Population 4,331 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alger Heights
Household size in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.48 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.21 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Alger Heights is a place of small households, averaging 2.26 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.48 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.2 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.9 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 33.4 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 33.4, Alger Heights is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults, many of them living alone or as couples. Compared with other Grand Rapids neighborhoods, though, Alger Heights is older than most.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Alger Heights: 8.0% of households, against 11.6% nationally. Alger Heights has a lower share of single-parent households than most Grand Rapids neighborhoods.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Alger Heights
Renters in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.7% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.8% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.4% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.0% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
More than a quarter of households in Alger Heights rent their homes (27.0%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 26.1% have no mortgage at all, well below the national share of 39.8%. Only two of Grand Rapids' 21 neighborhoods have a lower share of renters.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.7% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.0% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Only 3.8% of homes in Alger Heights are vacant, far below the national rate of 9.6%, which usually means strong demand for housing. Only one other Grand Rapids neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1950 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1949 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1949 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Alger Heights is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1949, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $983 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $920 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $940 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,073 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$90 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Alger Heights pays $1,073 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 40.8% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Only one other Grand Rapids neighborhood has lower rents.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Alger Heights
Bachelor's degrees in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.3% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 45.8% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 46.9% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Alger Heights: 46.9% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 91.9% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 91.9% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.5% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.3% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Alger Heights have finished high school (92.3%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The Grand Rapids area as a whole looks much the same.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Alger Heights
| Period | Alger Heights | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.4% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Alger Heights has been low: just 2.9% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Alger Heights has lower unemployment than the great majority of Grand Rapids neighborhoods. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Alger Heights compared with nearby neighborhoods
| Neighborhood | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alger Heights | 2.26 | 33.4 | 8.0% | 27.0% | 3.8% | 1949 | $1,073 | 46.9% | 92.3% | 2.9% |
| South East End | 2.56 | 37.3 | 8.3% | 22.8% | 5.4% | 1948 | $1,395 | 46.9% | 90.3% | 7.3% |
| Garfield Park | 3.31 | 31.2 | 21.1% | 35.9% | 6.6% | 1939 | $1,215 | 23.6% | 69.9% | 6.3% |
| Fuller Avenue | 3.40 | 30.3 | 19.9% | 35.1% | 5.5% | 1939 | $1,365 | 33.1% | 83.5% | 9.4% |
| Madison Area | 3.07 | 29.8 | 25.9% | 63.1% | 5.3% | 1943 | $951 | 22.9% | 81.7% | 1.1% |
| South East Community | 3.18 | 25.9 | 31.3% | 73.1% | 6.9% | 1951 | $1,089 | 13.7% | 80.1% | 11.1% |
| Millbrook | 2.38 | 45.1 | 9.4% | 41.9% | 3.2% | 1982 | $1,262 | 44.6% | 91.7% | 5.7% |
| Eastown | 2.60 | 30.8 | 7.3% | 34.3% | 10.9% | 1939 | $1,860 | 72.7% | 96.9% | 3.8% |
| Roosevelt Park | 3.03 | 27.3 | 33.6% | 69.0% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,263 | 13.1% | 58.3% | 9.2% |
| East Hills | 1.98 | 31.0 | 6.6% | 66.2% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,405 | 62.8% | 98.8% | 4.4% |
| Heritage Hill | 1.93 | 32.0 | 6.5% | 68.5% | 7.4% | 1938 | $1,326 | 57.0% | 95.6% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: River Dance at Steiner Ranch, Austin, TX · Urbanizacion Turabo Gdns, Caguas, PR · Cottage Park, Mobile, AL · Questa, Mountain House, CA · Prospect-Shields, Fort Collins, CO · Parcelas Nueva Vida, Ponce, PR · North End, Nashua, NH · Central, Helena, MT · Mt Ivy, Pomona, NY · Chabot Park, Oakland, CA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Alger Heights. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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