East Grand Rapids is a small but unusually concentrated homeowner market. In the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, EGR had 3,861 housing units, 93.9% owner occupancy and 96.7% detached housing. Grand Rapids had 84,894 housing units, 54.0% owner occupancy and 56.2% detached housing. These figures describe the housing market; they do not determine the price of an individual roof.
A side-by-side housing market snapshot
Roofing demand begins with the housing stock, but housing statistics are not roofing quotes. This comparison uses the same ACS release, geography type and detailed tables for both cities so the figures are comparable.
| 2020-2024 ACS estimate | East Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 3,861 | 84,894 |
| Occupied housing units | 3,797 | 80,222 |
| Owner-occupied units | 3,566 | 43,351 |
| Owner-occupied share | 93.9% | 54.0% |
| One-unit detached share | 96.7% | 56.2% |
| Median owner-occupied home value | $521,300 | $244,500 |
| Median household income | $166,610 | $69,108 |
What makes EGR distinct for roof planning?
The clearest difference is not income or property value. It is the concentration of owner-occupied, detached housing. Homeowners can authorize maintenance directly, and detached homes usually place responsibility for the complete roof system with one property owner. In Grand Rapids, a larger share of the housing supply is rented, attached or located in multi-unit structures.
EGR is also an older housing market. Approximately 69.7% of its housing units were built before 1960, compared with 59.5% in Grand Rapids. Building age can signal older framing, additions, chimneys or architectural complexity, but it does not reveal the age or condition of the roof currently installed.
Housing age in context
| Year structure built | East Grand Rapids | Grand Rapids |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 28.8% | 37.5% |
| 1940-1959 | 40.9% | 22.0% |
| 1960-1979 | 22.9% | 16.2% |
| 1980 or later | 7.4% | 24.3% |
The distribution matters more than a single label such as “older homes.” Grand Rapids has a larger share of pre-1940 housing, while EGR is especially concentrated in homes built from 1940 through 1959. Both markets contain roofs of many ages, materials and replacement histories.
What the numbers do not tell us
- Home value and household income do not set a roofing price.
- Structure age is not the same as roof age.
- Housing-unit counts do not reveal how many roofs will be replaced in a given year.
- Census estimates include sampling uncertainty and should not be treated as exact inventories.
- A roof still must be measured and its scope inspected property by property.
For an actual planning range, roof surface, pitch, geometry, material, tear-off, access and hidden conditions remain the important inputs. Review the East Grand Rapids roof cost guide or measure a specific roof.
Methodology and primary sources
Roof EGR calculated percentages from U.S. Census Bureau 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates. Housing units come from table B25001; tenure from B25003; units in structure from B25024; year built from B25034; median home value from B25077; and median household income from B19013. Calculated percentages use the published estimates before rounding.
- Housing units: B25001
- Housing tenure: B25003
- Units in structure: B25024
- Year structure built: B25034
- Median home value: B25077
- Median household income: B19013
Last reviewed August 26, 2026. Roof EGR will update this comparison when a newer ACS five-year release is available.