Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 19,442, settled in 1826. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Grand Rapids Township earns an A, 43rd among Michigan's 697 graded towns. Its public schools beat 98% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation, residents are healthier than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household earns $123K. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $427K for a typical one and 5.1 times the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. 66% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Grand Rapids Township, above both the Michigan town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). On hazard risk, just 61 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Grand Rapids Township is home to Kuyper College.
Where Grand Rapids Township beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Knapp Forest Elementary School | PK–5 | 520 |
| Orchard View Elementary School | K–5 | 439 |
| Knapp Charter Academy | K–8 | 398 |
16,661 counted in 2010 and 18,905 in 2020; an estimated 19,442 in 2025.
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 Grand Rapids Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,686 in 1850, 198,917 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1831 and 4 maps from 1914 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids Township.
Grand Rapids Township has schools in the top 5% of Michigan, has less food insecurity than most of Michigan and has household incomes well above the Michigan norm.
23 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Grand Rapids Township’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile. Crahen Valley Park, at 203 acres with 5.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Grand Rapids Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 7.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crahen Valley Park | 5.9 mi | 203 |
| 2. Knapp Valley Forest Park | 2.8 mi | 89 |
| 3. Provin Trails Park | 2.8 mi | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its A+ ranks #4 of the 699 Michigan towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $427K.
Its public schools are run by the Forest Hills Public Schools. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knapp Forest Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 520 | A+ |
| Northern High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,088 | A |
| Northern Hills Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 515 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Grand Rapids Township since 1981.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Michigan is food insecurity: 9.5% of its 24,375 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.4% statewide.
11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Grand Rapids Township. Grand Rapids Township beats the Michigan average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Grand Rapids Township.
| Grand Rapids Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 25% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Grand Rapids Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.6% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Grand Rapids Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 75 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 7,224 in 2011 to 10,017. 29.5% of workers work from home, against 13.5% across Michigan.
Most working residents leave Grand Rapids Township for work: only 5% work in town. The average trip to work in Grand Rapids Township is 20 minutes. Since 2011, Grand Rapids Township has added 2,793 jobs, to 10,017 in 2021.
| Grand Rapids Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $123,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Grand Rapids Township. Close and well known come first.
6 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
in town MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
13 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail6 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater
4 mi Theme parkRamona Park
7 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
8 within 15 miles of the center of Grand Rapids Township
About 5 of every 100 Grand Rapids Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Grand Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Kent County, Michigan. The city had a population of 198,917 at the 2020 census and an estimated population of 201,183 in 2025. Grand Rapids is the second-most populated municipality in the state after Detroit. It is the central city of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, which has a population of around 1.2 million and is the 49th-largest metropolitan area in the United States. Grand Rapids is situated along the Grand River approximately 25 miles (40 km) east of Lake Michigan, and is considered the economic and cultural hub of West Michigan. Originally inhabited by the Hopewell and later Odawa people, the area was settled by European American…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
8 towns share a border with Grand Rapids Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Township | #43 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Grand Rapids | #583 | C− | C+ | D | C | B |
| East Grand Rapids | #18 | A+ | D | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Ada Township | #34 | A | C− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Forest Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Plainfield Township | #80 | A | C+ | — | A | A− |
| Northview | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kentwood | #453 | C+ | C+ | D | B | B |
Grand Rapids Township, Ada Township and Plainfield Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Forest Hills and Northview aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Grand Rapids Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Grand Rapids Township grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #43 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
