Population 1,043 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Palo
Household size in Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.71 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.72 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.01 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.30 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Palo is a place of big households: 3.01 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Household size has climbed from 2.71 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.7 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.4 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.2 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.0 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.7 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Palo are younger than 39.0 and half are older, close to 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.9% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.4% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.7% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Palo (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Grand Rapids area.
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 Palo
Renters in Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.1% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.5% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +4.4 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Palo is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.5% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 47.4% 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.7% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Palo: 7.3% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of the Grand Rapids area.
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1974 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1974 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1972 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1974 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Palo run a bit older than the national norm, with a median build year of 1974 against 1980.
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $728 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $672 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $752 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $845 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$117 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Palo runs $845 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 34.5% 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 Palo
Bachelor's degrees in Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.2% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.3 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Palo have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 13.1%, 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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.6% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.6% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 84.6% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.6% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Palo is close to the national rate: 89.6% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the Grand Rapids area as a whole (92.2%).
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 Palo
| Period | Palo | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −8.8 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Palo runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. The Grand Rapids area as a whole looks much the same. 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).
Palo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo | 3.01 | 39.0 | 10.2% | 14.5% | 7.3% | 1974 | $845 | 13.1% | 89.6% | 4.1% |
| Shiloh | 2.61 | 40.6 | 10.3% | 24.7% | 10.9% | 1985 | $873 | 15.0% | 89.1% | 1.5% |
| Fenwick | 2.73 | 39.1 | 7.5% | 19.2% | 5.7% | 1981 | $1,026 | 15.5% | 89.9% | 2.5% |
| Muir | 2.90 | 42.0 | 11.1% | 24.5% | 3.1% | 1974 | $711 | 6.3% | 91.5% | 3.8% |
| Orleans | 2.68 | 41.6 | 11.9% | 20.9% | 11.6% | 1979 | $853 | 11.5% | 88.7% | 1.6% |
| Vickeryville | 3.18 | 37.5 | 7.2% | 8.0% | 9.8% | 1978 | $902 | 11.3% | 83.6% | 3.1% |
| Hubbardston | 2.90 | 39.2 | 17.1% | 7.3% | 9.9% | 1954 | $746 | 10.1% | 91.9% | 6.6% |
| Carson City | 3.34 | 38.7 | 11.6% | 18.0% | 4.3% | 1973 | $741 | 11.8% | 85.1% | 2.3% |
| Matherton | 2.70 | 41.9 | 10.4% | 8.1% | 7.7% | 1964 | $511 | 15.7% | 95.6% | 4.6% |
| Ionia | 2.59 | 41.3 | 12.5% | 30.3% | 5.9% | 1962 | $876 | 12.1% | 85.5% | 4.2% |
| Sheridan | 2.76 | 40.3 | 11.7% | 10.0% | 10.1% | 1976 | $927 | 12.8% | 86.9% | 3.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sandy Point, TX · Ackworth, IA · Lisman, AL · Quincy, OH · Rider, WV · Roslyn Harbor, NY · Rough Rock, AZ · Russell, FL · Rutledge, AL · Rye, TX
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 Palo. 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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