“Grand Rapids has all the things you want in a big city,” said Anthony Lambers, a real estate agent who is a city native, citing cultural attractions, a diverse and integrated population, and an interesting food and drink scene. Natural points of interest include public parks, locally grown produce, ubiquitous farmers markets and nearby Lake Michigan, adding to the city’s appeal.
But the prospect of good employment is also a draw, as highlighted in LinkedIn’s inaugural Cities on the Rise report, which ranked the 25 fastest-growing U.S. metro areas for jobs and new talent. Grand Rapids, Mich., topped the list.
Mr. Lambers, whose 20 years in local real estate include work as a mortgage loan officer and now as an agent with HomeRealty, wasn’t surprised by LinkedIn’s findings.
Location: West Michigan, about 180 miles northeast of Chicago and 160 miles northwest of Detroit
Population: 198,917 in the city; 657,974 in the metro area of Kent County (2020 census data)
Area: 45 square miles in the city and 850 square miles in the metro area
Homeownership: 54 percent in the city, 71 percent in the metro area (2024 data)
The vibe: A creative center with growing tech and health care industries and lots of green space.
In recent years, the area’s health care, insurance and high-tech industries have boomed. Chief employers include Corewell Health, Grand Valley State University and Meijer, a prominent Midwestern grocery chain.
Michigan Street in downtown Grand Rapids is known as the Medical Mile for its string of clinical, research and educational institutions. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, Fred and Lena Meijer Heart Center and medical centers associated with Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Grand Valley State are all downtown or nearby.
Office furniture manufacturing giants like Steelcase, Herman Miller and Haworth are also headquartered in greater Grand Rapids. The first fine furniture manufacturer opened shop in the area in 1837. By the 1880s, Grand Rapids had earned the moniker Furniture City and was designing and building goods for shipment around the world.
“Grand Rapids is small enough that you don’t have big traffic backups,” Mr. Lambers said. “And real estate pricing is so affordable here.” Median list prices in 2025 are about $300,000 in the city and $340,000 in the Grand Rapids metro area, according to Zillow. “Once people move to the area, they stay,” he said.
The Grand Rapids metro area has neighborhoods with distinct personalities, Mr. Lambers said, allowing residents significant mobility in every life stage and income level. Young professionals are drawn to downtown apartments and condos, where it’s easy to walk to the 12,000-seat Van Andel Arena, the DeVos Performance Hall and trendy bars and restaurants. A new 12,000-seat outdoor performing arts center, Acrisure Amphitheater, set to open in mid-2026, and a new professional soccer venue, Amway Stadium, opening in 2027, will add to the appeal of the downtown.
As they begin their families, house hunters look to the affordable Kent County cities of Wyoming or Walker before graduating to larger, more expensive homes in Kentwood and East Grand Rapids. Once the children leave the house, the ease and walkability of downtown draw empty nesters back to central Grand Rapids.
“That’s the beauty of Grand Rapids,” Mr. Lambers said. “There are all these little pockets, they’re all a little different.”
Going Out and About
Restaurants: Check out Bistro Bella Vita for Mediterranean food; the Chop House for steaks; Leo’s for seafood; Butcher’s Union for meat and whiskey; or MDRD for modern Spanish cuisine and 27th-story city views. Stella’s Lounge offers burgers, vegetarian/vegan wraps and retro arcade games; Vitale’s serves pizza, subs and burgers; and MeXo, has pre-Hispanic Mexican food.
Bars: Grand Rapids’ nickname of Beer City, U.S.A. is appropriate, with more than 100 craft beverage makers in town. Try Founders Brewing, New Holland Brewing and the Mitten, a vintage baseball-themed brewery. The B.O.B. houses a beer garden, brewery, a nightclub and a comedy club.
Culture: Cultural institutions include the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, the DeVos Performance Hall, the Peter Martin Wege Theater (home to Michigan’s only professional ballet company) and the Van Andel Arena. ArtPrize, the world’s most visited public art event, takes place every fall. The 12,000-seat Acrisure Amphitheater is scheduled to open in mid-2026.
Recreation: Combine outdoor trails and gardens with art at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Locals love the John Ball Zoo and the beach, boat rentals and multiuse trails at Millennium Park. Professional sports teams include the Whitecaps, the Griffins, the Gold and the Rise (baseball, hockey, basketball and volleyball). Amway Stadium, a professional soccer stadium, is targeted for completion in 2027. Lake Michigan beaches are 30 to 45 minutes away by car.
Groceries/Shopping: The Meijer, Family Fare and D & W grocery stores have multiple locations. For seasonal produce, try the Fulton Street Market and the Grand Rapids Downtown Market.
Getting There, Getting Around
You’ll want a car to get around Grand Rapids, but there are public transportation alternatives.
Air: Gerald R. Ford International Airport offers seasonal nonstop service to 35 American cities.
Rail: Amtrak runs from Grand Rapids to Southwest Michigan and Chicago.
Bus: The Rapid bus system offers city routes. The free DASH shuttle serves 23 stops in central Grand Rapids.
By car: Use Interstate 96 to get to Detroit and Muskegon, I-196 for Holland and Benton Harbor and Route 131 for Kalamazoo and Petoskey.
Neighborhoods and Greater Metro Area Cities
Downtown: Condos and apartments are within an easy walk of offices, cultural centers, restaurants and the Grand River.
Wyoming: Apartments and starter homes are an easy drive from downtown, the John Ball Zoo and Millennium Park.
Kentwood: The family-oriented city with single family homes is near Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
East Grand Rapids: An affluent city of single-family homes near Reeds Lake and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Housing
Total housing units: 85,468 in the city, 271,000 in the metro area (2023)
Median gross rent: $1,297 in the city, $1,270 in the metro area (2023)
Median list price: $304,000 in the city, $348,000 in the metro area (2025)
More: Zillow and the U.S. Census Bureau
Schools
Public schools: The greater Grand Rapids area is home to 140 public schools serving more than 50,000 pre-K through high school students. The city’s system, Grand Rapids Public Schools, operates 40 schools serving a diverse student body: 14,000 students from over 80 countries.
Private schools: There are 42 private schools in metro Grand Rapids, enrolling more than 10,000 students, including Grand Rapids Christian Schools and Catholic Central High School.
Higher education: The Grand Rapids area is home to Grand Valley State University, Aquinas College, Calvin University, Davenport University, Kendall College of Art and Design, and Grand Rapids Community College. There are also branches of several other Michigan universities, including Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine and Western Michigan University.
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