Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A suburb of Grand Rapids, Walker borders the city to the north and west. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,132.
Walker was originally organized as Walker Township in 1837 and later incorporated as a city in 1962. It is home to the headquarters of Meijer and Bissell.
History
The area was first organized as Walker Township on December 30, 1837, the second to be organized in Kent County. It initially comprised all of the land in the county north of the Grand River. Shortly thereafter in 1838, part of the township was split off to form Ada Township. The earliest settlers of the township were Canadian immigrants. In 1867, a township hall was built. However, the area where the township hall was annexed into Grand Rapids in 1959.
Walker was established as a city in 1962 to prevent further annexation of the area into Grand Rapids. At the time it was made a city, Walker had a population of 11,000.
The city gained national attention when Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood committed their murders as workers at a nursing home in Walker in 1987.
In the late 1990s, a shopping mall was proposed by a developer based in Ada near the intersection of Four Mile Road and Walker, though this was opposed by residents who believed it would cause nearby students to skip school, increase crime with gang activity and that it may fail due to the upcoming opening of RiverTown Crossings.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.27%) is water.
Major highways
- runs along the north side of the city.
- passes briefly through the northeastern part of the city.
- runs south–north through the western edge of the city.
- enters from the north of the city and then runs concurrently with I-96.
- runs west–east briefly through the center of the city.
Government
The city of Walker operates with a City commission government, with six elected officials serving on a commission plus an appointed city manager. The city government is represented by three wards, each with two elected commissioners, which are overseen by an elected mayor.
The city levies an income tax of 1% on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents.
Media
Newspaper
- The Grand Rapids Press had its printing and distribution facility in Walker. The facility closed October 5, 2020 and printing operations were consolidated to Cleveland, Ohio.
Television
- WZZM 13 is located in Walker.
- WXSP-CD 15 broadcast tower is located in Walker.
Radio
- WTRV 100.5 MHz is licensed to Walker. However, the studio is located in downtown Grand Rapids.
Education
Public schools
School districts serving the City of Walker include Comstock Park Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Grandville Public Schools, and Kenowa Hills Public Schools.
Kenowa Hills schools in the Walker city limits include the Kenowa Hills Early Childhood Center/Day Care & Learning Center, (previously Walker Station Elementary School) Kenowa Hills Central Elementary School, (formerly Kenowa Hills Intermediate School) and Zinser Elementary School. The district previously operated Fairview Elementary School in Walker. Kenowa Hills district residents are zoned to Kenowa Hills Middle School and Kenowa Hills High School in Alpine Township.
One Grandville school, Cummings Elementary, is in the city limits.
One National Heritage Academies charter school, Walker Charter Academy, is in the city limits.
Private schools
Covenant Christian High School and Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School are located in Walker.
Public libraries
The Kent District Library Walker Branch is in Walker.
Sports
The DeltaPlex Arena was an event arena within Walker and was home to the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League, which is an affiliate of the Denver Nuggets. The Delta Plex closed and is now mixed use commercial facility and the Grand Rapids Gold play home games at the Van Andel Arena
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Walker had a population of 25,132. The median age was 35.6 years. 21.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 15.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.2 males age 18 and over.
94.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 5.5% lived in rural areas.
There were 10,470 households in Walker, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 46.1% were married-couple households, 19.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 23,537 people, 9,684 households, and 5,923 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 10,432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% White, 2.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 1.4% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 9,684 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census