State of the Region 2024

PEOPLE

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT Greater Grand Rapids hosts a population with increasingly higher levels of educational attainment. Since 2014, Greater Grand Rapids has added approximately 45,600 more bachelor degree holders and 27,700 new graduate degree or higher holders.

YOUTH POPULATION Greater Grand Rapids’ concentration of young people under 19 years old continues to outpace both state and national levels. Youth populations are decreasing across the country as birth rates decline. The concentration of 19- year-olds decreased 0.3% from 2023 to 2024 and 2.3% during the past decade.

Since 2019 the population of 25–34-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree or higher has risen by 19.7% in Greater Grand Rapids, compared to 9% across the state. Source: Michigan Future, Inc.

GREATER GRAND RAPIDS EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

POPULATION UNDER 19 YEARS OLD

2014

2024

Graduate Degree & Higher

Greater Grand Rapids

Michigan

United States

30%

29%

Bachelor’s Degree

28%

Associate’s Degree

27%

26%

Some College

25%

24%

High School Diploma

23%

9th Grade to 12th Grade

22%

21%

Less than 9th Grade

20%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

2015 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

Source: Lightcast

Source: Lightcast

STATE OF THE REGION 2024 07

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