Big Rapids, MI housing market
The typical Big Rapids home is worth about $227,000, up 6.7% in a year, 15% below the Michigan typical home.
Home values, sales, trends and how Big Rapids compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Big Rapids at a glance
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Big Rapids | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $123,000 | $144,000 |
| 2018 | $129,000 | $155,000 |
| 2019 | $135,000 | $165,000 |
| 2020 | $141,000 | $175,000 |
| 2021 | $159,000 | $194,000 |
| 2022 | $182,000 | $217,000 |
| 2023 | $194,000 | $230,000 |
| 2024 | $202,000 | $241,000 |
| 2025 | $210,000 | $253,000 |
| 2026 | $218,000 | $262,000 |
| August 2026 | $227,000 | $266,000 |
11 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 11 new homes in Big Rapids in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $2.7 million to build. That's 2.8 per 1,000 residents, about the pace of Michigan as a whole. Over the past 10 years, Big Rapids has permitted 179 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Big Rapids's population fell by 291 even though 248 new homes were permitted. Homes are holding fewer people: households are getting smaller, or more homes are used part of the year. Across Michigan: 1.2 new residents per new home.
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 42 | 12 | 30 | $6.7 million |
| 2025 | 11 | 11 | 0 | $2.7 million |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 0 | $3.7 million |
| 2023 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3 million |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | $102,000 |
| 2021 | 10 | 10 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $938,000 |
| 2019 | 14 | 12 | 2 | $2 million |
| 2018 | 30 | 4 | 26 | $2.8 million |
| 2017 | 7 | 5 | 2 | $999,000 |
| 2016 | 74 | 8 | 66 | $6.7 million |
| 2015 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $752,000 |
| 2014 | 45 | 5 | 40 | $3.8 million |
| 2013 | 68 | 4 | 64 | $5.5 million |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | 0 | $292,000 |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | $338,000 |
| 2009 | 4 | 4 | 0 | $499,000 |
| 2008 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.2 million |
| 2007 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $1.9 million |
| 2006 | 26 | 14 | 12 | $3.4 million |
| 2005 | 192 | 15 | 177 | $17.4 million |
| 2004 | 57 | 9 | 48 | $3.4 million |
How Big Rapids ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Big Rapids and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids | $227K | +6.7% | $1,010 | 11 | $64,083 |
| Colfax | — | +4.6%† | $1,050 | — | $87,935 |
| Mecosta | $236K | +6.4% | $980 | 4 | $61,250 |
| Norwich | — | +3.2%† | $1,020 | — | $80,625 |
| Green | $237K | +10.3% | $1,050 | — | $82,955 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Big Rapids home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Michigan (3.7).
How Big Rapids ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,010
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Big Rapids is $1,010 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Big Rapids pay a median of $1,140. A two-bedroom takes about 19% of the town's median household income.
Studio $710 · 4 bedrooms $1,430
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (49307; Mecosta County, MI), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Big Rapids
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.