Housing data for Big Rapids, MI
Big Rapids, MI has an estimated 8,477 residents and 3,610 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Mecosta County.
58.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $929 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−18.1%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 8,477 (±26)
- Housing units
- 3,610 (±222)
- Households that rent
- 58.5%
- Median gross rent
- $929
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −18.1%
What stands out in Big Rapids
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 26.5% (±6.0 points) in Big Rapids, higher than in Mecosta County (6.5%).
Households that rent: 58.5% (±5.5 points) in Big Rapids, higher than in Mecosta County (23.1%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 44.0% (±7.2 points) in Big Rapids, higher than in Mecosta County (23.4%).
Households without a vehicle: 15.0% (±4.1 points) in Big Rapids, higher than in Mecosta County (7.1%).
- Types of homes in Big Rapids
- Renters and owners in Big Rapids
- How long people stay in Big Rapids
- Commute and cars in Big Rapids
Housing in Big Rapids at a glance
- Median rent: $929 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,032 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 54.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 58.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $43,858 median household income
- Home values: $156,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,252 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,466 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 26.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 47.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 69.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 10.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 72.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 14.9 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 464 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −18.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 44.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Big Rapids against Mecosta County, its state and the nation
| Big Rapids | Mecosta County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8,477 (±26) | 41,242 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 3,610 (±222) | 21,139 (±59) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 58.5% (±5.5 points) | 23.1% (±1.9 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $929 (±$68) | $934 (±$42) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $43,858 (±$4,640) | $60,951 (±$2,088) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $156,400 (±$10,062) | $178,900 (±$7,731) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,466 (±$171) | $1,778 (±$79) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 69.9% (±8.5 points) | 51.6% (±2.7 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 14.9 minutes (±2.1) | 23.7 minutes (±1.0) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 82.3% (±5.1 points) | 82.0% (±1.8 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 22.9 years (±0.6) | 40.0 years (±0.5) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Big Rapids covers 4.4 square miles of land, about 1,907 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Big Rapids has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 10,355 (±34) | 8,477 (±26) | −18.1% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 3,657 (±287) | 3,610 (±222) | −1.3% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $670 (±$100) | $929 (±$68) | +38.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $93,900 (±$5,920) | $156,400 (±$10,062) | +66.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $26,227 (±$4,203) | $43,858 (±$4,640) | +67.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,023 (±$82) | $1,252 (±$135) | +22.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,853 (±$115) | $2,466 (±$171) | +33.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 63.3% (±4.0 points) | 58.5% (±5.5 points) | −4.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 8.7% (±4.8 points) | 10.6% (±6.3 points) | +1.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Big Rapids
In 2025, the Big Rapids Police Department reported 464 violent and 1,323 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Mecosta County, the departments that report recorded 323 violent and 861 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Big Rapids
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids Charter Township | 1.7 mi | $1,140 | $256,800 | 30.7% |
| Green Charter Township | 5.1 mi | $1,053 | $156,200 | 11.9% |
| Colfax Township (Mecosta County) | 5.4 mi | $1,347 | $215,400 | 7.4% |
| Mecosta Township | 6.8 mi | $852 | $169,600 | 18.7% |
| Grant Township (Mecosta County) | 7.2 mi | $917 | $182,900 | 8.7% |
| Norwich Township (Newaygo County) | 7.7 mi | $2,083 | $241,000 | 6.2% |
| Stanwood | 8.4 mi | $1,063 | $156,600 | 13.0% |
| Austin Township (Mecosta County) | 8.8 mi | $854 | $166,000 | 8.4% |
Places in Michigan most like Big Rapids
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers | $839 | $134,900 | $49,503 | 47.0% |
| West Branch | $842 | $147,800 | $41,250 | 58.8% |
| Kalamazoo | $1,078 | $179,000 | $52,272 | 57.7% |
| Mount Pleasant | $922 | $173,100 | $44,706 | 64.3% |
| Pontiac | $1,063 | $121,700 | $44,329 | 53.4% |
| Grayling | $788 | $160,800 | $32,545 | 57.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Big Rapids, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $758 | $863 | $1,063 | $1,323 | $1,644 |
HUD income limits for Big Rapids, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,600 | $29,300 | $46,850 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $33,450 | $53,550 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,650 | $60,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $41,800 | $66,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $45,150 | $72,300 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,500 | $77,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $51,850 | $83,000 |
| 8 people | $55,200 | $55,200 | $88,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Mecosta County, MI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $81,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Big Rapids
What is the average rent in Big Rapids, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Big Rapids is $929 (±$68) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Big Rapids?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Big Rapids, MI is $630 (±$143) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Big Rapids rent-burdened?
54.5% of renting households in Big Rapids pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Big Rapids?
Big Rapids has an estimated 1,834 (±223) renting households, 58.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Big Rapids?
The median household income in Big Rapids is $43,858 (±$4,640) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Big Rapids, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $156,400 (±$10,062) for owner-occupied homes in Big Rapids (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Big Rapids growing?
In Big Rapids, the number of residents went from 10,355 in 2015–2019 to 8,477 in 2020–2024 (−18.1%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Big Rapids city, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Mecosta County, MI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Mecosta County, MI
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Big Rapids Police Department (ORI MI5425600)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Big Rapids city, Michigan (place:08300, in state:26).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .