GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids is growing and, after city officials challenged its numbers, the federal government agrees.
Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau suggests the population of Michigan's second largest city has increased a little more than 1% over the past three years, according to the agency's Population Estimates Program (PEP).
The estimated population of Grand Rapids, according to the Population Estimates Program (2024):
- 2020: 198,735
- 2021: 197,757
- 2022: 197,694
- 2023: 198,270
- 2024: 200,117
The new numbers come after Grand Rapids city officials challenged the agency's prior estimations, which seemed a little too low, according to City Manager Mark Washington.
"That's not what my eyes are seeing," he told FOX 17 in an interview last year. "What I see is a growing community, a growing metropolitan area to include a growing urban core."
At the time, the PEP claimed the city's population was in decline.
The estimated population of Grand Rapids, according to the Population Estimates Program (2023):
- 2020: 198,707
- 2021: 197,708
- 2022: 197,192
- 2023: 196,608
NOTE: These estimates have since changed.
Grand Rapids
Census estimates say Grand Rapids' population is in decline. The city disagrees.
Washington then submitted a challenge to the agency, believing 126 housing units of a certain construction type were not being accounted for in the annual survey, which is based on housing data.
"Feels like we've been heard and acknowledged and seen," the city manager said about the updated data that added 502 people to the population estimate for 2022 and 1,662 people to the population estimate for 2023.
"I think it's important we do as much as we can to accurately represent the number of people we have in our community, to make sure we're able to get as much funding as possible on any level," he said, adding he believes the current estimation is still underrepresentative of the city.
The demand for housing and public services in West Michigan is high, Washington says, and if the federal government sees Grand Rapids as a growing area, it will be more likely to send support.
"It's important to get it right," he said.
