Living in Grand Rapids, MI

"Dangerous" is too broad a label for any city, but Grand Rapids does sit above national averages on crime. The violent crime index is 126 and property crime hits 89 — both past the 100-point U.S. baseline. Plenty of residents live comfortably and safely, but they've usually chosen their neighborhoods carefully. If you're considering a move, visit first, drive around at night, and look up crime stats block by block. Data: FBI Uniform Crime Report.

By most measures, yes. The median rent of $1,191/month against a median household income of $65,526/year works out to a 21.8% rent-to-income ratio. Financial planners generally want that number under 30%, so Grand Rapids clears the bar with room to spare. You'll have breathing space for savings, car payments, and the occasional splurge. Numbers from Census ACS 2023.

Most people in Grand Rapids are at work within 17 minutes — a pretty reasonable commute by American standards. The breakdown: 69.3% drive alone, 3.1% take public transit, and 12.3% work from home. Rush hour adds time, obviously, but the baseline is manageable.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 22/100, which puts Grand Rapids in the low-risk tier. Winter Storm, Flood, and Tornado are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 82.0% and classrooms average 16 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 42, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Grand Rapids logs 268 clean-air days annually. PM2.5 is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Mostly, yes. The system scores 77/100, with 0 health-based violations on record and a "medium" lead risk rating. That's a solid track record. Most residents drink tap water without issues. If you're in an older building with pre-1986 plumbing, a basic filter is a cheap precaution. For detailed contaminant info, check EWG's Tap Water Database.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; water quality compliance data from EPA records and the EWG Tap Water Database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.