East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 11,371.

The city is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area, including Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township, but the city is administered autonomously.

History

thumb|right|250px|[[Reeds Lake]]

thumb|right|250px|Lakefront mansions

Originally part of Paris Township, East Grand Rapids was first settled in the early 1830s by the Reed Family from New York City, New York. Miss Sophia Reed and Miss Euphemia Davis opened a school in 1834 near Reeds Lake. This involved construction of some school houses. Another schoolhouse was constructed in 1835 near Reeds Lake in the Grand River Valley, with Francis Prescott as one of its teachers. Residents voted to establish the Village of East Grand Rapids in 1891. The village was incorporated into a home rule city in 1926 when the population was approximately 1,300.

Visitors to East Grand Rapids initially traveled by foot, stagecoach, or horse and buggy. In the mid-1870s, horse-drawn cars became available. Passengers would board in downtown Grand Rapids and transfer onto the Grand Rapids & Reeds Lake Railway. By 1877, a steam locomotive replaced the horse cars. Electric streetcars came into use in the early 1890s. They were replaced by buses as a mode of transportation in 1935. Interurban also brought residents from nearby cities to Reeds Lake.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (13.57%) is water.

Reeds Lake and Fisk Lake comprise most of the water area.

Education

East Grand Rapids Public Schools is composed of

  • East Grand Rapids High School
  • East Grand Rapids Middle School
  • Wealthy Elementary
  • Breton Downs Elementary
  • Lakeside Elementary

Government

East Grand Rapids has a council–manager government, with an elected commission composed of six elected Commissioners, two from each of the city's three wards, and a mayor, elected at-large. Elections occur in odd-numbered years.

In the United States House of Representatives, East Grand Rapids is located in Michigan's 3rd congressional district, represented by Democrat Hillary Scholten.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, East Grand Rapids had a population of 11,371. The median age was 38.0 years. 30.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.0 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 3,851 households in East Grand Rapids, of which 46.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 73.2% were married-couple households, 7.5% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 16.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,764 people, 3,835 households, and 3,021 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,940 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 96.99% White, 0.98% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.

There were 3,835 households, out of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $84,772, and the median income for a family was $98,967. Males had a median income of $66,528 versus $42,383 for females. The per-capita income for the city was $41,388. About 1.5% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.