HomeMichiganMecosta CountyBig Rapids
Big Rapids, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Big Rapids is a Census city of 8,477 people across 4.45 square miles of land, in Mecosta County. Median household income is $43,858, 41.5 percent of occupied homes are owned, and the SBA record carries 23 7(a) approvals to borrowers here worth $10.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Big Rapids
What Big Rapids is
- Census place typecity
- Land area4.45 sq mi
- Water area0.12 sq mi
- Population per square mile of land1,907
- County holding the largest share of its areaMecosta County, 100.0 percent
US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Rapids
How many people live in Big Rapids
- Population8,477
- Median age22.9
- Population under 181,042
- Share under 1812.3 percent
- Population 65 and over825 plus or minus 167
- Share 65 and over9.7 percent plus or minus 2.0
- Households3,133
- Family households1,095
- Share of households that are families35.0 percent
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Rapids
Income and work in Big Rapids
- Median household income$43,858
- Per capita income$23,446
- Civilian labor force4,885
- Employed4,673
- Unemployed212 plus or minus 79
- Unemployment rate4.3 percent plus or minus 1.6
- Adults 25 and over3,436
- Adults 25 and over with a high school diploma or higher94.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher26.9 percent plus or minus 5.5
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.9 percent plus or minus 2.5
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Rapids
Housing in Big Rapids
- Housing units3,610
- Occupied units3,133
- Vacant units477 plus or minus 191
- Vacancy rate13.2 percent plus or minus 5.2
- Owner occupied1,299
- Renter occupied1,834
- Ownership rate41.5 percent
- Median owner-occupied home value$156,400
- Median gross rent, monthly$929
- Annual rent as a share of median income25.4 percent
- Single family units1,594
- Share single family44.2 percent
- Units in buildings of two or more1,795
- Share in buildings of two or more49.7 percent
- Mobile homes221 plus or minus 85
- Median year structure built1965
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Rapids
How Big Rapids gets to work
- Workers 16 and over who commute3,974
- Commuting under 15 minutes2,526
- Share commuting under 15 minutes63.6 percent
- Commuting 30 minutes or more573 plus or minus 152
- Share commuting 30 minutes or more14.4 percent plus or minus 3.6
- Drove alone67.7 percent
- Carpooled7.4 percent plus or minus 2.7
- Public transport0.5 percent plus or minus 0.6
- Walked12.8 percent plus or minus 3.0
- Worked from home9.0 percent plus or minus 2.8
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
Big Rapids
SBA loans in Big Rapids (7(a))
- Approvals23
- Gross approval$10,759,100
- Average approval$467,787
- Median approval$75,000
- Ninetieth percentile approval$953,600
- Largest approval$5,000,000
- Jobs supported268
- Jobs per approval11.7
- Loans with a final outcome4
- Paid in full4
- Charged off0
- Median term120 months
- Share on real estate terms of 20 years or more0.0 percent
- Share to franchises26.1 percent
- Distinct lenders6
- Distinct industries by NAICS15
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Big Rapids, in any county, FY2020 to FY2026. Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Big Rapids
SBA loans in Big Rapids (504)
- Approvals4
- Gross approval$4,939,000
- Average approval$1,234,750
- Median approval$805,500
- Largest approval$3,162,000
- Jobs supported78
- Loans with a final outcome2
- Charged off0
- Median term240 months
- Distinct CDCs2
Counted by borrower city: approvals to borrowers whose address is in Big Rapids, in any county, FY2010 to FY2026. Only 2 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Big Rapids
Flood risk in Big Rapids
- NFIP communityTownship of Big Rapids
- NFIP community number260135
- Participating in the NFIPYes
- Community Rating System classNone
- Currently effective map date02/04/15(M)
The Township of Big Rapids participates in the National Flood Insurance Program as community 260135 and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies to it.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Mecosta County, not Big Rapids
Mecosta County context, not Big Rapids figures
- Establishments in Mecosta County727
- Covered employment, Mecosta County12,746
- Average annual pay, Mecosta County$45,193
- Housing units permitted, Mecosta County116
Every figure in this section is published for Mecosta County as a whole and is not a measurement of Big Rapids.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages. US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Parcel detail, 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 →
Common questions
Big Rapids questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Big Rapids, Michigan?
8,477, in 3,133 households. Big Rapids city covers 4.45 square miles of land, which is 1,907 people per square mile. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
What county is Big Rapids in?
Mecosta County, which holds 100.0 percent of the place by area. Source: US Census Bureau, cartographic boundary file, places, 2024 vintage.
What is the median household income in Big Rapids?
$43,858. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $156,400. Median gross rent is $929 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, place level, 2020-2024 5-year.
How much SBA lending goes to Big Rapids businesses?
23 7(a) approvals totaling $10.8 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, median approval $75,000, plus 4 504 approvals worth $4.9 m since FY2010. These count approvals to borrowers whose address is in Big Rapids, not projects sited inside the place boundary, and they are approvals recorded in the release rather than loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans to Big Rapids borrowers get paid back?
No rate is published for Big Rapids. Only 4 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published. The counts are shown instead.
Is Big Rapids in the National Flood Insurance Program?
Yes. Big Rapids appears in the FEMA Community Status Book as Big Rapids, township of, community 260135, with no Community Rating System class, so no CRS discount applies. Whether a specific parcel sits in a mapped special flood hazard area is an address level question the platform answers.
Are the county figures on this page Big Rapids figures?
No, and they are labeled so. County Business Patterns, QCEW, the Building Permits Survey, BEA product and IRS migration are published for Mecosta County as a whole and there is no place level equivalent. They appear in one clearly marked section as context and are never presented as measurements of Big Rapids.
Is zoning published for Big Rapids?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning.
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