Population 3,908 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Heartside-Downtown: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Heartside-Downtown
Household size in Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.57 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 1.60 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 1.61 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.43 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.14 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Heartside-Downtown is a place of small households, averaging 1.43 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 1.57, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change. Heartside-Downtown has the smallest households of any Grand Rapids neighborhood.
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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 33.5 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.7 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 35.4 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −2.4 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 35.4, Heartside-Downtown 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, Heartside-Downtown 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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.4% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.4% of households in Heartside-Downtown, well below the national share of 11.6%. No other Grand Rapids neighborhood has a lower share of single-parent households.
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 Heartside-Downtown
Renters in Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.4% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 86.7% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 85.8% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 90.9% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.5 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in Heartside-Downtown: 90.9% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. Among homeowners, 43.1% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. No other Grand Rapids neighborhood has a higher 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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.8% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.0% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.6% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.2 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Heartside-Downtown is the same as the national rate: 9.6% of homes are empty. The rate is higher than in the Grand Rapids area as a whole (6.6%).
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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1939 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1944 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1962 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +23 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Heartside-Downtown is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1962, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Compared with other Grand Rapids neighborhoods, though, Heartside-Downtown has newer homes than most.
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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $492 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $717 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $997 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,082 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$590 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Heartside-Downtown pays $1,082 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 28.8% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Of Grand Rapids' 21 neighborhoods, only two have 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 Heartside-Downtown
Bachelor's degrees in Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.7% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 39.4% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 48.6% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 49.5% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +24.7 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Heartside-Downtown is highly educated: about half of adults 25 and older (49.5%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Compared with other Grand Rapids neighborhoods, Heartside-Downtown has a higher share of college graduates than most.
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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 78.4% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.0% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.3% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +14.1 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Heartside-Downtown is a bit above the national rate: 92.5% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The picture is much the same across 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 Heartside-Downtown
| Period | Heartside-Downtown | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.1% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 20.4% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −15.6 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Heartside-Downtown: 9.5% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only one other Grand Rapids neighborhood has higher unemployment. 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).
Heartside-Downtown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heartside-Downtown | 1.43 | 35.4 | 4.4% | 90.9% | 9.6% | 1962 | $1,082 | 49.5% | 92.5% | 9.5% |
| Heritage Hill | 1.93 | 32.0 | 6.5% | 68.5% | 7.4% | 1938 | $1,326 | 57.0% | 95.6% | 3.4% |
| Swan | 2.35 | 27.2 | 14.0% | 74.5% | 14.0% | 1952 | $1,458 | 35.8% | 91.4% | 6.2% |
| Belknap Lookout | 2.03 | 31.2 | 16.5% | 68.7% | 11.3% | 1969 | $1,452 | 51.5% | 91.6% | 2.5% |
| East Hills | 1.98 | 31.0 | 6.6% | 66.2% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,405 | 62.8% | 98.8% | 4.4% |
| South East Community | 3.18 | 25.9 | 31.3% | 73.1% | 6.9% | 1951 | $1,089 | 13.7% | 80.1% | 11.1% |
| Midtown-Grand Rapids | 1.90 | 29.4 | 10.9% | 60.9% | 8.5% | 1968 | $1,573 | 59.7% | 98.9% | 3.8% |
| Madison Area | 3.07 | 29.8 | 25.9% | 63.1% | 5.3% | 1943 | $951 | 22.9% | 81.7% | 1.1% |
| Highland Park | 2.48 | 32.1 | 14.7% | 33.6% | 8.6% | 1959 | $1,431 | 45.4% | 98.0% | 7.5% |
| John Ball Park | 2.58 | 32.5 | 5.6% | 31.3% | 11.0% | 1942 | $1,395 | 49.8% | 96.5% | 6.7% |
| Roosevelt Park | 3.03 | 27.3 | 33.6% | 69.0% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,263 | 13.1% | 58.3% | 9.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Villa del Carmen, Ponce, PR · United Westwood, San Antonio, TX · University South, Palo Alto, CA · Liberia, Hollywood, FL · Larrymore Lawns, Norfolk, VA · Lamberts Point, Norfolk, VA · Urbanizacion Atlantic View, San Juan, PR · Kensington, Coral Springs, FL · Urbanizacion Las Vegas, Catano, PR · Jordan Meadows, Salt Lake City, UT
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 Heartside-Downtown. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.