County outline
Where Kent County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 97.4% of Kent County’s measured area and water for 2.6%. Its combined area converts to 2,258.3 square kilometers or approximately 558,043 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 849.545 | 2,200.311 | 543,708.8 |
| Water | 22.397 | 58.008 | 14,334.1 |
| Total | 871.942 | 2,258.319 | 558,042.9 |
How Kent County compares
By original Census land area, Kent County ranks #16 of 83 in Michigan and #982 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.496 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 1.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Kent County
The Census Bureau estimates that 675,232 people lived in Kent County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #103 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #4 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 657,965, the population has grown by 17,267 (+2.6%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 849.5 square miles of land, that is 795 people per square mile (307 per km²), placing Kent County #229 nationally for density and #4 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 0.805 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 658,508 | 659,070 | 659,818 | 663,819 | 670,412 | 675,232 |
| Change | — | +562 | +748 | +4,001 | +6,593 | +4,820 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Kent County
Kent County is divided into 30 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Grand Rapids city, with 201,183 residents (29.8% of the county), and it is also the largest by land at 44.8 mi². Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Caledonia township grew fastest since then (+8.6%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids cityCounty seat | 201,183 | +1.2% | 44.8 | 5.3% |
| Wyoming city | 78,588 | +2.7% | 24.7 | 2.9% |
| Kentwood city | 54,776 | +0.8% | 20.9 | 2.5% |
| Plainfield charter township | 34,770 | +3.7% | 35 | 4.1% |
| Gaines charter township | 30,659 | +6.5% | 35.7 | 4.2% |
| Byron township | 28,685 | +6.5% | 36 | 4.2% |
| Walker city | 25,881 | +2.9% | 24.6 | 2.9% |
| Cascade charter township | 20,201 | +2.7% | 33.9 | 4% |
| Grand Rapids charter townshipCounty seat | 19,442 | +2.8% | 15.3 | 1.8% |
| Caledonia township | 17,171 | +8.6% | 34.9 | 4.1% |
| Grandville city | 17,018 | +5.9% | 7.247 | 0.9% |
| Ada township | 14,769 | +2.7% | 36.1 | 4.2% |
| Cannon township | 14,615 | +1.7% | 35.6 | 4.2% |
| Alpine township | 14,034 | −0.3% | 36 | 4.2% |
| Algoma township | 12,454 | +3.7% | 34.4 | 4% |
Show the other 15 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Grand Rapids city | 11,663 | +2.2% | 2.928 |
| Sparta township | 9,617 | +2.4% | 36.4 |
| Courtland township | 9,321 | +3.4% | 35 |
| Solon township | 6,652 | +2.4% | 34.9 |
| Lowell charter township | 6,500 | +3.5% | 32.6 |
| Rockford city | 6,313 | +2.2% | 3.224 |
| Oakfield township | 6,190 | +1.4% | 34.2 |
| Tyrone township | 5,262 | +4.9% | 36.1 |
| Nelson township | 5,054 | +3.3% | 35.4 |
| Vergennes township | 4,968 | +4.9% | 34.5 |
| Spencer township | 4,288 | +2.8% | 34.6 |
| Lowell city | 4,134 | −0.1% | 2.88 |
| Grattan township | 3,896 | +2.1% | 34.1 |
| Cedar Springs city | 3,789 | +4.5% | 2.018 |
| Bowne township | 3,339 | +1.6% | 35.5 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Kent County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Kent County is a central county of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 5 county equivalents have 1,183,645 residents on 3,242.8 square miles of land; Kent County accounts for 26.2% of the land and 57% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #93 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #50 by population. It belongs to the Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 675,232 | 849.5 |
| Ottawa County | 308,459 | 563.5 |
| Montcalm County | 69,406 | 705.3 |
| Ionia County | 66,557 | 571.3 |
| Barry County | 63,991 | 553.1 |
ZIP codes
39 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Kent County; 27 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
488094881548838493014930249306493154931649318493194932149325493264932749330493314933349341493434934549347493484940349418494354950349504495054950649507495084950949512495194952549534495444954649548
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Kent County
Kent County shares a land border with 7 county equivalents. It has more land than every one of them. The largest neighbor is Newaygo County (838.9 mi²) and the smallest is Muskegon County (503.9 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Kent County forms a block of 5,411.1 mi² of land, of which it holds 15.7%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Kent | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newaygo County | 838.9 | about the same | Compare |
| Allegan County | 825.4 | about the same | Compare |
| Montcalm County | 705.3 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
| Ionia County | 571.3 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Ottawa County | 563.5 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Barry County | 553.1 | 1.5× smaller | Compare |
| Muskegon County | 503.9 | 1.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Kent County compared with U.S. states?
Kent County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.2 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 67 areas the size of Kent County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 29.1 miles (46.9 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Kent County?
Kent County has more land than 2,240 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Kent County at #1,041 nationally by total area, 59 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 2.6%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 1.4 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Kent County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #981 | Rockingham County, Virginia | 849.8 | Compare |
| #982 | Kent County, Michigan | 849.5 | This county |
| #983 | Brunswick County, North Carolina | 849.5 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 43.032497, -85.547446. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,200,312,482 m²; AWATER: 58,007,406 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Kent County?
Kent County, Michigan has 849.5 square miles (2,200.3 km²) of land and 22.4 square miles of water, for a total area of 871.9 square miles. It ranks #982 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Kent County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Kent County ranks #16 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Kent County?
Kent County shares a land border with Ottawa County, Montcalm County, Ionia County, Barry County, Allegan County, Newaygo County, and Muskegon County.
What is the population of Kent County?
The Census Bureau estimates Kent County had 675,232 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #103 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 795 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Kent County?
The county seat of Kent County is Grand Rapids.
What cities and towns are in Kent County?
Kent County has 30 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Grand Rapids city, Wyoming city, Kentwood city, Plainfield charter township, and Gaines charter township.
Is Kent County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 5 county equivalents and 1,183,645 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Kent County?
39 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Kent County, and 27 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Kent County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Kent County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 543,709 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 558,043 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.