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CITY

Kentwood

Michigan · 54,776 residents (2025 est.) · 20.9 sq mi
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The short version

Kentwood is a city of 54,296 people in Michigan. This skews young, with a median age of 35.1. Density works out to 2,596 people per square mile. 9,041 more people live here than in 2000. The average commute runs 20 minutes. The typical home is worth $268,200, having more than doubled since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $74,373, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Kentwood

What changed most since 1990

  • White share89.9% → 52.3% (−37.6 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Black share5.1% → 21.5% (+16.4 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • Poverty rate5.0% → 10.4% (+5.4 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts

Among the 60 cities and towns in the Grand Rapids metro

  • 19th in household income$74,373
  • 15th in share with a bachelor's degree36.7%
  • 19th in home value$268,200
  • 1st in diversity score82.0

Its weight in Kent County

Kentwood's population equals 8.2% of Kent County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 18% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
54,296
+20%since 2000
from 45,255 in 2000
54,776 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,596 / sq mi
+20%since 2000
from 2,164 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.1
+8%since 2000
from 32.4 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
20.9 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
36K41K46K51K56K19902000201020202024Kentwood
202454K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(2,712)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 98.2%(4,441)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(3,579)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.2%(3,387)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(3,471)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3417.4%(9,462)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4414%(7,588)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.1%(6,031)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.4%(5,660)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.8%(4,805)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.8%(2,060)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(1,100)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$74,373
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $45,812 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,116
+61%since 2000
from $22,463 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.7%
+21.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.4%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 6.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.406
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.406 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade22.2%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services6.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance5.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical5.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration5%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade4.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing3%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$268,200
+29%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $114,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,260
+18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $586 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
61.3%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 61.0% in 2000
38.7% rent
Vacancy rate
4.8%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.53 people
+5%since 2009
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.2%
−10.0 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
43.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 41.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.6
+23%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
57
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79%(35,740)
Black8.9%(4,040)
Hispanic / Latino3.9%(1,757)
Asian5.6%(2,543)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic52.3%(28,388)
Black21.5%(11,692)
Hispanic / Latino10.3%(5,586)
Asian9.9%(5,396)
Other6%(3,234)
Diversity Score
82
+40%since 2009
from 59 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.3%(3,410)
Puerto Rican1.3%(706)
Guatemalan0.7%(407)
Cuban0.7%(354)
Dominican0.3%(176)
Honduran0.2%(100)
Nicaraguan0.2%(97)
Colombian0.2%(84)
Salvadoran0.1%(66)
Peruvian0%(25)
+ 2 more hispanic origin groups with data
Spaniard0%(10)
Asian origin
Vietnamese3%(1,616)
Burmese2.6%(1,424)
Japanese0.8%(453)
Chinese0.8%(438)
Asian Indian0.8%(420)
Nepalese0.6%(311)
Bhutanese0.5%(247)
Korean0.4%(234)
Filipino0.2%(88)
Pakistani0.1%(28)
Thai0%(15)
Cambodian0%(11)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German12.5%(6,789)
Dutch10%(5,429)
English8.1%(4,387)
Irish6.2%(3,366)
Polish4.2%(2,269)
American2.7%(1,461)
Arab1.8%(1,000)
Italian1.8%(970)
French1.3%(725)
Scottish1.1%(586)
Swedish1%(539)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
West Indian0.7%(358)
Moroccan0.5%(290)
Jamaican0.4%(234)
Norwegian0.4%(231)
Lithuanian0.4%(216)
Croatian0.4%(213)
Syrian0.4%(199)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(195)
Danish0.3%(173)
Welsh0.3%(167)
Russian0.3%(152)
Ghanaian0.3%(150)
Nigerian0.3%(148)
Hungarian0.3%(142)
Finnish0.2%(114)
Czech0.2%(110)
Jordanian0.2%(103)
Lebanese0.2%(98)
Canadian0.2%(92)
British0.2%(85)
Swiss0.1%(75)
Ethiopian0.1%(66)
Somali0.1%(66)
Greek0.1%(65)
Ukrainian0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(54)
Palestinian0.1%(46)
Austrian0.1%(29)
Romanian0.1%(29)
Belgian0%(25)
Guyanese0%(25)
Egyptian0%(23)
Haitian0%(22)
Iraqi0%(20)
Latvian0%(20)
Armenian0%(14)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.7%
+5.3 ptssince 2000
from 31.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
89.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 89.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 9.1% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.7 min
+67%since 2000
from 11.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.1%
−11.8 ptssince 2009
from 85.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.0%
+8.3 ptssince 2009
from 3.7% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.6%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.2% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−4.7 ptssince 2011
from 9.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
69.7%
−2.9 ptssince 2011
from 72.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
80.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 80.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
9.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
38.1%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.7% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Female
51.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Foreign born
19.2%
+7.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.5%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.5%
−0.6 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.9%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.1%
+9.4 ptssince 2017
from 81.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.1%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 93.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
86.2%
+2.8 ptssince 2020
from 83.5% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
75.2%
−2.0 ptssince 2016
from 77.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.2%
−1.6 ptssince 2016
from 6.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.6%(8,331)
Married50.8%(10,687)
Widowed2.5%(522)
Divorced7%(1,477)
Women 15+
Never married33.2%(7,478)
Married45.6%(10,280)
Widowed6.6%(1,485)
Divorced14.7%(3,304)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
3.9%
−7.1 ptssince 2013
from 11.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
61.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 60.5% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.0%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 12.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 22.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 1.5% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
71.7%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 70.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
36.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 36.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.9%(337)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.2%(342)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33%(620)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(106)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.1%(58)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,878 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Kentwood, decade by decade

Kentwood population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199037,826$82,380$184,80526.0%23.5
200045,255$83,454$207,66931.5%45.4
201048,707$69,533$204,56532.5%65.5
202054,304$66,718$205,68333.6%81.1
202454,296$74,373$268,20036.7%82.0

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Kentwood

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Pop 53,817
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Pop 58,626
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Pop 52,032
Places similar to Kentwood
Head to head

Compare Kentwood to nearby cities

KENTWOOD VS
East Grand Rapids
Income$166,610+124%
Home value$521,300+94%
Population11,663−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENTWOOD VS
Cutlerville
Income$67,327−9%
Home value$222,600−17%
Population18,780−66%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENTWOOD VS
Wyoming
Income$73,677−1%
Home value$225,200−16%
Population78,588+43%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
KENTWOOD VS
Grand Rapids
Income$69,108−7%
Home value$244,500−9%
Population201,183+267%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Kentwood, Michigan?

Kentwood, Michigan has about 54,296 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Kentwood, Michigan?

The typical household in Kentwood, Michigan earns about $74,373 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Kentwood, Michigan expensive?

In Kentwood, Michigan, the median home is worth about $268,200, and the typical rent is about $1,260 a month.

How educated are people in Kentwood, Michigan?

About 36.7% of adults age 25 and over in Kentwood, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Kentwood, Michigan?

About 10.4% of people in Kentwood, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.

Has Kentwood, Michigan grown since 1990?

Yes, Kentwood, Michigan has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,470 residents, a change of about 44 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →