Population 5,210 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in South East Community
Household size in South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.88 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.02 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.88 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.18 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.30 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
South East Community is a place of big households: 3.18 people per home on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. Numbers like that usually point to plenty of families with kids. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.88, even as the national average fell. Only two of Grand Rapids' 21 neighborhoods have larger households.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 28.3 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 29.2 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 25.9 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of just 25.9, South East Community is far younger than the country as a whole (40.1), a population that tilts toward young adults in their twenties. The median age has climbed from 24.9 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. South East Community has the youngest population of any Grand Rapids neighborhood.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.3% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.6% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 32.3% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 31.3% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.1 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in South East Community: 31.3% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. The single-parent share is down 4.1 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only one other Grand Rapids neighborhood has a higher 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 South East Community
Renters in South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.5% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 62.9% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 74.2% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 73.1% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +14.6 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renters far outnumber owners in South East Community: 73.1% of households rent their homes, against 34.8% nationally. About four in ten owners (39.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 14.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Only two of Grand Rapids' 21 neighborhoods have 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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.4% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.9% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −25.6 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in South East Community than nationally: 6.9%, against 9.6% for the U.S. That is in line with the rest of the Grand Rapids area. Vacancy is down 25.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1952 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1946 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1960 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1951 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
South East Community is a place of older homes: half were built before 1951, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the west, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $678 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $669 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $909 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,089 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$411 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in South East Community runs $1,089 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $411 a month from 2006–10, a 61% jump, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 32.3% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the west.
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 South East Community
Bachelor's degrees in South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.9% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.7% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.6 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in South East Community: 13.7% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 5.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only one other Grand Rapids neighborhood has a lower share of college graduates.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.4% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 61.7% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 71.9% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 80.1% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +16.6 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in five adults in South East Community never finished high school, well above the national share: only 80.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 16.6 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Of Grand Rapids' 21 neighborhoods, only two have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 South East Community
| Period | South East Community | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 28.6% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 27.0% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −17.4 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in South East Community runs well above the national rate: 11.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4%. South East Community has the highest unemployment rate of any Grand Rapids neighborhood. Unemployment is down 17.4 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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).
South East Community 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East Community | 3.18 | 25.9 | 31.3% | 73.1% | 6.9% | 1951 | $1,089 | 13.7% | 80.1% | 11.1% |
| Madison Area | 3.07 | 29.8 | 25.9% | 63.1% | 5.3% | 1943 | $951 | 22.9% | 81.7% | 1.1% |
| Roosevelt Park | 3.03 | 27.3 | 33.6% | 69.0% | 6.3% | 1946 | $1,263 | 13.1% | 58.3% | 9.2% |
| 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% |
| 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% |
| East Hills | 1.98 | 31.0 | 6.6% | 66.2% | 7.1% | 1938 | $1,405 | 62.8% | 98.8% | 4.4% |
| South East End | 2.56 | 37.3 | 8.3% | 22.8% | 5.4% | 1948 | $1,395 | 46.9% | 90.3% | 7.3% |
| Swan | 2.35 | 27.2 | 14.0% | 74.5% | 14.0% | 1952 | $1,458 | 35.8% | 91.4% | 6.2% |
| Eastown | 2.60 | 30.8 | 7.3% | 34.3% | 10.9% | 1939 | $1,860 | 72.7% | 96.9% | 3.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Neighborhoods with similar populations: Greeneville Historic District, Norwich, CT · Staumbaugh Heller, Redwood City, CA · Riverchase Country Club, Hoover, AL · Mallard Creek-Withrow Downs, Charlotte, NC · Lansdowne, Charlotte, NC · Julia Keen, Tucson, AZ · Irvine Business Complex, Irvine, CA · Huntington-Jefferson, Virginia Beach, VA · Holly Grove, New Orleans, LA · High Country, San Antonio, 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 South East Community. 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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