%) and Byron Township (12%). The share of workers in Byron Center who work remotely from home: 15%.

5%work in town

	Byron Center	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	2.3%	8.9%	9.6%
Average trip to work	20 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Work from home	15%	10%	11%
Working residents who work in town	5%	5.9%	8%

Where working residents work

In Byron Center5%

Grand Rapids19%

Wyoming13%

Byron Township12%

Kentwood7%

11 mi

median commute distance

2,127

jobs based in Byron Center

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageByron Center’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here2,127 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work5% work in Byron Center Commute times20 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 11 miles

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Climate

Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Byron Center

In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 18°, and about 78 inches of snow falls in a winter.

78″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter20–34°

Spring36–58°

Summer59–81°

Fall41–61°

Oct 20

typical first frost

Apr 29

typical last frost

+1.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageByron Center’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 83°, January lows 18°Rain & snow78″ of snow a winter · 38 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

How healthy Byron Center is

30% of adults feel lonely in Byron Center. The town beats the Michigan average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. Two figures for adults locally: 12% report frequent physical distress, 18% get no exercise outside work.

	Byron Center	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	29%	34%	36%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	12%	14%	14%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	18%	25%	25%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	11%	15%	14%

32 measures vs. Michigan

20 better11 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Byron Center	MI
Fewer adults facing food insecurity	8%	15.4%
Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off	4.8%	8.7%
More adults who have had cancer	10.7%	8.9%

University of Michigan Health - West

3.4 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

Full pageByron Center’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby3.4 miles to an ER · University of Michigan Health - West How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than MI on 20 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

In Byron Center, 6.9% of the land is conserved

In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 2.0 miles of trail. Byron Center’s density of trails stands at 0.4 miles per square mile.

6.9%conserved

	Byron Center	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	6.9%	4.4%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.4 miles per square mile	0.3	0.4

6.9%

conserved · 223 of 3,249 acres

2.0 mi

of trails · 0.4 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Byron Township Whistlestop Park	1 mi	78
2. Byron Township Bicentennial Park	0.6 mi	23

Full pageByron Center’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map2.0 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk1 miles of trail · Byron Township Whistlestop Park Conserved land6.9% conserved · 223 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Byron Center?”

Nearby attractions

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and 14 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Byron Center. Close and well known come first.

All 26 attractions →

11 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

22 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail

14 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park 11 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater

11 mi Theme parkRamona Park

11 mi Zoo & aquariumJohn Ball Zoo

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum: Staff of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Public domain · North Country Trail: Huron-Manistee National Forests, Public domain · Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: User Jeffness on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Ramona Park: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John Ball Zoo: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Byron Center

16pages on Byron Center

The big questions

HealthBetter than MI on 20 of 32 CDC measures Cost of living$462K typical home · up 5% in a year Work & commute$123K median household income · 2,127 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors2 mi of trails · 7% conserved land PlacesAttractions26 nearby · Acrisure Amphitheater 11 mi LibraryByron Township Branch Library CollegesGrace Christian University is 7.9 mi away

The story

HistorySettled 1893 Climate83° summer highs · 78″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 49315 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

8 within 15 miles of the center of Byron Center

Grace Christian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wyoming7.9 mi$18,690 tuition Grand Rapids Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grand Rapids11.4 mi$4,179 in-state tuition Grand Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Allendale13.5 mi$15,140 in-state tuition

About 5 of every 100 Byron Center residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

95% of working residents leave Byron Center for work

Where Byron Center’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

2,127jobs based in Byron Center

5%of working residents work in town

11 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

About Byron Center

Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Official town website ↗

Byron Center is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,431 at the 2020 census, which is a significant increase from a population of 5,822 at the 2010 census. Byron Center is located within Byron Township. Byron Center is home of the Byron Center Bulldogs, and the Byron Center Public Schools district. There are 4 elementary schools in Byron Center. Marshall Elementary, Countryside Elementary, Brown Elementary, and Heritage Elementary. The 5/6 building is named the Nickels Intermediate School. The 7/8 building is West Middle School and the high school (9-12) is Byron Center High School. As an unincorpora…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 5.1 sq mi
Elevation: 745 ft
ZIP code: 49315

Questions about Byron Center

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Byron Center, MI a good place to live?

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