Georgetown Township Public Library, 2019
Jenison’s story
Jenison in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2019.
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JenisonMI
Population 17,582: a town in Michigan.
Photo: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
17,582
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$367K
+3.3% in a year
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Jobs based here
6,292
Balanced
Is Jenison a good place to live?
Jenison’s midpoint rent is $2,306 a month, against $1,046 a month in Michigan’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Jenison’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Hager Park, 111 acres with 3.2 miles of trail. We don’t grade Jenison yet; the figures below are still real.
Getting set up
Moving to Jenison: who provides what
Jenison is unincorporated, so Ottawa County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGeorgetown Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesOttawa CountyOttawa County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereGeorgetown Township ClerkGeorgetown Charter Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4942849428 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 Jenison.
Natural hazards
Top of a very low hazard risk in Jenison: inland flooding
Flood insurance has paid out on 2 claims in Jenison since 2013. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in 89% of U.S. communities. 56% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 16%.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
2
paid flood claims since 2013
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Jenison home at about $367K
For households in Jenison, the share who own their home is 88%. Values rose 3.3% in the 12 months to September 2026. Homes sold in Jenison spent a median 8 days on the market.
$367KZillow home value
Typical home value
Jenison$367K
Michigan$264K
Market temperature
8
days on market
101.5%
sale-to-list price
+3.3%
value change, 1 year
18
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Jenison’s year
The range runs from 18° on a January night to 83° on a July afternoon, with about 78 inches of snow 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
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With only 0.9 jobs per working resident, most people in Jenison work out of town
Jenison: 3.7% of residents live below the poverty line. Just 7% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs here rose by 1,699, to 6,292. The average trip to work for Jenison comes to 20 minutes.
7%work in town
| Jenison | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Jenison7%
Grand Rapids18%
Georgetown Township10%
Wyoming9%
Grandville5%
10 mi
median commute distance
6,292
jobs based in Jenison
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 32% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (21% statewide). 22% of residents are 65 or older in Jenison. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 35%, against 32% across Michigan.
37.7median age · MI 40.2
| Jenison | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 26% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
JenisonMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school28%
Some college23%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.4 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Jenison | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.8% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.4% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.1% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.1% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Health
How healthy Jenison is
The share of adults in Jenison who had a checkup this year: 82%. The town does better than the Michigan average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1.
| Jenison | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
13 better18 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Jenison | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.7% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
University of Michigan Health - West
6.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up 4.2% of Jenison
Count the trails in 6 parks and preserves and they come to 5.7 miles.
4.2%conserved
4.2%
conserved · 157 of 3,775 acres
5.7 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hager Park | 3.2 mi | 111 |
| 2. Maplewood Park | 1.8 mi | 74 |
| 3. Rosewood Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jenison. Close and well known come first.
9 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
25 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail38 mi Theme parkMichigan's Adventure
13 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park9 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater
8 mi Zoo & aquariumJohn Ball ZooSources: 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 · John Ball Zoo: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jenison
17pages on Jenison
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of Jenison
Grand Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Allendale5.3 mi$15,140 in-state tuitionGrace Christian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wyoming6.9 mi$18,690 tuitionGrand Rapids Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grand Rapids9.3 mi$4,179 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Jenison residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Famous people from Jenison
4 notable people were born in Jenison.
About Jenison
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Jenison is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located within Georgetown Charter Township. As of the 2020 census, Jenison had a population of 16,640. The current estimated population for the entire Jenison ZIP code, 49428, is 26,156. The geographical boundaries of the ZIP code are larger than that of the CDP. It is a bedroom community in proximity to Grand Rapids.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 604 ft
- ZIP code
- 49428, 49429
Questions about Jenison
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jenison, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Jenison yet; the figures below are still real.