Our Region

Put simply, it's a beautiful place to be.

A work/play balance unlike any other.

Just minutes from Lake Michigan, West Michigan enjoys everything that 250 miles of beaches has to offer: four season recreation ranging from swimming and boating to sledding and ice fishing. Kayakers, paddle boarders, kite surfers, hikers, yoga-ers unite. Schools are great, commutes are nearly stress-free and career opportunities at our thousands of world-class companies abound. Put simply, West Michigan is a beautiful place to be.

Nowhere is Michigan shining brighter than West Michigan, accounting for one-fifth of all new jobs in the state, despite compromising just one-tenth of the population.”
Bridge Magazine, June 2016

What others are saying...

Grand Rapids is the second most remote-ready city in the US.
Livability 2021

Census data as reported in Mlive, June 2020
Metro Grand Rapids is the state’s fastest-growing region. Kent County, home of Grand Rapids, and Ottawa County, which is adjacent to Kent, are the two fastest-growing counties in state since 2010.

Together, the two counties gained more than 80,000 residents, a 9% increase, and now have almost 950,000 residents.

The state’s cities with higher proportions of college graduates have grown. This includes Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Lansing and Kalamazoo.

Grand Rapids MSA is in the top 11% of the best places in the U.S. to work in manufacturing
SmartAsset Report, 2020

Grand Rapids is second-best housing market for Millennials
Improvenet.com, 2020

Holland named Michigan’s “greenest” city
Insurify, 2020

Grand Rapids ranks seventh in fastest rising incomes
GRBJ, March 2020: US Census Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 2015-2018

Grand Rapids is a Top Ten Metro Area for Millennials
Commerical Cafe, 2020

Michigan ranked in top 10 states for Manufacturing for 2019
Global Trade Magazine, September 2019

Top mid-sized city in the U.S. for economic growth potential
Business Facilities, July 2019

Grand Rapids and Detroit among the top 20 'superstar' metro areas nationwide
Reuters, July 2019

West Michigan city is one of best 'beach towns' in US
GRBJ, June 2019

Grand Rapids ranks among 'most popular' markets for millennials
GRBJ, May 2019