MICROPOLITAN AREA
Big Rapids Micro
Big Rapids, MI · 1 counties · 42,320 residents (2025 est.) · 555 sq mi
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The short version
Big Rapids is home to 41,242 people. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 22% of adults. The foreign-born share is 2%. 77% of homes are owner-occupied. The typical home is worth $178,900, having more than doubled since 2000. 19.9% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
41,242
+2%since 2000
from 40,553 in 2000
42,320 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
555 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202441K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(2,062)
5 to 95.6%(2,300)
10 to 145%(2,067)
15 to 197.9%(3,248)
20 to 2410.8%(4,451)
25 to 3410.4%(4,292)
35 to 4410.5%(4,350)
45 to 5410.3%(4,267)
55 to 6414.1%(5,806)
65 to 7412.5%(5,169)
75 to 846.2%(2,543)
85 and over1.7%(687)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$60,951
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,849 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
39.9%
+21.5 ptssince 2009
from 18.4% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15%
Information10.4%
Wholesale trade7.3%
Finance & insurance5.3%
Professional, scientific, technical4.3%
Other services3.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.2%
Construction2.9%
Public administration2.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
Education & health services0.9%
Manufacturing0.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$178,900
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $86,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
2.9
−13%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic91.9%(37,259)
Black3.6%(1,450)
Hispanic / Latino1.3%(520)
Asian0.9%(346)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic89.6%(36,950)
Black2.1%(882)
Hispanic / Latino3%(1,217)
Asian0.7%(299)
Other4.6%(1,894)
24
+17%since 2009
from 21 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
16
−37%since 2020
from 26 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican1.6%(666)
Cuban0.6%(241)
Puerto Rican0.3%(136)
Central American0.1%(43)
Honduran0%(16)
Salvadoran0%(12)
Panamanian0%(8)
Guatemalan0%(7)
Dominican0%(6)
Asian origin
Korean0.2%(79)
Asian Indian0.2%(68)
Chinese0.1%(61)
Bangladeshi0.1%(22)
Burmese0%(15)
Filipino0%(14)
Japanese0%(6)
Vietnamese0%(6)
Thai0%(4)
Nepalese0%(4)
Okinawan0%(1)
Ancestry
German20.6%(8,491)
English13.2%(5,451)
Irish11%(4,554)
Polish5.5%(2,248)
Dutch5.1%(2,113)
American3.7%(1,535)
French3.3%(1,361)
Italian2.2%(905)
Scottish2.1%(870)
Swedish1.5%(616)
French Canadian1.1%(453)
Norwegian0.7%(289)
+ 33 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.7%(281)
Danish0.5%(217)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(213)
Finnish0.5%(210)
Russian0.4%(161)
Welsh0.4%(152)
Belgian0.3%(142)
Swiss0.3%(139)
Austrian0.3%(127)
Canadian0.3%(117)
Czech0.2%(78)
Arab0.2%(70)
Greek0.1%(60)
Slovak0.1%(59)
Lebanese0.1%(58)
Romanian0.1%(46)
Turkish0.1%(41)
British0.1%(40)
Lithuanian0.1%(30)
Croatian0.1%(29)
Ukrainian0.1%(27)
West Indian0.1%(25)
Jamaican0.1%(25)
Portuguese0%(20)
Subsaharan African0%(20)
Macedonian0%(19)
Serbian0%(16)
Bulgarian0%(14)
Armenian0%(11)
Australian0%(7)
Syrian0%(5)
Nigerian0%(4)
Latvian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.4%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 83.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
70.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 67.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
93.5%
+4.1 ptssince 2020
from 89.4% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.7%(6,400)
Married46.1%(8,043)
Widowed3.8%(664)
Divorced13.3%(2,325)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(5,172)
Married47.9%(8,322)
Widowed10%(1,745)
Divorced12.3%(2,142)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.5%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
65.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 65.9% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
44.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 42.8% 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)25.8%(621)
Gulf War (1990s)16.2%(390)
Vietnam era39.3%(945)
Korean War3.7%(89)
World War II0.6%(14)
Share of the 2,403 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
In this metro
Largest cities
What's inside
1 component county
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Big Rapids, MI?
Big Rapids, MI has about 41,242 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Big Rapids, MI?
The typical household in Big Rapids, MI earns about $60,951 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Big Rapids, MI expensive?
In Big Rapids, MI, the median home is worth about $178,900, and the typical rent is about $934 a month.
How educated are people in Big Rapids, MI?
About 22.5% of adults age 25 and over in Big Rapids, MI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Big Rapids, MI?
About 19.9% of people in Big Rapids, MI live below the federal poverty line.
Has Big Rapids, MI grown since 1990?
Yes, Big Rapids, MI has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,934 residents, a change of about 11 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024