Population 1,525 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Sun
Household size in Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.83 | 2.70 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.95 | 2.69 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.84 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.03 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Sun average 2.84 people, above the national 2.65, so families with children are more common here.
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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 36.8 | 36.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.7 | 37.2 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.0 | 37.9 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.0 | 38.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.1 | +2.3 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
At 39.0, the median age in Sun is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has climbed from 36.8 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 10.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.6% | 9.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −1.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 7.6% of households in Sun, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Sun
Renters in Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.0% | 24.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.0% | 26.9% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 26.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 25.4% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | +0.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 17.7% of households in Sun rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (40.4%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally.
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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 9.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 8.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 7.1% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 6.6% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | −3.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Sun: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Grand Rapids area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1981 | 1974 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1974 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1976 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1978 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +5 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Sun is younger than the country's: half of it was built after 1987, against 1980 nationally.
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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $704 | $800 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $849 | $848 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $696 | $950 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $992 | $1,285 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$289 | +$485 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Sun pays $992 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 24.7% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Sun
Bachelor's degrees in Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 27.1% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 29.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 16.3% | 31.9% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.1% | 36.9% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +9.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Sun have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.1%, 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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.1% | 88.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.3% | 89.4% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 91.0% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.3% | 92.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +3.7 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Sun have finished high school as nationally: 90.3%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the wider Grand Rapids area (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 Sun
| Period | Sun | Grand Rapids area | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.0% | 9.2% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.6% | 9.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.5% | 4.2% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.1% | 3.9% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | −5.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Sun: 8.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Sun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.84 | 39.0 | 7.6% | 17.7% | 7.8% | 1987 | $992 | 16.1% | 90.3% | 8.1% |
| Grant | 2.70 | 39.3 | 8.7% | 17.1% | 11.0% | 1987 | $915 | 18.1% | 90.9% | 4.3% |
| Kent City | 2.90 | 38.4 | 7.7% | 13.2% | 4.2% | 1982 | $1,100 | 16.6% | 89.2% | 8.0% |
| Bailey | 3.14 | 36.4 | 9.8% | 9.2% | 7.1% | 1977 | $967 | 19.9% | 92.3% | 6.7% |
| Casnovia | 3.24 | 33.6 | 9.1% | 15.4% | 3.5% | 1975 | $1,105 | 20.9% | 91.9% | 8.2% |
| Newaygo | 2.57 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 12.3% | 20.6% | 1978 | $1,001 | 16.1% | 89.0% | 3.2% |
| Croton | 3.19 | 38.8 | 23.8% | 6.8% | 31.4% | 1990 | $1,035 | 14.6% | 90.8% | 0.9% |
| Sand Lake | 2.51 | 44.0 | 9.0% | 9.0% | 11.1% | 1988 | $813 | 16.1% | 90.2% | 2.8% |
| Sparta | 2.63 | 40.9 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 4.3% | 1979 | $1,004 | 29.2% | 92.5% | 6.2% |
| Pierson | 2.74 | 40.5 | 3.2% | 9.0% | 18.9% | 1987 | $890 | 20.0% | 94.1% | 1.3% |
| Cedar Springs | 2.59 | 42.9 | 10.3% | 12.9% | 4.8% | 1990 | $1,134 | 23.7% | 93.9% | 3.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: East View, KY · Borculo, MI · Boston Heights, OH · Calumet, OK · Canvas, WV · Cascade, VA · Chatterton, GA · Cissna Park, IL · Coggon, IA · Country Club Hills, MO
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 Sun. 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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