Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 17,171, settled in 1843. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Yes, by almost any measure. Caledonia Township earns an A+, ranked 10th of 697 in Michigan. Its schools rank ahead of 95% of Michigan towns, the median household earns $111K, and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 84% of the country. Its lowest mark, a B−, is in cost of living. 53% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Caledonia Township, above both Michigan’s towns (26%) and U.S. towns (29%). Caledonia Township is home to Davenport University. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Caledonia Township beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Caledonia Elementary School | K–4 | 378 |
| Emmons Lake Elementary School | K–4 | 377 |
| Kettle Lake Elementary School | K–4 | 349 |
| Widest gap | Caledonia Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 15.4% |
12,332 counted in 2010 and 15,811 in 2020; an estimated 17,171 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 8.6% since 2020, after 28.2% 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 Caledonia Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 340 in 1880, 1,622 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1918 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Caledonia Township, 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 Caledonia Township.
Caledonia Township has schools in the top 5% of Michigan, trades workers with Grand Rapids and other neighbors and has less food insecurity than most of Michigan.
Caledonia Township: 90% of households live in a home they own. Typical home values rose 5% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
That grade ranks #26 of the 699 Michigan towns we grade for schools.
Its public schools are run by the Caledonia Community Schools. Of its 8 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The largest public high school is Caledonia High School, with 1,438 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Meadows Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 703 | A |
| Caledonia High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,438 | A |
| Caledonia Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 378 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Michigan is food insecurity: 9.7% of its 13,863 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.4% statewide.
Two figures for adults here: 12% report frequent physical distress, 14% say their health is fair or poor. 9.6% of adults have diabetes in Caledonia Township.
| Caledonia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Caledonia Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.7% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Paid flood insurance claims in Caledonia Township since 1981: 15. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage here than in 84% of U.S. communities. Just over half of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 27%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The biggest park or preserve is Two Rivers Park, at 285 acres. Count the trails in 10 parks and preserves and they come to 10 miles. In Caledonia Township, the trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Caledonia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thornapple Riverbend Greenspace | 1.8 mi | 208 |
| 2. Lepard Preserve | 0.9 mi | 56 |
| 3. Caledonia Lakeside Park | 0.7 mi | 61 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
A winter brings about 78 inches of snow, with January nights at 17° and July afternoons at 83°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Caledonia Township has about as many jobs (6,994) as working residents, but only 716 people both live and work here.
Commuting out is the norm in Caledonia Township: 11% of working residents work locally. Jobs based here fell to 6,994 in 2021, 993 fewer than in 2011. The share of workers in Caledonia Township who do their job from home: 18%. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (19%), Kentwood (10%) and Cascade Township (8%).
| Caledonia Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $111,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Caledonia Township. Close and well known come first.
15 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
13 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail
14 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
39 mi Theme parkAir Zoo15 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater
12 mi Theme parkRamona ParkGerald 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 · Air Zoo: User:my name, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ramona Park: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
7 within 15 miles of the center of Caledonia Township
About 8 of every 100 Caledonia Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Village in Michigan, United States
Caledonia is a village in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,622 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Caledonia Township about 15 miles (24.1 km) southeast of downtown Grand Rapids.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Caledonia Township.
At #10 in MI, it grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Gaines Township (A) comes closest.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caledonia Township | #10 | A+ | B− | — | A+ | A− |
| Bowne Township | #153 | A− | C | — | A | A |
| Cascade Township | #61 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Thornapple Township | #75 | A | B | — | A− | B+ |
| Gaines Township | #44 | A | C+ | — | A+ | A− |
Caledonia Township, Bowne Township, Cascade Township, Thornapple Township and Gaines Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Caledonia Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Caledonia Township grades A+ overall, better than 98% of U.S. towns and #10 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A− for health and A+ for schools.
That is 5.6 years of the area's median household income ($82,874 across the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
