Kent County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Kent County, Michigan had an estimated 673,002 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.3 percent since the 2020 census base of 657,980, across 847 square miles. County output reached $60.32 bn in 2024, 17,799 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,511 7(a) approvals worth $482.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kent County
How many people live in Kent County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024663,150
- Households256,648
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$82,631
- Median age35.9
- Median gross rent$1,243 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$289,900
- Home value to household income3.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher40.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over445,698
- Population under 18155,818
- Share under 1823.5 percent
- Population 65 and over98,825
- Share 65 and over14.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64408,507
- Civilian labor force361,246
- Unemployment rate4.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over71.2 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties4th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included105th of 3,222
Kent County is the 4th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 3.5 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 23.5 percent against 14.9 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kent County
Is Kent County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024673,002
- Census 2020 base population657,980
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.28 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20247,893
- Births, 20247,888
- Deaths, 20244,786
- Natural change, 20243,102
- Net domestic migration, 2024-1,019
- Net international migration, 20245,791
- Total net migration, 20244,772
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-9,959
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1081st of 3,144
The county has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kent County
Where are people moving to Kent County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving14,398
- People arriving, from those returns22,962
- Tax returns filed by households leaving15,933
- Net household movement-1,535
- Adjusted gross income arriving$1.21 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$64.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$84,215
- Average income of a leaving household$72,083
- Largest single originOttawa County (2,293 households)
- Largest single destinationOttawa County (2,742 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa County | 2,293 | 3,547 | $138.9 m |
| Allegan County | 606 | 1,028 | $35.6 m |
| Kalamazoo County | 492 | 675 | $28.2 m |
| Muskegon County | 463 | 692 | $23.6 m |
| Oakland County | 459 | 683 | $35.6 m |
| Montcalm County | 447 | 812 | $23.1 m |
| Barry County | 397 | 690 | $25.6 m |
| Ingham County | 393 | 564 | $23.5 m |
Households arriving report $12,132 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Ottawa County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kent County
What is the Kent County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$60.32 bn
- County GDP, 2023$57.71 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years33.2 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes3rd of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes99th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$90,954
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 33.2 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Kent County
Employment by industry in Kent County
- Covered employment, annual average415,565
- Establishments reporting17,705
- Average annual pay$62,288
- Average weekly wage$1,198
- Health care and social assistance, employment67,987
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,366
- Manufacturing, employment62,796
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$76,496
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment48,794
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$34,367
- Retail trade, employment34,924
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,636
- Accommodation and food services, employment31,658
- Wholesale trade, employment27,544
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 67,987 | 1,901 | $67,366 |
| Manufacturing | 62,796 | 1,281 | $76,496 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 48,794 | 1,018 | $34,367 |
| Retail trade | 34,924 | 1,884 | $41,636 |
| Accommodation and food services | 31,658 | 1,354 | $26,257 |
| Wholesale trade | 27,544 | 942 | $82,540 |
| Construction | 20,290 | 1,622 | $81,405 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 19,530 | 2,017 | $98,202 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 67,987 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kent County
How many businesses are in Kent County?
- Establishments, all industries17,799
- Employment at those establishments384,635
- Annual payroll$23.00 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents26.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kent County
Building permits in Kent County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242,090
- Declared construction value permitted$612.1 m
- Single family units authorized1,141
- Multifamily units authorized949
- Multifamily share of units45.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$292,874
- Units authorized per 1,000 households8.1
Multifamily is 45.4 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kent County
SBA loans in Kent County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,511
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$482.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$319,398
- Median 7(a) approval$96,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$830,800
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)11,676
- Jobs per approval7.7
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active84
- Distinct industries receiving approvals293
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.9 percent
- Loans on real estate terms89
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,362
- Franchise loans149
- Franchise share of approvals9.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countGeneral Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload (225)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (983)
- 504 approvals recorded426
- 504 gross approval dollars$271.3 m
- Average 504 approval$636,852
- Median 504 approval$436,500
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval9.7
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved15.2
- Most active CDCGreat Lakes Commercial Finance (289)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$753.9 m
The average approval of $319,398 sits well above the median of $96,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 5.9 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Kent County
Do SBA loans in Kent County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded351
- Paid in full339
- Charged off12
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans3.4 percent
- Status: Paid in full339
- Status: Exempt from disclosure902
- Status: Cancelled176
- Status: Charged off12
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed82
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 484121 | General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload | 90 | 1 | 1.1% |
Of the 351 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.4 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least 30 resolved loans, General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload carries the highest charge-off rate at 1.1 percent.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
SBA lending by place in Kent County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending30
- Grand Rapids, approvals839
- Wyoming, approvals115
- Kentwood, approvals82
- Byron Center, approvals63
- Caledonia, approvals63
- Grandville, approvals62
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | 839 | $298,360,800 |
| Wyoming | 115 | $44,603,700 |
| Kentwood | 82 | $9,065,300 |
| Byron Center | 63 | $15,340,900 |
| Caledonia | 63 | $9,757,400 |
| Grandville | 62 | $15,419,400 |
| Rockford | 59 | $24,433,700 |
| Comstock Park | 46 | $13,988,200 |
| 22 other borrower cities | 182 | $51,641,100 |
Grand Rapids accounts for 839 approvals against 115 in Wyoming. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kent County
How large is Kent County?
- Land area847 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties16th of 83
- Width, east to west24.3 mi
- Height, north to south36.3 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary7
- Residents per square mile of land783
- Establishments per square mile21.01
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kent County
Flood risk in Kent County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book28
- Of those, participating in the NFIP19
- NFIP participation rate67.9 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 9
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Kent County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Kent County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 9, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 67.9 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Kent County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Kent County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024663,150
- Households256,648
- Average household size2.58
- Median household income$82,631
- Median age35.9
Common questions
Kent County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kent County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 673,002 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 663,150, in 256,648 households, ranking 4th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kent County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.28 percent since the 2020 census base of 657,980, to 673,002 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 7,888 births against 4,786 deaths, with net migration of 4,772. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kent County?
$82,631. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $289,900, which is 3.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,243 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Kent County?
17,799 establishments, employing 384,635 people with an annual payroll of $23.00 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Kent County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 67,987 jobs, 16.4 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 415,565 jobs at an average annual pay of $62,288, or $1,198 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kent County?
1,511 7(a) approvals totaling $482.6 m since FY2020, across 84 lenders, with a median approval of $96,000, plus 426 504 approvals worth $271.3 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Kent County get paid back?
Of the 351 loans that have reached a final outcome, 339 were paid in full and 12 charged off, a charge-off rate of 3.4 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Kent County?
2,090 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $612.1 m. Multifamily was 45.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kent County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kent County come from?
The largest single origin is Ottawa County, with 2,293 households. Arriving households report an average income of $84,215 against $72,083 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kent County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Kent County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Kent County
Cities and places in Kent.
20 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kent County. All 20 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | city | 198,535 | 839 | Wholly in this county |
| Wyoming | city | 77,353 | 115 | Wholly in this county |
| Kentwood | city | 54,296 | 82 | Wholly in this county |
| Forest Hills | CDP | 28,695 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Walker | city | 25,386 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Cutlerville | CDP | 18,780 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Grandville | city | 16,356 | 62 | Wholly in this county |
| Northview | CDP | 15,268 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Grand Rapids | city | 11,445 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Comstock Park | CDP | 10,577 | 46 | Wholly in this county |
| Byron Center | CDP | 7,403 | 63 | Wholly in this county |
| Rockford | city | 6,218 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Sparta | village | 4,271 | 26 | Wholly in this county |
| Lowell | city | 4,139 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Cedar Springs | city | 3,670 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Caledonia | village | 1,671 | 63 | Wholly in this county |
| Kent City | village | 1,203 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Cannonsburg | CDP | 510 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Sand Lake | village | 484 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Casnovia | village | 377 | None recorded | 53.7 percent here, 46.3 percent Muskegon County |
A further 77 of the county's 1,511 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Kent County, the largest being Ada (38), Belmont (13), Gowen (7). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.