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Thursday, August 6, 2026

Detroit vs Grand Rapids

Detroit, MI compared with Grand Rapids, MI · 136 miles apart

Detroit has 649,095 residents to Grand Rapids’s 201,183. Detroit comes out ahead on median rent, price to income. Grand Rapids does better on median household income, homeownership, average commute.

Detroit, MI Grand Rapids, MI
Population 649,095 201,183
Density (per sq mi) 4,679 4,493
Median household income $39,938 $69,108
Median home value $83,900 $244,500
Median rent $1,074 $1,266
Homeownership 50.3% 54%
Average commute 24.8 min 19 min
Median age 35.2 32.3
Bachelor's degree + 18.1% 41.6%
Poverty rate 32.7% 16.9%
Unemployment 14% 5.2%
Price to income 2.1× 3.5×

Highlighted where one city is clearly better on that measure. Population, density, home value and median age carry no highlight — a higher number there is good or bad depending on what you want.

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