Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Kentwood grades C+ overall, 453rd of 697 graded towns in Michigan, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. On the other side, its crime rate is higher than 86% of U.S. towns, with 209 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2024. On history, just 1 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. Kentwood’s property crime rate is 21.8 per 1,000 residents, above both Michigan’s towns (9.3) and U.S. towns (11.5). On civic life, just 82 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns do worse.
Where Kentwood beats most towns.
48,707 counted in 2010 and 54,304 in 2020; an estimated 54,776 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 11.5% 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 Kentwood is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 20,310 in 1970, 54,304 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1914 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kentwood, 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 Kentwood.
Kentwood draws workers from Grand Rapids and beyond and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
49,203 jobs are based in Kentwood, 2.1 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Kentwood for work: only 14% work in town. Kentwood’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Since 2011, Kentwood has added 6,476 jobs, to 49,203 in 2021.
| Kentwood | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 12% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Kentwood Public Schools. Three of its 19 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestwood Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 700 | B− |
| Grand River Preparatory High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 635 | C |
| Meadow Brook Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 431 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
17 miles of trail in 15 parks and preserves. The trail density in Kentwood is 0.8 miles per square mile. Covenant Park, at 115 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Kentwood | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Covenant Park | 3.3 mi | 115 |
| 2. Paris Park | 1.3 mi | 72 |
| 3. Kellogg Woods Park | 0.6 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 1,770 to 1,333 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Kentwood reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less.
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kentwood.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Kentwood home is worth about $332,000, up 3.9% in a year, 26% above the Michigan typical home. 61% of Kentwood households own their home.
| Kentwood | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,260 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Kentwood has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 78 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Kentwood beats the Michigan average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 34% of adults feel lonely in Kentwood.
| Kentwood | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Kentwood | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5.7% | 7% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 6.6% | 8.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 8.2% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 15% of residents (19% statewide). 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Kentwood | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 26% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 21% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.5 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 36.7, men 33.5.
| Kentwood | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.7% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.1% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.7% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kentwood. Close and well known come first.
7 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
13 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail
7 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park7 mi TheatreAcrisure Amphitheater
5 mi Theme parkRamona Park
8 mi Zoo & aquariumJohn Ball ZooGerald 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 · 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 Kentwood
About 5 of every 100 Kentwood residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Where Kentwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
City in Michigan, United States
Kentwood is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 54,304 as of the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the northwest by Grand Rapids and is the third most-populated municipality in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Kentwood.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentwood | #453 | C+ | C+ | D | B | B |
| Grand Rapids | #583 | C− | C+ | D | C | B |
| Cascade Township | #61 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Wyoming | #386 | B− | B− | C− | B+ | B− |
| Forest Hills | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gaines Township | #44 | A | C+ | — | A+ | A− |
| Grand Rapids Township | #43 | A | C− | — | A+ | A |
| Ada Township | #34 | A | C− | — | A+ | A+ |
Cascade Township, Gaines Township, Grand Rapids Township and Ada Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Forest Hills isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kentwood with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Kentwood grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #453 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health, D for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 4 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 C+.
2 notable people were born here, including Brian Hyde and Robert VanderLaan.
