Is East Grand Rapids, MI a Good Place to Live?
East Grand Rapids is a small city of 11,385 in Michigan, with a median household income of $160,417 and a 1.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: East Grand Rapids stands out for an affordable cost of living, lower-than-average crime, a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether East Grand Rapids is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All East Grand Rapids city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 95.2East Grand Rapids's overall cost of living index is 95.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in East Grand Rapids costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | East Grand Rapids, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $451,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,700 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 95.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $160,417 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeEast Grand Rapids's violent crime rate is 61.2 per 100,000 residents — 84% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | East Grand Rapids, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 81.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 99.4% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
East Grand Rapids sees average highs of 30.5°F in January and 82.4°F in July, with 39.6 inches of annual precipitation and 74.9 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | East Grand Rapids, MI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 30.5°F |
| Average High — July | 82.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 39.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 74.9" |
Demographics
| Metric | East Grand Rapids, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,385 | — |
| Median Age | 37.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 1.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 18.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 93.4% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1.5% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.6% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 33.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.0% | 16.8% |