Big Rapids, MI

Census Place

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    2024 Population
    8,477
    US Senator
    Gary Peters
    Democratic Party
    US Senator
    Elissa Slotkin
    Democratic Party
    2024 Median Age
    22.9
    0.435% 1-year decrease
    2024 Poverty Rate
    34.1%
    3.64% 1-year decrease
    2024 Median Household Income
    $43,858
    9.11% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $156,400
    16.5% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    4,673
    12.5% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Big Rapids, MI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

    99.7% of the residents in Big Rapids, MI are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Big Rapids, MI are Ferris State University (2,982 degrees awarded in 2024).

    In 2024, the median property value in Big Rapids, MI was $156,400, and the homeownership rate was 41.5%.

    Most people in Big Rapids, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 14.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Big Rapids, MI was 2 cars per household.

    United StatesMichiganMecosta County, MIBig Rapids, MIIonia, Montcalm, Mecosta & Osceola Counties PUMA, MI

    Population & Diversity

    Big Rapids, MI is home to a population of 8.48k people, from which 99.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.908% of Big Rapids, MI residents were born outside of the country (77 people).

    In 2024, there were 14.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.33k people) in Big Rapids, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 500 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 217 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    99.7%
    2024 Citizenship
    99.7%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 99.7% of Big Rapids, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Big Rapids, MI was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Big Rapids, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Big Rapids, MI
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      7.33k ± 166
    2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
      500 ± 121
    3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      217 ± 95
    2.75%
    Hispanic Population
    233 people

    In 2024, there were 14.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.33k people) in Big Rapids, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 500 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 217 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    2.75% of the people in Big Rapids, MI are hispanic (233 people).

    The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Big Rapids, MI as a share of the total population.

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      83,098 ± 7,048 people
    2. India
      80,532 ± 6,939 people
    3. Iraq
      55,181 ± 5,751 people

    In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 83,098 Michigan residents, followed by India with 80,532 and Iraq with 55,181.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    0.908%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    77 people
    1.1%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    86 people

    As of 2024, 0.908% of Big Rapids, MI residents (77 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Big Rapids, MI was 1.1%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

    The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Big Rapids, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Gulf War (2001-)
      67 ± 48
    2. Vietnam
      59 ± 44
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      26 ± 28

    Big Rapids, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.14 times greater than any other conflict.

    The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Big Rapids, MI.

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    Health

    93.8% of the population of Big Rapids, MI has health coverage, with 46.9% on employee plans, 21.4% on Medicaid, 6.5% on Medicare, 18.8% on non-group plans, and 0.228% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Michigan see 1,276 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,276 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1246 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 281 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52% were men and 48% were women.

    Coverage

    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.6% under 18 years, 49.4% between 18 and 34 years, 20.5% between 35 and 64 years, and 9.42% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52% were men and 48% were women.

    The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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    Uninsured People

    6.16%
    Uninsured
    46.9%
    Employer Coverage
    21.4%
    Medicaid
    6.5%
    Medicare
    18.8%
    Non-Group
    0.228%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Big Rapids, MI grew by 14.8% from 5.37% to 6.16%.

    The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Big Rapids, MI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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    Economy

    The economy of Big Rapids, MI employs 4.67k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Big Rapids, MI were Accommodation & Food Services (834 people), Educational Services (787 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (582 people), and the highest paying industries were Public Administration ($60,041), Health Care & Social Assistance ($50,893), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($40,096).

    Employment

    Occupations

    4.67k
    2024 Value
    ± 487
    12.5%
    1 Year growth
    ± 13.5%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Big Rapids, MI grew at a rate of 12.5%, from 4.15k employees to 4.67k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Big Rapids, MI, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (706 people), Sales & Related Occupations (417 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (390 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Big Rapids, MI.

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    Unemployment Insurance Claims

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

    This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Michigan (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

    The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    4.67k
    2024 Value
    ± 487
    12.5%
    1 Year growth
    ± 13.5%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Big Rapids, MI grew at a rate of 12.5%, from 4.15k employees to 4.67k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Big Rapids, MI, are Accommodation & Food Services (834 people), Educational Services (787 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (582 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Big Rapids, MI, though some of these residents may live in Big Rapids, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $24,710
    Median earning men ± $5,093
    $16,927
    Median earning women ± $5,533

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($51,184), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($44,750), and Other Services Except Public Administration ($42,888).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($60,451), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($37,176), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($33,711).

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    Employment by Industry Sector

    Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
    Y-Axis
    2.16%
    Year-over-year growth
    Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

    As of February 2023, there are 4.37M people employed in Michigan. This represents a 2.16% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

    Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 23.6%.

    The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Michigan.

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    Civics

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

    Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing the state of Michigan. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    Michigan is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

    Presidential Elections

    Voting results are not available for Big Rapids, MI. Showing the available data for Michigan.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Donald J. Trump (49.7%)
      Republican Party
    2. Kamala Harris (48.3%)
      Democratic Party
    3. Jill Stein (0.788%)
      Green Party

    In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

    The following chart shows the popular vote results in Michigan for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Michigan

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
    Gary Peters
    Senator from Michigan2
    Assumed office on January 3, 2015
    Elissa Slotkin
    Senator from Michigan1
    Assumed office on January 3, 2025

    Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing Michigan.

    In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

    The following chart shows elected senators in Michigan over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Big Rapids, MI awarded 2,982 degrees. The student population of Big Rapids, MI in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,407 male students and 5,552 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Big Rapids, MI are White (2,365 and 79.9%), Black or African American (173 and 5.85%), Hispanic or Latino (166 and 5.61%), and Two or More Races (113 and 3.82%).

    The largest universities in Big Rapids, MI by number of degrees awarded are Ferris State University (2,982 and 100%).

    The most popular majors in Big Rapids, MI are Criminal Justice - Police Science (207 and 6.94%), General Business Administration & Management (206 and 6.91%), and Social Work (107 and 3.59%).

    The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $14,582 for in-state students and $14,582 for out-of-state students.

    Admissions & Enrollments

    Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

    University
    Measure

    In 2024 in Big Rapids, MI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 91.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 14.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 9,959 (44.3% men and 55.7% women).

    The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 9,959 students enrolled in Big Rapids, MI, 44.3% men and 55.7% women.

    By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,256 records, of which 55.3% were women and 44.7% men.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. General Business Administration & Management
      143 degrees awarded
    2. Criminal Justice - Police Science
      140 degrees awarded
    3. Registered Nursing
      93 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Big Rapids, MI was General Business Administration & Management with 143 degrees awarded.

    This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Big Rapids, MI according to their major.

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    Universities

    Gender
    Race
    Ferris State University
    Largest Universities by degrees awarded
    2,982 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ferris State University with 2,982 degrees awarded.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 1,429 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Big Rapids, MI, which is 0.92 times less than the 1,553 female students who received degrees in the same year.

    In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,365 degrees mean that there were 13.7 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 173 degrees awarded.

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    Awarded Degrees over Time

    The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

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    Tuition

    Average Net Price by Sector

    Universities

    Public, 4-year or above ($14,582) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($196) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

    Public, 4-year or above ($862) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

    The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Big Rapids, MI was $156,400 in 2024, which is 0.47 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $134,200 to $156,400, a 16.5% increase. The homeownership rate in Big Rapids, MI is 41.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Big Rapids, MI have an average commute time of 14.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Big Rapids, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    Housing

    Property

    $156,400
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$10,062
    $1,299
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$224

    The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Big Rapids, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $2k - $3k range.

    The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Big Rapids, MI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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    Rent vs Own

    41.5%
    Homeownership
    2024
    58.8%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 41.5% of the housing units in Big Rapids, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 40.3%.

    This chart shows the percentage of owner in Big Rapids, MI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $43,858
    Median Household Income
    ± $4,640
    3.13k
    Number of Households
    ± 375

    In 2024, the median household income of the 3.13k households in Big Rapids, MI grew to $43,858 from the previous year's value of $40,197.

    The following chart displays the households in Big Rapids, MI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $10k - $15k range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Big Rapids, MI is from Michigan.
    0.46
    2024 Wage GINI in Michigan
    0.462
    2023 Wage GINI in Michigan

    In 2024, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.46 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.474% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Michigan in comparison to the national average.

    This chart shows the number of workers in Michigan across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (67.7%)
    2. Walked (12.8%)
    3. Worked At Home (8.98%)

    In 2024, 67.7% of workers in Big Rapids, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (12.8%) and those who worked at home (8.98%).

    The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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    Commute Time

    14.9 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Big Rapids, MI have a shorter commute time (14.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 0.579% of the workforce in Big Rapids, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

    The chart below shows how the median household income in Big Rapids, MI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

    The following chart displays the households in Big Rapids, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Big Rapids, MI have 2 cars.

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    Poverty

    Poverty & Diversity

    34.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Big Rapids, MI (2.22k out of 6.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

    The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Big Rapids, MI is White, followed by Black and Two Or More.

    The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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