GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — New numbers show Ottawa County's population continues to be among the fastest growing in the state, converting what were once small towns into bustling communities.
WATCH: Ottawa County population continues to grow, Grand Haven emergency calls up 20%
County population estimates from 2025 were recently released. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ottawa County saw an increase of 2,269 people from 2024 keeping the county the 7th largest in the state. Since 2020, out of the ten largest counties by population in the state, Ottawa County has grown the most in that time at 3.9%. Kent County is behind Ottawa County at 2.54%.
The increase has brought new development, and for longtime Grand Haven residents like Charles Fuller, a new feel to the community.
"To me, it is a totally different feel than when I was a child growing up," Fuller said.
Fuller's family has been in Grand Haven since the 1860s, and while things have changed a lot since then, he says even more so in the past 70 years.
"When I was a kid if you wanted to go to the beach, you didn't have to worry about, where am I going to park? And walk miles to get there and all that. You just pulled into the oval and you parked and you went to the beach for the day," Fuller said.
The population boom has also impacted local emergency services. The Grand Haven Township Fire Department has seen a 20% jump in emergency calls since 2020.
"You know, back 30-40 years ago, this was predominantly an agricultural community, lots of blueberry farmers and, yeah, we still have that, but now we have apartment complexes," Chief Shawn Schrader said.
Schrader said to keep up with the growing population they've built a new firehouse and continue to monitor staffing needs.
"As call volume rises, we're going to have to look at additional staffing," Schrader said. "We're not quite there yet, but it's something that we're continually looking at."
The growth has also brought new development, replacing older buildings. Linda Green has spent her whole life in Grand Haven. Her father worked at the Grand Haven State Bank, which is now rubble as crews make way for the new hotel.
"I was sad to see the building go, but now that it's all down, I'm anxious to see the hotel, see what it brings," Green said.
For longtime Grand Haven neighbors, the small town they grew up in featuring industry and agriculture has given way to new development and new neighbors. While it is not how they remember it, they say they are ready for whatever the future holds.
"I mean, change has to happen, and lot of times change is good sometimes, not always, but so you go with the flow and just proud to be in Grand Haven," Fuller said.
