Big Rapids, MI

Census Place

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

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.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Big Rapids, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
7.33k ± 166
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
500 ± 121
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
217 ± 95

2.75%

Hispanic Population

233 people

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.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Michigan.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
83,098 ± 7,048 people
India
80,532 ± 6,939 people
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.

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.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
67 ± 48
Vietnam
59 ± 44
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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Education

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.

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.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
143 degrees awarded
Criminal Justice - Police Science
140 degrees awarded
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (67.7%)
Walked (12.8%)
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.

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.

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.

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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