Best Grand Rapids suburbs for families

Ranked on a families weighting: schools at 30%, amenities within two miles at 20%, and the four poll questions about children, safety and sidewalks at 20%. Cost still counts, at 15%. The full weighting is shown at the bottom, and it is not the same as the overall score.

Updated Sep 2026·15 suburbs considered, 10 listed

Grandville$271k median · 18.0 min commute

Schools B+Amenities BResidents inactive

Family score
overall 71 B−

Jenison$282k median · 20.1 min commute

Schools A−Amenities C−Residents inactive

Family score
overall 72 B−

East Grand Rapids$521k median · 17.7 min commute

Schools A−Amenities C+Residents inactive

Family score
overall 76 B

Grand Haven$250k median · 16.9 min commute

Schools BAmenities C+Residents inactive

Family score
overall 64 C+

Holland$252k median · 16.8 min commute

Schools C+Amenities B−Residents inactive

Family score
overall 66 C+

Northview$289k median · 18.2 min commute

Schools C+Amenities CResidents inactive

Family score
overall 67 C+

A scene from Ada, Michigan. Ada Township is a civil township of Kent County in the U.S. state of w:Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was

Forest Hills$499k median · 19.7 min commute

Schools A−Amenities FResidents inactive

Family score
overall 72 B−

Walker$295k median · 20.2 min commute

Schools B−Amenities D+Residents inactive

Family score
overall 65 C+

Allendale$308k median · 20.6 min commute

Schools B+Amenities DResidents inactive

Family score
overall 58 C

Cutlerville$223k median · 20.7 min commute

Schools B−Amenities D+Residents inactive

Family score
overall 62 C

This list's weighting

Schools 30%Amenities 20%Resident poll (Q2, Q5, Q6, Q8) 20%Cost of living 15%Housing 10%Commute 5%

Poll components only count for places with eight or more resident responses; for the others the remaining weights re-normalise to 100%.

Other Grand Rapids lists

Most affordable Grand Rapids suburbs Best Grand Rapids suburbs for schools Shortest commutes to Downtown Grand Rapids Most walkable Grand Rapids suburbs Best Grand Rapids suburbs for young professionals How we score Grand Rapids suburbs →

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Grandville (WMrapids · CC0); Jenison (Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0); East Grand Rapids (WMrapids · CC BY-SA 4.0); Grand Haven (Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0); Holland (BenHerrera1979 · CC BY-SA 4.0); Forest Hills (Larry Pieniazek, Lar (commons) or Lar(en:wp) (primary) · CC BY 2.5); Allendale (Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0).