The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. The

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...

had an estimated population of 1,059,113 in 2017. The region, noted in particular for its western edge abutting the

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

shoreline and its beaches, is a popular tourist and vacation destination during the summer. Noted popular metro area beach towns include Grand Haven,

, Muskegon, and Saugatuck. The metropolitan area is home to many attractions. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is located in the outskirts of Grand Rapids. Michigan's Adventure theme park is just north of Muskegon, and the Grand Rapids Art Museum and the DeVos Place Convention Center are both in downtown Grand Rapids. The Grand River flows through the metropolitan area and is noted for its fishing, kayaking, and canoeing.

Definitions

The Grand Rapids-Kentwood Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, is an area consisting of four counties in western

, anchored by the cities of

and

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...

. The MSA had a population of 988,938 at the 2010 census. It comprises four counties which include the central county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, and the outlying counties of

Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionia ...

, Montcalm, and

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

. The Grand Rapids – Kentwood – Muskegon Combined Statistical Area is the 2nd largest CSA in the U.S. state of

(behind

Metro Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...

). The CSA had a population of 1,320,064 at the 2010 census. The primary cultural and financial centers of the region are

, Muskegon and

. It includes the four counties in the Grand Rapids-Kentwood MSA plus one

, adding the Muskegon, MI MSA of

Muskegon County Muskegon County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the population was 175,824. The county seat is Muskegon. Muskegon County comprises the Muskegon, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Grand Ra ...

, and two micropolitan areas of Holland of

Allegan County Allegan County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 120,502. The county seat is Allegan. The name was coined by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to sound like a Native American word. ...

, and Big Rapids of

Mecosta County Mecosta County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 39,714. The county seat is Big Rapids. The county is named after Chief Mecosta, the leader of the Potawatomi Native American tr ...

for a total of seven counties. The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis containing an estimated 54 million people.

Communities

Places with more than 50,000 inhabitants

(Principal city of MSA and CSA) *

(Principal City of MSA and CSA) * Kentwood (Principal city of MSA and CSA)

Places with 20,000 to 50,000 inhabitants

* Allendale Charter Township * Byron Township * Gaines Charter Township * Georgetown Charter Township *

* Holland Charter Township * Muskegon (Principal city of CSA) * Norton Shores * Plainfield Charter Township * Walker

Places with 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants

* Ada Township * Allendale ( CDP) * Alpine Township *

Big Rapids Big Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,601 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Mecosta County. The city is located within Big Rapids Township, but it is politically independent. Big Rapids is home ...

* Caledonia Township * Cannon Township * Cascade Charter Township * Comstock Park ( CDP) * Cutlerville ( CDP) *

East Grand Rapids East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,694. The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is surrounded by Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, bu ...

* Forest Hills ( CDP) * Fruitport Charter Township * Grand Haven * Grand Haven Charter Township * Grand Rapids Charter Township * Grandville *

* Jenison ( CDP) * Muskegon Charter Township *

Muskegon Heights Muskegon Heights is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,856 at the 2010 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land. The city is surrounded ...

* Park Township * Northview ( CDP) * Spring Lake Township

Places with 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants

* Algoma Township * Belding * Blendon Township * Boston Township * Courtland Township * Dalton Township * Dorr Township * Egelston Township * Fruitland Township * Greenville * Gun Plain Township * Hudsonville * Jamestown Charter Township * Laketon Township * Laketown Township * Lowell Charter Township * Oakfield Township * Otsego Township * Robinson Township * Rockford * Solon Township * Sparta Township * Tallmadge Charter Township * Thornapple Township * Zeeland * Zeeland Charter Township

Places with 2,500 to 5,000 inhabitants

* Allegan * Allegan Township * Ashland Township * Beechwood ( CDP) * Berlin Township * Big Prairie Township * Bowne Township * Brooks Township * Byron Center ( CDP) * Casco Township * Casnovia Township * Cedar Creek Township * Cedar Springs * Coopersville * Crockery Township * Croton Township * Danby Township * Easton Township * Ensley Township * Ferrysburg * Fillmore Township * Fremont * Ganges Township * Garfield Township * Grant Township * Grattan Township * Heath Township * Holton Township * Hopkins Township * Ionia Township * Lee Township * Leighton Township * Lowell * Lyons Township * Manlius Township * Martin Township * Middleville * Nelson Township * North Muskegon * Odessa Township * Olive Township * Orleans Township * Otsego * Overisel Township * Plainwell * Portland * Portland Township *

Port Sheldon Township Port Sheldon Township is a civil township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 5,206. History Port Sheldon Township was established in 1924 by the division off the west end of what ...

* Ravenna Township * Roosevelt Park * Salem Township * Saugatuck Township * Sheridan Charter Township *

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referr ...

* Spencer Township * Trowbridge Township * Tyrone Township * Vergennes Township * Wayland *

Wayland Township Wayland Township is a civil township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,088 at the 2010 census. Communities Bradley is an unincorporated community situated just east of exit 61 off U.S. Highway 131 at . The ...

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...

* Wolf Lake ( CDP) * Wright Township

Places with fewer than 2,500 inhabitants

* Barton Township * Beaver Township * Berlin Township * Blue Lake Township * Bridgeton Township *

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Great Britain () that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland. Today, it is used as a romantic or poetic name for all ...

* Campbell Township * Casnovia * Cheshire Township * Chester Township * Clarksville * Clyde Township * Dayton Township * Denver Township * Douglass * Everett Township *

Fennville Fennville is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,745 at the 2020 census. Located on M-89 on the boundary between Manlius Township to the north and Clyde Township to the south, Fennville is located ab ...

* Fruitport * Goodwell Township * Grant * Hesperia * Home Township *

Hopkins Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English name means "son of Hob". ''Hob'' was a diminutive of ''Robert'', itself deriving from the Germanic warrior name ''Hrod-berht'', translated as "renowned-fame". The Robert spe ...

* Hubbardston (partial) * Keene Township * Kent City * Lakewood Club * Lake Odessa * Lilley Township * Lincoln Township *

Lyons Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

* Merrill Township * Moline * Monroe Township * Montague Township * Monterey Township * Moorland Township * Muir * Newaygo * North Plains Township * Norwich Township * Orange Township * Otisco Township * Pewamo * Polkton Charter Township *

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the c ...

* Ronald Township * Sand Lake * Saranac * Saugatuck * Sebewa Township * Sherman Township * Sullivan Township * Troy Township *

Twin Lake Twin Lake is an unincorporated community in Muskegon County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes. Local government services are provided by Dalton Township. As of the 2000 census, the co ...

( CDP) * Valley Township * Watson Township * Whitehall Township * White Cloud * White River Township * Wilcox Township

Unincorporated places

Ada Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, T ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

Alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian ( Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruse ...

* Belmont * Bitely * Brunswick * Campau Corner * Cannonsburg *

Cascade Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to: Science and technology Science *Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls * Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex) * Cascade (grape), a type of fruit * Bioc ...

* Comstock Park * Cooks Corners * Dutton * Eastmanville * Marne * Orleans * Palo * Pullman * Riverview *

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prom ...

* Wabaningo * Woodland Park

Demographics

2010 Census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 774,160 people, 290,340 households, and 197,867 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 83.1%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 8.1%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 3.8% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 8.4% of the population.

2000 Census

As of the

of 2000, there were 740,482 people, 272,130 households, and 188,192 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 85.71%

, 7.40%

, 0.53% Native American, 1.51% Asian, 0.05%

, 2.82% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 6.02% of the population. The median income for a household in the MSA was $43,251, and the median income for a family was $49,715. Males had a median income of $37,853 versus $25,483 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the MSA was $19,173.

Grand Rapids-Kentwood Metropolitan Statistical Area

Education

* Aquinas College *

Calvin College Calvin University, formerly Calvin College, is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1876, Calvin University is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church and stands in the Reformed (Calvinist) ...

Cornerstone University Cornerstone University is a private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cornerstone University has undergraduate and graduate programs, two seminaries (Grand Rapids Theological Seminary and Asia Biblical Theological Seminary based ...

* Davenport University *

Grace Christian University Grace Christian University is a private evangelical Christian university in Wyoming, Michigan. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Association for Biblical Higher Education to award associate, baccalaureate, and graduate d ...

* Grand Rapids Community College *

Grand Valley State University Grand Valley State University (GVSU, GV, or Grand Valley) is a public university in Allendale, Michigan. It was established in 1960 as Grand Valley State College. Its main campus is situated on approximately west of Grand Rapids. The universit ...

* Hope College * Kuyper College * Kendall College of Art and Design * Muskegon Community College *

Thomas M. Cooley Law School Western Michigan University Cooley Law School ("Cooley") is a private law school in Lansing, Michigan and Riverview, Florida. It was established in 1972. At its peak in 2010, Cooley had over 3,900 students and was the largest US law school by enr ...

* Western Theological Seminary The area also has campuses for

Baker College Baker College is a private college with its main campus in Owosso, Michigan. It was founded in 1911 and has additional campuses throughout the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The college has been accused of predatory practices. In 2022, a ProPu ...

Ferris State University Ferris State University (FSU or Ferris) is a public university with its main campus in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1884 and became a public institution in 1950. Ferris is the ninth-largest institutions of higher education by enrol ...

, Davenport University,

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

, and

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree leve ...

, and the

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

College of Human Medicine.

Economy

Companies in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area

Alticor Alticor is a privately owned American corporation which is run by the DeVos family and the Van Andel family. It was established in 1999 to serve as the parent company for a handful of business ventures, most notably the multi-level marketing ...

(formerly Amway), Ada * American Seating, Grand Rapids * Baker Books, Grand Rapids *

Bissell Bissell Inc., also known as Bissell Homecare, is an American privately owned vacuum cleaner and floor care product manufacturing corporation headquartered in Walker, Michigan in Greater Grand Rapids.Eerdmans William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company is a religious publishing house based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1911 by Dutch American William B. Eerdmans (November 4, 1882 – April 1966) and still independently owned with William's daughte ...

, Grand Rapids * Family Christian Stores, Grand Rapids * Farmers Insurance Group, Grand Rapids *

GE Aviation GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of t ...

, Cascade * Gentex, Zeeland * Gerber Products Company, Fremont * Goodrich Quality Theaters, Grand Rapids * Gordon Food Service, Wyoming * Haworth, Holland * Herman Miller, Zeeland * Howard Miller, Zeeland * Loeks Theatres, Wyoming * Meijer, Walker * Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Grand Rapids * Old Orchard Brands, Sparta *

Perrigo Perrigo Company plc is an American Irish–registered manufacturer of private label over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, and while 70% of Perrigo's net sales are from the U.S. healthcare system, Perrigo is legally headquartered in Ireland for t ...

, Allegan * Plascore Incorporated, Zeeland *

SpartanNash SpartanNash (formerly Spartan Stores, Nash Finch) is an American food distributor and grocery store retailer headquartered in Byron Center, Michigan. The company's core businesses include distributing food to independent grocers, military co ...

, Byron Township * Steelcase, Grand Rapids * Sun Chemical, Muskegon *

Universal Forest Products UFP Industries, Inc. was founded in Michigan in 1955 as a supplier of lumber to the manufactured housing industry. Today UFP Industries is a multibillion-dollar holding company with subsidiaries around the globe that serve three markets: retail, ...

, Grand Rapids * Wolverine World Wide, Rockford * X-Rite, Kentwood * Zondervan Publishing, Cascade

Culture and tourism

* Centerpointe Mall * The Lakes Mall * Rivertown Crossings Mall *

Tanger Outlet Mall Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc. ( ) is a real estate investment trust headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina that invests in shopping centers containing outlet stores in the United States and Canada. As of December 31, 2019, the c ...

Woodland Mall Woodland Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in Kentwood, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. It comprises over 100 tenants in of retail space, with three anchor stores (Macy's, JCPenney, and Von Maur), along with Barnes ...

* Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park * Grand Rapids Public Museum

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, Michigan Combined Statistical Area Geography of Kent County, Michigan Geography of Barry County, Michigan Geography of Ionia County, Michigan Geography of Newaygo County, Michigan West Michigan Metropolitan areas of Michigan