Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With an A+ overall, East Grand Rapids is better than 97% of U.S. towns and ranks 18th of 697 in Michigan. Where it does best is health (A+). It also does well on schools (A+): its schools rank ahead of 98% of Michigan towns. What counts against it is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $674K, 8.1 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. John W. Blodgett Estate is on the National Register of Historic Places. 80% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in the town, above both the Michigan town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On walkability, just 48 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places.
Where East Grand Rapids beats most towns.
| Widest gap | East Grand Rapids | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 2.4% | 10.2% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Wealthy School | K–5 | 462 |
| Lakeside School | K–5 | 453 |
| Breton Downs School | PK–5 | 451 |
6.7% 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 East Grand Rapids is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 466 in 1900, 11,371 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 4 maps from 1914 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Grand 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 East Grand Rapids.
East Grand Rapids has schools in the top 5% of Michigan and has less tooth loss than most of Michigan, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Michigan.
At 8.1 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $674K) costs more against local pay than in 99% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. Home values rose 39% in five years, to about $674K, against 24% across Michigan.
A home in East Grand Rapids typically sold within 5 days of listing. Home values are up 8% over the year to September 2026. The share of households in East Grand Rapids who own their home: 94%.
| East Grand Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,862 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 94% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
That grade ranks #4 of the 699 Michigan towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $674K.
The largest public high school is East Grand Rapids High School, with 908 students. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the East Grand Rapids Public Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Grand Rapids Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 710 | A+ |
| East Grand Rapids High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 908 | A+ |
| Lakeside SchoolTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 453 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
East Grand Rapids’ density of trails is 1.6 miles per square mile. 5.5 miles of trail wind through 6 parks and preserves. Manhattan Park, at 42 acres with 3.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| East Grand Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manhattan Park | 3.4 mi | 42 |
| 2. Hodenpyl Woods | 0.5 mi | 33 |
| 3. Remington Park | 0.4 mi | 27 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Michigan is tooth loss: 2.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.2% statewide.
Among adults 18 to 64 in East Grand Rapids, 2.9% have no health insurance. Only 4 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a lower share of adults who smoke cigarettes than East Grand Rapids. The town does better than the Michigan average on 26 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1.
| East Grand Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.9% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 25% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | East Grand Rapids | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 2.4% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 15.4% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.8% | 15.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities. East Grand Rapids has had 6 paid flood insurance claims since 1994. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 58% come from inland flooding and 21% from tornadoes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in East Grand Rapids after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2000.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 4,701 working residents takes 17.7 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan. 26% of workers work from home, against 13.5% across Michigan.
Among 701 Michigan towns, just 8 have a higher middle household income than East Grand Rapids. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 7% of working residents work locally. East Grand Rapids’ average commute comes in at 18 minutes. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (32%), Kentwood (8%) and Cascade Township (6%).
| East Grand Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $167,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 26% | 10% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
The range runs from 17° on a January night to 83° on a July afternoon, with about 75 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 180 to 72 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 5 reported in 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
In East Grand Rapids, the property crime rate is 5.7 per 1,000 residents. East Grand Rapids’ violent crime rate stands at 0.4 per 1,000 residents.
| East Grand Rapids | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Grand Rapids. Close and well known come first.
4 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
3 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
14 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail
in town Theme parkRamona Park4 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater
5 mi Zoo & aquariumJohn Ball ZooGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum: Staff of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Public domain · Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: User Jeffness on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · North Country Trail: Huron-Manistee National Forests, Public domain · Ramona Park: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0 · John Ball Zoo: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
9 within 15 miles of the center of East Grand Rapids
About 3 of every 100 East Grand Rapids residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where East Grand Rapids’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
City in Michigan, United States
East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,371. The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, including Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, but the city is administered autonomously.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with East Grand Rapids.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Grand Rapids | #18 | A+ | D | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Grand Rapids | #583 | C− | C+ | D | C | B |
| Grand Rapids Township | #43 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
Grand Rapids Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare East Grand Rapids with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. East Grand Rapids grades A+ overall, better than 97% of U.S. towns and #18 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A+ for health, B+ for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
East Grand Rapids was incorporated in 1926 and has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 notable people were born here, including Jim Boylen and Hugh Blacklock.
