More historic than 25% of U.S. towns · #608 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Most of Grandville was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1978. Below: maps from 1958 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1834.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Grandville’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Grandville is more historic than 25% of U.S. towns, #608 of 701 in Michigan. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Grandville’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Grandville’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1833.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Grandville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Anishinaabe peoples are indigenous to the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. Grandville was geographically an important place during the logging years in Michigan's history due to its location at the "river-bend" of the Grand River. It was important to have people there to make sure the logs did not jam up as the river turned north-west toward Grand Haven.
Grandville was founded in 1833 and incorporated as a city in 1933.
In 1833, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Grandville’s post office opened in 1834, and the census of 1880 counted 548 people here.
How does Grandville rank for history?
Grandville is more historic than 25% of U.S. towns, #608 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Grandville?
8% of Grandville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1978.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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