Known for furniture making, the Grand Rapids metro is diversifying and now supports one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation while simultaneously ranking high on some “best places to live” lists. The market is home to roughly 1.1 million people, with growth of 40,000 residents expected over the next five years. The metro consists of Barry, Kent, Montcalm and Ottawa counties. It is roughly 160 miles west of Detroit, and Lake Michigan provides the western border. Grand Rapids is the second-largest city in Michigan and the largest city in West Michigan. It is on the Grand River about 30 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2017 census, the city population was 198,000 +. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 1,005,648, and the combined statistical area of Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland had a population of 1,321,557. Grand Rapids is the county seat of Kent County. .
