Population 3,966 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Gowen
Household size in Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.70 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.18 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
At 2.70 people per household, Gowen sits close to the national average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.52, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.5 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.6 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.3 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.4 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Gowen is 43.4 years old, older than the national median of 40.1.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.3% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.8 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Gowen: 4.3% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Gowen
Renters in Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.8% of households in Gowen rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 43.5% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.0% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | +8.9 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 19.2% of the housing in Gowen, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1984 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +8 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Gowen are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1984, versus 1980 across the U.S.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $744 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $768 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $711 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,141 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$396 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Gowen pays $1,141 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 40.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Gowen
Bachelor's degrees in Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.1% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.6% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.8% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.7 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Gowen have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 24.8%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.8% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.5% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.7% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.8% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Gowen is a bit above the national rate: 91.8% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Grand Rapids area.
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 Gowen
| Period | Gowen | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.5% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.4% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.1% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.7 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Gowen has been low: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Gowen compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gowen | 2.70 | 43.4 | 4.3% | 7.8% | 19.2% | 1984 | $1,141 | 24.8% | 91.8% | 2.8% |
| Turk Lake | 2.63 | 47.3 | 8.7% | 10.1% | 14.5% | 1977 | $985 | 21.2% | 88.8% | 5.0% |
| Greenville | 2.51 | 39.4 | 9.7% | 27.0% | 8.4% | 1978 | $1,085 | 21.1% | 90.6% | 4.5% |
| Trufant | 2.94 | 43.0 | 4.4% | 8.5% | 18.1% | 1972 | $954 | 14.4% | 89.4% | 3.6% |
| Evans | 2.71 | 37.2 | 8.8% | 5.0% | 7.4% | 1990 | $1,113 | 26.8% | 94.6% | 2.5% |
| Langston | 3.02 | 41.4 | 6.1% | 9.3% | 20.4% | 1977 | $987 | 20.2% | 89.2% | 8.7% |
| Sidney | 2.60 | 44.6 | 11.6% | 11.5% | 10.7% | 1978 | $1,078 | 16.1% | 85.3% | 5.1% |
| Coral | 2.97 | 40.6 | 5.9% | 6.0% | 20.9% | 1967 | $1,057 | 17.9% | 85.8% | 4.5% |
| Grattan | 2.51 | 45.1 | 3.4% | 18.5% | 10.2% | 1990 | $1,152 | 27.6% | 96.5% | 7.2% |
| Cedar Springs | 2.59 | 42.9 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 4.8% | 1990 | $1,134 | 23.7% | 93.9% | 3.7% |
| Belding | 2.63 | 41.7 | 14.8% | 24.9% | 10.8% | 1963 | $864 | 16.9% | 90.2% | 3.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Townsend, MT · Vassalboro, ME · Wakarusa, IN · St. Helen, MI · Bishop, TX · Woodlawn, TN · Weston Lakes, TX · Verbena, AL · South Chicago Heights, IL · Rockford, TN
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 Gowen. 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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