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 (3,050 degrees awarded in 2023).

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
    80,580 ± 6,941 people
  2. India
    77,204 ± 6,795 people
  3. Iraq
    54,457 ± 5,714 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 80,580 Michigan residents, followed by India with 77,204 and Iraq with 54,457.

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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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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 2023, universities in Big Rapids, MI awarded 3,050 degrees. The student population of Big Rapids, MI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 4,582 male students and 5,336 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Big Rapids, MI are White (2,360 and 78.6%), Black or African American (210 and 6.99%), Hispanic or Latino (189 and 6.29%), and Two or More Races (111 and 3.7%).

The largest universities in Big Rapids, MI by number of degrees awarded are Ferris State University (3,050 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Big Rapids, MI are General Business Administration & Management (238 and 7.8%), Criminal Justice - Police Science (193 and 6.33%), and Pharmacy (123 and 4.03%).

The median tuition cost in Big Rapids, MI for a public four year colleges is $14,140 for in-state students and $14,140 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Big Rapids, MI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 80.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 9,918 (46.2% men and 53.8% 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 2023 there were 9,918 students enrolled in Big Rapids, MI, 46.2% men and 53.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,329 records, of which 53% were women and 47% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Criminal Justice - Police Science
    135 degrees awarded
  2. Registered Nursing
    97 degrees awarded
  3. General Business Administration & Management
    150 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Big Rapids, MI was Criminal Justice - Police Science with 135 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
3,050 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ferris State University with 3,050 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,381 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Big Rapids, MI, which is 0.827 times less than the 1,669 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,360 degrees mean that there were 11.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 210 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 ($14,140) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($106) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($836) 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 range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Big Rapids, MI is from Michigan.
0.462
2023 Wage GINI in Michigan
0.466
2022 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2023, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.92% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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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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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