Cascade
Great schools with outdoor access
65 homes for sale·Median $587K·Walkability 1.3/10·Schools 8.3/10
Your mornings here don't involve scanning traffic maps or negotiating gridlock before work—the drive to Gerald R. Ford International Airport sits at just under 15 minutes, and downtown Grand Rapids is about 20 minutes south. What defines the daily rhythm instead is the Thornapple River, which splits the township in half and shapes how you move through the landscape, whether you're heading to one of the 318 restaurants within a mile or simply walking to coffee, which is steps away. The 55-acre Cascade Township Recreation Park anchors the community with baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and an 18-hole Frisbee golf course, while the Airport Viewing Park offers something rarer—a place to watch aircraft rise and fall against the sky, over 100 parking spaces and picnic tables waiting. Homes here run around $599K and sit on traditional brick foundations, the kind of neighborhood where the Fourth of July parade still pulls a giant flag behind fire trucks. Forest Hills Public Schools serves the township, which was founded in 1848 and still keeps its 1898 township hall running as the Cascade Historical Museum. You're suburban enough to have grocery stores and transit stops within steps, yet far enough out to feel something closer to rural—the kind of place where a charter high school focused on aviation and robotics fits perfectly, and where the ordinary work of living happens alongside open space and water.
Why people love it here
Central High School
- High — 3.5 mi away
- Forest Hills
- 4 rated schools in district
Near the water
- Campau Lake — 1.0 mi
- 5 parks within 1 mile
- 36th St To I-96 WB & I-96 Fwy Area Trail: 9 min bike
- Unnamed bike_path: 9 min bike
$133K median household income
- $587K median · 221 sales in last 12mo
Explore Cascade
Same name, different focus — Cascade is also covered as:
- Cascade Community — community details
Conventional Mortgage Calculator
Median home price in Cascade
Estimated Monthly Payment
$3,988/mo
Property tax and insurance are estimates you can edit — not a quote. Tap either figure to enter your own.
The interest rate shown is not an annual percentage rate (APR). Rate displayed is the current average 30-year fixed rate from the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey and is subject to change without notice. Your actual rate, payment, and costs may vary. Contact a loan officer for a personalized quote.
Guild Mortgage NMLS #3274. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS Consumer Access. Not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to underwriter approval; terms and conditions may apply. Subject to change without notice. Always consult an accountant or tax advisor for full eligibility requirements on tax deduction.
221 homes sold in Cascade this year. Thinking of selling?
See what your home is worthBased on 3 rated schools nearby
Range: 8/10 to 9/10
School District: Forest Hills Public Schools
Flood Risk
None
Not in flood zone
Nearest Park
Leslie E. Tassell Park
0.4 mi
Parks Nearby
5
within 1 mile
Nearest Lake
Campau Lake
1.0 mi
Walkability
Car-dependent
Overall walkability score out of 10
Based on actual walk/bike/drive times to nearby amenities via Mapbox
D&W Fresh Market
+1 more
The Gathering Place Restaurant
Jamnbean Coffee Company
Tacos El Cuñado Cascade
+1 more
Cascade Township Park
Unnamed playground
Quiggle Lake
Ada Township Trails
dog_park
36th St To I-96 WB & I-96 Fwy Area Trail
Ada - Grand River Launch
Walgreens
Cacade Township Branch
Phoenix Theatres Woodland Mall
Most of Cascade is policed by the Kent County Sheriff's Office. Across that jurisdiction in 2024, the most common reported offenses were larceny / theft (660 per 100,000 residents) and aggravated assault (108 per 100,000 residents), per FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
No homicides were reported in 2024.
| Offense type | Per 100k residents |
|---|---|
| Larceny / theft | 660 |
| Aggravated assault | 108 |
| Motor-vehicle theft | 76 |
| Burglary | 66 |
| Rape | 43 |
| Robbery | 5 |
| Arson | 5 |
| Homicide | 0 |
Reported offenses per 100,000 residents, Kent County Sheriff's Office, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2024). Figures cover the Kent County Sheriff's Office's full jurisdiction (the county's unincorporated areas), not Cascade alone. Crime is reported at the jurisdiction level and varies block to block within any community.
To buy a median-priced Cascade home (around $587,400) at today's 6.49% 30-year fixed rate with 20% down, you'd need roughly $96k/year in household income to qualify — an estimated monthly payment of $3,592 (principal, interest, property tax, and insurance).
The typical Cascade household earns $133,401 — above what the median home requires. At that income, a buyer can afford roughly $849,000 with 20% down.
| Down payment | Monthly payment | Income needed |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | $3,592/mo | $95,779 |
| 10% (+PMI) | $4,183/mo | $111,543 |
| 5% (+PMI) | $4,381/mo | $116,815 |
Estimates use a 6.49% 30-year fixed rate (current Freddie Mac average), an aggressive ~45% housing-to-income ratio (roughly what FHA underwriting can allow for a buyer with no other monthly debts — your number depends on your debts and credit), this area's median sale price and median property taxes, plus estimated insurance and PMI below 20% down. Not a commitment to lend, and not an APR — your actual rate and payment will vary.
Land for sale
Listings
8 parcels
Active / pending
Typical Land Value
$175K/acre
Median asking
Median Price
$417K
Per listing
Who actually lends in Cascade, and how homes here are financed — from 2024 federal mortgage records.
Loans to buy a home
Most active lenders
Homeowners refinancing an existing mortgage
Most active lenders
Source: 2024 HMDA (CFPB/FFIEC). Neighborhood figures are area-weighted estimates from census-tract data; loan amounts are rounded and all-cash purchases are excluded.
Association and local-government details are compiled from public records, municipal sites, and state registries, and can change. Confirm directly with the association or municipality before relying on them.
Solar potential
~$875/yr in electricity from a typical rooftop solar system
Produces ~6,379 kWh/yr · offsets ~61% of a typical home's use
Township/Grand Rapids regional water (developed); private well rural
Municipal water in developed corridors; rural on well.
Municipal sewer (developed); individual septic rural
Sewer in serviced areas; rural on septic.
Resident-arranged private hauler
Joint enhanced-services / community policing agreement with Ada & Grand Rapids Twps.
Source: cascadetwp.com
Utility, solar, and service details for Cascade are compiled from public records, municipal sites, and NREL / U.S. data.gov, and can change. Electric/gas can vary by address — confirm with the provider before relying on them.
Median Income
$133K
Home Value (Census)
$450K
🛒 Grocery(11)
Harvest Health Foods
Grocery Store
D&W Fresh Market
Grocery Store
Grocery Store
+8 more within 5 miles
🍕 Restaurants(10)
Restaurant
Frosty Boy of Cascade
Restaurant
Restaurant
First Wok Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant
Domino's Pizza
Restaurant
+5 more within 5 miles
☕ Coffee(18)
+15 more within 5 miles
🍺 Bars(22)
JT's Pizza & Spirits
Bar
Noto's Old World Italian Dining
Bar
Tacos El Cuñado Cascade
Bar
+19 more within 5 miles
🏫 Schools(10)
Goldfish Swim School
Forest Hills School
West Michigan Aviation Academy
School
+5 more within 5 miles
🌳 Parks(5)
+2 more within 5 miles
🐕 Dog Parks(4)
Cascade Hospital for Animals Dog Park
Dog Park
Shaggy Pines Dog Park Dog Park
Dog Park
Dog Park in Country Brook Estates Area
Dog Park
+1 more within 5 miles
🚴 Trails(3)
⛵ Boat Launches(2)
Boat Launch
Boat Launch
🚌 Transit(30)
Transit Stop
Transit Stop
Transit Stop
+27 more within 5 miles
🏥 Hospitals(1)
Forest View Hospital
Hospital
📚 Libraries(3)
⚡ EV Charging(2)
EV Charging
ChargePoint
EV Charging
Frequently asked about Cascade
- What do homes cost in Cascade?
- The median home value in Cascade is about $587,400. Individual prices vary by street, size, and condition.
- How active is the Cascade housing market?
- there are 65 homes for sale in Cascade right now, and 221 homes sold here in the last 12 months. Listings refresh throughout the day from the MichRIC MLS.
- What schools serve Cascade?
- Cascade is served by Forest Hills Public Schools. Its highest-rated assigned school is Central Middle School (9/10).
- Is Cascade walkable?
- Cascade scores 1.3/10 for walkability — a measure of walking, biking, and driving access to groceries, dining, parks, schools, and transit.
