Grand Rapids multifamily market, October 2026

Landlords have the edge in Grand Rapids, and it is heating: asking rents are up 4.3% on a year, while jobs grew 0.1%.

Updated October 31, 2026 · from Zillow, BLS and the US Census Bureau

+4.3%

Asking rent, year over year

Zillow · September 2026

+0.1%

Jobs, year over year

BLS · September 2026, preliminary

4.1%YEARLY

Vacancy

Census · 2024 count

What is moving now

Asking rents are up 4.3% on a year to September 2026, which is the figure the condition is read from. Jobs are up 0.1% over the same year to September 2026, a first release the BLS revises the following month. Asking rents are climbing (September 2026).

The backdrop

These are yearly Census counts, not this month's: 4.1% of rentals sat empty in 2024, permits for new apartments were up 16% in 2025, more people moved in than out in 2025, and the typical rent was $1,289 a month in 2024. They are the background the monthly figures move against, and they are the newest the Census has published.

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Common questions about Grand Rapids

Answered from the data, updated October 31, 2026

Is the Grand Rapids rental market tight or soft right now?

In Grand Rapids right now, landlords have the edge, and it is heating.

Which way is the Grand Rapids market heading?

Grand Rapids is heating right now, as asking rents firm over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly).

Is Grand Rapids a landlord's or a renter's market?

Grand Rapids is a landlord's market right now: landlords have the edge, and it is heating.

What is the vacancy rate in Grand Rapids?

Vacancy in Grand Rapids is 4.1% in the 2024 count, a yearly snapshot rather than a monthly reading (US Census Bureau).

How much have Grand Rapids rents changed?

Asking rents in Grand Rapids are up 4.3% over the past year (Zillow ZORI, monthly, latest Sep 2026).

Recent coverage

Daily, from the MetroSgnl news feed. Headlines only.

Degage plans more housing in Grand Rapids for chronically homelessWOODTV.com

$50M project would add 231 housing units to Grand Rapids' west sideWZZM13.com

231 new housing units planned for Grand Rapids' west side, $55 million projectWZZM13.com

$55 million development with 231 apartments proposed on Grand Rapids’ West SideMLive.com

Downtown office-to-apartments conversion planned next to Van Andel ArenaCrain's Grand Rapids Business

Senior housing planned along Division Avenue in Grand RapidsWOODTV.com

See all Grand Rapids news →

Data: Zillow ZORI, BLS, US Census Bureau, FRED, and the MetroSgnl news feed. Recomputed daily. Market information only, not investment advice.
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