THE 10 BEST Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids For 2020

Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2020. This is our sixth time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in Grand Rapids.

Source: Wikipedia User Dehk (talk) deekster[at]g | CC BY-SA 3.0

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10 Best Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids

Details On The Best Neighborhoods
How We Calculated The Ranking
Table Breakdown By Neighborhood

Do you like your neighborhood?

Is it friendly, and where everyone knows their neighbors?

No matter if you live in the sticks or in an apartment building in downtown Grand Rapids, you have a little pocket that you can call home. And each neighborhood is different.

Smaller neighborhoods usually have obvious benefits -- less crime, a slower pace of life, and a lower cost of living. But not all Grand Rapids neighborhoods are created equal. Some are better than others. But which ones?

Instead of relying on public opinion and speculation, we wanted to get the facts straight and find out which neighborhoods in Grand Rapids are the best. If you're in one of the places we're about to highlight, odds are you know you've got it made. So, if you're thinking of moving to Michigan and Grand Rapids is on the top of your list, check out our best neighborhoods to live in.

Here are the best neighborhoods in Grand Rapids for 2020:

So what's the best neighborhood to live in Grand Rapids for 2020? According to the most recent census data, Michgan Oaks looks to be the best Grand Rapids neighborhood to live in.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Grand Rapids that deserve a little bragging rights or maybe you're interested in the worst neighborhoods in Grand Rapids.

Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from best to worst.

For more Michigan reading, check out:

The 10 Best Neighborhoods To Live In Grand Rapids

1. Michgan Oaks

Population: 1,776
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $178,800 (Third best)
Median Income: $67,069 (First best)
More on Michgan Oaks: Homes For Sale | Data

2. Ridgemoor

Population: 2,764
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $184,033 (Second best)
Median Income: $66,714 (Second best)
More on Ridgemoor: Homes For Sale | Data

3. Eastown

Eastown Grand Rapids, MI

Source: Public domain

Population: 5,495
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $153,925 (Eighth best)
Median Income: $59,200 (Fifth best)
More on Eastown: Homes For Sale | Data

Eastown is a 70 square block area of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It has been described by some as the Greenwich Village of Grand Rapids. It is considered by many in the Grand Rapids area as somewhat of a liberal oasis in a rather conservative area.

4. Westside Connection

Population: 11,538
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $131,722 (13th best)
Median Income: $56,785 (Seventh best)
More on Westside Connection: Homes For Sale | Data

5. East Hills

Population: 4,048
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $147,900 (Ninth best)
Median Income: $42,667 (19th best)
More on East Hills: Homes For Sale | Data

6. Norteast Citizens Action

Population: 10,743
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $173,675 (Fifth best)
Median Income: $58,311 (Sixth best)
More on Norteast Citizens Action: Homes For Sale | Data

7. Millbrook

Population: 5,914
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $115,040 (15th best)
Median Income: $47,338 (14th best)
More on Millbrook: Homes For Sale | Data

8. Heritage Hill

Heritage Hill Grand Rapids, MI

Source: Public domain

Population: 3,370
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $174,950 (Fourth best)
Median Income: $43,151 (16th best)
More on Heritage Hill: Homes For Sale | Data

Heritage Hill is a neighborhood in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is one of the largest urban historic districts in the United States. It is bound by Crescent Street, Union Avenue, Pleasant Street, and Lafayette Avenue. Its 1,300 homes date from 1843 and represent Michigan's largest and finest concentration of nineteenth and early twentieth-century houses. Nearly every style of American architecture, from Greek Revival to Prairie is represented. These were the homes of lumber barons, teachers, judges, and legislators who shaped the citys future. Heritage Hill was designated by the American Planning Association as one of 2012's Great Places in America.

9. Midtown

Population: 3,926
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $96,925 (22nd best)
Median Income: $47,443 (13th best)
More on Midtown: Homes For Sale | Data

10. Creston

Population: 25,177
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $110,833 (16th best)
Median Income: $48,193 (12th best)
More on Creston: Homes For Sale | Data

How We Determined The Best Grand Rapids, MI Neighborhoods In 2020

In order to rank the best neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, we had to determine what criteria defines a "best".

Using crime, census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:

High incomes
Low unemployment rates
Low crime
High home prices
High population densities (A proxy for things to do)

We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 32 in each category, where 1 was the best.

Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.

And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index the "Best City Neighborhood In Grand Rapids." We're lookin' at you, Michgan Oaks.

Read on below to learn more about what it's like to live in the best places Grand Rapids, Michigan has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city from best to worst.

Putting A Bow On Our Analysis Of The Best Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids

If you're measuring the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids aren't all good. Black Hills takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in Grand Rapids.

We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below.