Rent-to-Price Ratio by Neighborhood in West Michigan
60 placesThe rent-to-price ratio is the first number a small landlord runs: twelve months of rent set against what the house costs. Nobody publishes it for West Michigan at the neighborhood level, so we compute it from the two things Atlas already measures — the Census median rent tenants actually pay, and the median price homes actually sold for.
Every row shows its own inputs: the rent, the price, how many sales are behind the price, how many renter households are behind the rent, and which Census geography the rent came from. A ranking you cannot audit is not worth much, so the arithmetic is on the page rather than behind it.
How we ranked: gross yield — twelve months of the median gross rent paid, divided by the median sale price of the trailing 12 months, highest first. Gross only: no vacancy, maintenance, management or tax assumptions are applied, because we do not measure them.
Market data, not advice
This page publishes two measurements and the ratio between them. It is not investment, financial, tax or legal advice, not a projection of returns, and not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any property. A high ratio here means the median rent is large relative to the median price in that place — nothing more. Any individual property differs from its area's median in condition, size, unit mix, lease terms and expenses, all of which sit outside this calculation.
The 60 highest gross rent-to-price ratios
Highest first, out of 332 West Michigan places that met every rule below. Every figure in a row is a published measurement — nothing is modelled, smoothed or filled in.
| Place | Gross yield | Monthly rent ÷ price | Median rent | Median sale price | Sales (12 mo) | Rent sample | Rent source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Muskegon Heights Muskegon County | 9.9% | 0.83% | $826/mo | $100,000 | 104 | 1,991 | high Census block groups |
| 2. Oakview Neighborhood · Muskegon | 9.7% | 0.81% | $1,127/mo | $140,000 | 25 | 262 | high Census block groups |
| 3. Marsh Field Neighborhood · Muskegon | 9.4% | 0.78% | $978/mo | $125,000 | 33 | 395 | high Census block groups |
| 4. Fork Township | 8.3% | 0.69% | $902/mo | $130,000 | 17 | 75 | medium Census block groups |
| 5. East Muskegon Neighborhood · Muskegon | 8.3% | 0.69% | $949/mo | $137,700 | 8 | 161 | high Census block groups |
| 6. Webber Township | 8.2% | 0.68% | $1,004/mo | $147,500 | 8 | 174 | high Census block groups |
| 7. Galewood Neighborhood · Wyoming | 8.1% | 0.68% | $1,621/mo | $239,900 | 33 | 246 | high Census block groups |
| 8. Sheldon Park Neighborhood · Muskegon | 8.0% | 0.66% | $1,128/mo | $170,000 | 31 | 233 | high Census block groups |
| 9. Maplewood Neighborhood · Georgetown Township | 7.9% | 0.66% | $2,114/mo | $320,000 | 67 | 700 | high Census block groups |
| 10. Steele Neighborhood · Muskegon | 7.7% | 0.64% | $1,213/mo | $189,000 | 16 | 104 | high Census block groups |
| 11. Leavitt Township | 7.2% | 0.60% | $1,011/mo | $168,000 | 9 | 58 | medium Census block groups |
| 12. Evart | 7.1% | 0.59% | $858/mo | $146,000 | 15 | 85 | medium Census block groups |
| 13. Nelson Neighborhood · Muskegon | 7.0% | 0.58% | $932/mo | $160,000 | 53 | 600 | high Census block groups |
| 14. Baxter Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 6.9% | 0.58% | $1,379/mo | $238,250 | 26 | 464 | high Census block groups |
| 15. Eastern-Burton Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 6.9% | 0.58% | $1,380/mo | $240,000 | 21 | 732 | medium Census tracts |
| 16. Yates Township | 6.9% | 0.57% | $695/mo | $121,500 | 8 | 110 | high Census block groups |
| 17. East Grandville Neighborhood · Wyoming | 6.8% | 0.57% | $1,109/mo | $195,000 | 12 | 189 | high Census block groups |
| 18. McLaughlin Neighborhood · Muskegon | 6.8% | 0.57% | $876/mo | $154,500 | 32 | 469 | high Census block groups |
| 19. Southeast Community Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 6.7% | 0.55% | $1,166/mo | $210,350 | 84 | 1,837 | high Census block groups |
| 20. Nims Neighborhood · Muskegon | 6.6% | 0.55% | $1,151/mo | $207,771 | 35 | 230 | high Census block groups |
| 21. Wolf Lake Community · Muskegon County | 6.6% | 0.55% | $1,273/mo | $230,000 | 53 | 127 | high Census block groups |
| 22. Jenison Community · Ottawa County | 6.5% | 0.54% | $1,915/mo | $355,000 | 181 | 896 | high Census block groups |
| 23. Angell Neighborhood · Muskegon | 6.4% | 0.53% | $851/mo | $160,000 | 35 | 509 | high Census block groups |
| 24. Campbell Field Neighborhood · Muskegon | 6.3% | 0.52% | $958/mo | $182,500 | 24 | 617 | high Census block groups |
| 25. Godwin Heights Neighborhood · Wyoming | 6.3% | 0.52% | $1,175/mo | $225,050 | 38 | 441 | high Census block groups |
| 26. Muskegon Muskegon County | 6.2% | 0.52% | $928/mo | $180,000 | 460 | 5,930 | high Census block groups |
| 27. Downtown Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 6.2% | 0.51% | $1,722/mo | $335,000 | 19 | 550 | high Census block groups |
| 28. Rosewood Neighborhood · Georgetown Township | 6.1% | 0.51% | $1,924/mo | $376,000 | 45 | 63 | medium Census block groups |
| 29. Belknap Lookout Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 6.1% | 0.51% | $1,388/mo | $272,450 | 56 | 1,485 | high Census block groups |
| 30. Jackson Hill Neighborhood · Muskegon | 6.1% | 0.50% | $880/mo | $174,400 | 20 | 359 | high Census block groups |
| 31. Sheridan Township | 6.0% | 0.50% | $882/mo | $175,760 | 15 | 53 | medium Census block groups |
| 32. Montello Park Neighborhood · Holland | 6.0% | 0.50% | $1,393/mo | $278,750 | 10 | 941 | medium Census tracts |
| 33. Newkirk Township | 5.9% | 0.49% | $863/mo | $174,900 | 9 | 68 | medium Census block groups |
| 34. Southeast End Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.9% | 0.49% | $1,356/mo | $275,000 | 163 | 1,291 | high Census block groups |
| 35. John Ball Park Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.9% | 0.49% | $1,380/mo | $280,500 | 106 | 2,535 | high Census block groups |
| 36. Washington Square Neighborhood · Holland | 5.9% | 0.49% | $1,459/mo | $297,500 | 39 | 232 | high Census block groups |
| 37. Midtown Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.8% | 0.48% | $1,489/mo | $307,450 | 46 | 1,257 | high Census block groups |
| 38. Maplewood Neighborhood · Holland | 5.8% | 0.48% | $1,619/mo | $335,000 | 61 | 51 | medium Census block groups |
| 39. Marquette Neighborhood · Muskegon | 5.8% | 0.48% | $978/mo | $202,950 | 30 | 276 | high Census block groups |
| 40. Grant Newaygo County | 5.8% | 0.48% | $957/mo | $199,500 | 8 | 169 | high Census block groups |
| 41. Lee Township Allegan County | 5.8% | 0.48% | $1,174/mo | $245,000 | 10 | 330 | medium Census tracts |
| 42. Creston Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.7% | 0.48% | $1,324/mo | $276,950 | 192 | 1,939 | high Census block groups |
| 43. Merrill Township Newaygo County | 5.7% | 0.47% | $850/mo | $179,000 | 14 | 52 | medium Census block groups |
| 44. North End Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.7% | 0.47% | $1,467/mo | $311,000 | 110 | 678 | high Census block groups |
| 45. Burlingame Neighborhood · Wyoming | 5.5% | 0.46% | $1,313/mo | $285,000 | 28 | 145 | high Census block groups |
| 46. Scottville | 5.5% | 0.46% | $776/mo | $169,000 | 19 | 308 | high Census block groups |
| 47. Otsego Allegan County | 5.5% | 0.46% | $1,108/mo | $242,000 | 58 | 633 | medium Census tracts |
| 48. North Muskegon Muskegon County | 5.5% | 0.46% | $1,335/mo | $292,500 | 64 | 296 | high Census block groups |
| 49. Castleton Township Barry County | 5.5% | 0.46% | $886/mo | $194,250 | 28 | 174 | high Census block groups |
| 50. Glenside Neighborhood · Muskegon | 5.4% | 0.45% | $985/mo | $217,500 | 24 | 251 | high Census block groups |
| 51. Pleasant Plains Township | 5.4% | 0.45% | $811/mo | $180,000 | 19 | 247 | high Census block groups |
| 52. Big Rapids | 5.4% | 0.45% | $886/mo | $197,500 | 68 | 1,173 | high Census block groups |
| 53. Wyoming Park Neighborhood · Wyoming | 5.4% | 0.45% | $1,224/mo | $273,500 | 70 | 308 | medium Census tracts |
| 54. Odessa Township Ionia County | 5.3% | 0.45% | $969/mo | $217,450 | 38 | 206 | high Census block groups |
| 55. Allegan Allegan County | 5.3% | 0.44% | $1,001/mo | $225,000 | 79 | 451 | high Census block groups |
| 56. Stanton Montcalm County | 5.3% | 0.44% | $816/mo | $183,500 | 16 | 186 | high Census block groups |
| 57. Kelloggsville Neighborhood · Kentwood | 5.3% | 0.44% | $1,121/mo | $253,000 | 73 | 1,084 | high Census block groups |
| 58. Bailey's Grove Neighborhood · Kentwood | 5.3% | 0.44% | $1,766/mo | $400,000 | 73 | 649 | high Census block groups |
| 59. Norton Shores Muskegon County | 5.2% | 0.44% | $1,286/mo | $294,200 | 334 | 1,276 | high Census block groups |
| 60. Highland Park Neighborhood · Grand Rapids | 5.2% | 0.44% | $1,155/mo | $265,000 | 56 | 433 | high Census block groups |
Gross yield = median rent × 12 ÷ median sale price. “Rent sample” is how many renter households of Census survey data the rent median rests on. “Rent source” is the Census geography that data was pooled from, and how confident that makes the figure.
What we leave out, and why
A ranking is only as good as what it excludes. A place appears above only when all of the following hold — otherwise it is left off entirely rather than shown with a filled-in number.
- 1.The rent figure is pooled from the fine Census geographies the place actually sits in — block groups or tracts. Where the rent had to fall back to a county-subdivision or whole-county distribution, the place is left off: that number describes the county, and a ranking built on it would sort places by which county they are in.
- 2.At least 50 renter households stand behind that pooled distribution. This is a sample size and nothing else — it is how much survey data the median rests on, not a description of anybody.
- 3.The rent median falls inside the range the Census actually measures. Its top bracket is open-ended at $3,500 and up, so a median landing there can only be capped, never read. Those, and any figure the pipeline flags as suppressed or pinned to the bottom bracket, are dropped rather than published.
- 4.At least 8 homes sold there in the trailing 12 months, so the median sale price reflects a market rather than a handful of transactions.
- 5.The median sale price is present and inside a plausible band. A missing or nonsensical price removes the place entirely — we never substitute a zero, a county average or an estimate.
- 6.The place is one people search for and buy in — a neighborhood, city, township or community. Plat-filing names and the derived road-intersection polygons the map uses internally are excluded, as are individual subdivisions and condo developments, whose sale samples are too small to carry a ratio.
On this run, 413 West Michigan places carried both a rent figure and a median sale price. 81 of them failed one of the rules above and are not shown anywhere on this page; 332 qualified, and the 60 highest are ranked here.
What this ratio does not tell you
- It is gross, not net. Vacancy, turnover, maintenance, management, insurance, property taxes and financing all land between this number and anything you would keep. We hold no measured figures for those, so we publish none.
- The two halves count different housing. The rent median covers rented homes of every size and type in the area; the sale median covers what changed hands there in the past year. They are not the same units, so the ratio describes an area rather than a property.
- The rent moves slowly. Census rent is a five-year rolling estimate, so it lags a fast-moving rental market in both directions, while the sale price is a trailing 12 months.
- A high ratio is arithmetic, not a verdict. It can be produced as easily by a low sale price as by a high rent, and it says nothing about what any particular building will do.
Rent-to-price ratio: frequently asked
- What is a rent-to-price ratio?
- It compares what a home rents for against what it sells for. Twelve months of median rent divided by the median sale price gives the gross yield — a $1,200 rent against a $200,000 price is $14,400 a year on $200,000, or 7.2%. Divide by twelve instead and you get the monthly figure landlords quote as the "1% rule".
- How many places are ranked here?
- 332 West Michigan places clear the inclusion rule, out of 413 that carry both a rent figure and a median sale price; the top 60 are shown. Muskegon Heights leads at 9.9% gross yield, from a $826 median rent against a $100,000 median sale price.
- Which rent number does this use?
- The Census median gross rent actually paid by tenants in the area, not advertised asking rents. Someone buying a property with tenants in place collects the rents in place, so paid rent is the figure that matches the transaction. It is a five-year American Community Survey estimate, so it moves slower than asking rents do.
- Is this net yield, cap rate or cash-on-cash?
- No — gross only. Vacancy, maintenance, management, insurance and taxes all sit between gross and net, and we do not hold measured figures for them here. Publishing a net number would mean inventing those inputs, so we publish the ratio and stop.
- Why are some places missing?
- A place is ranked only when both halves are measurable: a rent median pooled from the block groups or tracts it sits in, with at least 50 renter households of survey data behind it, and a median sale price backed by at least 8 recorded sales in the past year. Everything else is left off rather than estimated. Individual subdivisions and condo developments are excluded as a class — too few sales to carry a ratio.
- Is this investment advice?
- No. This is market data — published measurements and the method behind them. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold anything, and a high ratio is a statement about two numbers, not a forecast of what any property will return.
Methodology
Rent. Median gross rent paid, from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023). Medians cannot be averaged across geographies, so we pool the renter-household counts per rent bracket across every Census geography overlapping a boundary, weighted by the share of each one inside it, then read the median off the pooled distribution. Gross rent includes tenant-paid utilities.
Price. Median sale price of recorded MichRIC MLS residential sales in the trailing 12 months, from the same boundary statistics that power every place profile on this site. MLS-recorded means it excludes for-sale-by-owner and private transactions.
The ratio. Gross yield = median rent × 12 ÷ median sale price. The monthly column is the same figure divided by twelve — the number behind the “1% rule”. No other arithmetic is applied.
Confidence. High means the rent came from the block-group distributions inside the place with a substantial renter sample; medium means tract-level or a smaller sample. Both are shown; low-confidence figures, which fall back to a county-subdivision or county distribution, are excluded from the ranking outright.
Scope and refresh. The 13-county West Michigan footprint. Sale medians refresh as sales record; rent refreshes when the ACS publishes and whenever a boundary's shape changes. Written sections last reviewed July 2026 by Jon Hazeltine, broker at Grand Rapids Real Estate Co. Underlying data and queries available to journalists on request via support@grandrapids.realestate.