Big Rapids, MI Metro Area — Elections 1876–2024

Big Rapids, MI, Michigan: Farm Belt metro. In 2024, voted R+30%. Republican peak: R+63 in 1928.

Key facts

2024 presidential margin: R+30MIT Election Lab
Political typology: Farm BeltAkashic typology
Population: 41,2422024 5-year
Median household income: $60,9512024 5-year
White (non-Hispanic): 90.2%2024 5-year
Black: 2.2%2024 5-year
Hispanic / Latino: 3.0%2024 5-year
Peak Democratic margin: D+10 in 1964MIT Election Lab
Peak Republican margin: R+63 in 1928MIT Election Lab

2024 presidential election

Big Rapids, MI

TrumpR+30

—

How it voted

Share of the 2024 vote

Donald Trump ✓Republican	64.1%	14,445
Kamala HarrisDemocratic	34.1%	7,688
OtherAll other candidates	1.7%	388

D+60

R+60

1 counties, each filled by 2024 D-vs-R margin.

presidential history

Presidential margin, 1876–2024

Democratic minus Republican, by election

Presidential margin over time
Year	Margin (D minus R)
1876	No data
1880	No data
1884	No data
1888	No data
1892	−12.8%
1896	−18.3%
1900	−33.3%
1904	−55.3%
1908	−37.3%
1912	−2.6%
1916	−22.8%
1920	−53.0%
1924	−61.2%
1928	−62.6%
1932	−2.8%
1936	−8.8%
1940	−37.6%
1944	−41.9%
1948	−40.1%
1952	−54.2%
1956	−51.2%
1960	−38.0%
1964	+9.9%
1968	−27.5%
1972	−30.2%
1976	−21.0%
1980	−17.4%
1984	−37.9%
1988	−26.5%
1992	+0.3%
1996	+8.2%
2000	−12.0%
2004	−11.3%
2008	−0.7%
2012	−9.8%
2016	−25.9%
2020	−28.0%
2024	−30.0%

DemocraticRepublican

38 presidential elections

Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024).
Year	Won	Margin	Democratic	Republican	Total
2024	R	−30.0%	7,688	14,445	22,521
2020	R	−28.0%	7,375	13,267	21,049
2016	R	−25.9%	5,827	10,305	17,259
2012	R	−9.8%	7,515	9,176	16,980
2008	R	−0.7%	9,101	9,238	18,664
2004	R	−11.3%	7,730	9,710	17,581
2000	R	−12.0%	6,300	8,072	14,754
1996	D	+8.2%	6,370	5,289	13,124
1992	D	+0.3%	6,097	6,047	15,835
1988	R	−26.5%	4,736	8,181	12,981
1984	R	−37.9%	4,048	9,023	13,142
1980	R	−17.4%	5,228	7,754	14,528
1976	R	−21.0%	4,725	7,287	12,221
1972	R	−30.2%	3,799	7,158	11,134
1968	R	−27.5%	2,738	5,053	8,426
1964	D	+9.9%	4,214	3,454	7,677
1960	R	−38.0%	2,380	5,306	7,703
1956	R	−51.2%	1,768	5,492	7,279
1952	R	−54.2%	1,587	5,436	7,102
1948	R	−40.1%	1,572	3,803	5,557
1944	R	−41.9%	1,708	4,217	5,995
1940	R	−37.6%	2,153	4,759	6,932
1936	R	−8.8%	2,621	3,176	6,341
1932	R	−2.8%	3,152	3,336	6,635
1928	R	−62.6%	1,004	4,422	5,463
1924	R	−61.2%	794	3,884	5,047
1920	R	−53.0%	1,145	3,932	5,258
1916	R	−22.8%	1,478	2,455	4,279
1912	O	−2.6%	958	1,059	3,945
1908	R	−37.3%	1,179	2,723	4,136
1904	R	−55.3%	898	3,313	4,365
1900	R	−33.3%	1,375	2,802	4,282
1896	R	−18.3%	1,975	2,887	4,995
1892	R	−12.8%	1,484	1,970	3,806
1888	—	No data	—	—	—
1884	—	No data	—	—	—
1880	—	No data	—	—	—
1876	—	No data	—	—	—

Demographics

2024 ACS

Race, ethnicity, and ancestry

Click any group to see the ancestries typically reported within it.

German

20.6%

English

13.2%

Irish

11.0%

Polish

5.5%

American

3.7%

French

3.3%

Italian

2.2%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release. Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps the race categories, so these shares can total more than 100%. Ancestry is a self-reported, multiple-response item; ancestry percentages do not sum to the parent race percentage.

2024 ACS

Age distribution by sex

Median age: 40.0 in this county, 39.1 nationally

Male

Age

Female

0.6%

85+

1.1%

2.9%

75–84

3.2%

6.1%

65–74

6.4%

7.1%

55–64

7.0%

5.1%

45–54

5.2%

5.4%

35–44

5.1%

5.3%

25–34

5.1%

8.0%

18–24

7.1%

7.0%

5–17

7.1%

2.6%

2.4%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

2024 ACS

Median household income

Inflation-adjusted dollars

$60,951

Big Rapids, MI ranks near the middle of US counties.

Big Rapids, MI$60,951

Michigan$72,875

United States$80,734

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

2024 ACS

Poverty rate

All persons below federal poverty line

19.9%

Children face moderate poverty.

Children under 1824.6%

Working age (18–64)19.5%

Seniors (65+)10.9%

Source · American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2024 release.

2024 ACS

Language at home

Population aged 5 and older

93.9%

speak English only

Other Indo-European4.3%

Spanish1.5%

Asian & Pacific Islander0.3%

Other languages0.1%

Source · ACS 5-year estimates, 2024.

2020 religion census

Religious adherents

Adherents per capita by tradition

Catholic & Orthodox

11.1%

Other Christian

8.5%

Mainline Protestant

5.0%

Methodist

3.0%

Pentecostal & Holiness

0.8%

Non-Christian

0.6%

Baptist

0.3%

Source · 2020 US Religion Census. Remaining 70.7% of residents not counted as adherents by any reporting body.

Home to Ferris State University, Big Rapids punches above its size in youth voter registration while the surrounding Mecosta County reliably posts Republican margins in statewide races by double digits.

Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of ten points in 1964 and a Republican high of sixty-three points in 1928. Between 2020 and 2024 the metro moved two points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was thirty points.

A population of 41,242, a 90% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $60,951 describe the metro.

Compare two places, side by side

Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →

Cite this page

All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.

Big Rapids, MI, Michigan. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cbsa/13660/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.

License: CC BY 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How did Big Rapids, MI, Michigan vote in 2024?

In 2024, Big Rapids, MI, Michigan voted Republican by 30.0 points (R+30), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 22,521 votes cast, 7,688 went Democratic and 14,445 went Republican.

What is Big Rapids, MI, Michigan's political typology?

Akashic places Big Rapids, MI, Michigan in the "Farm Belt" typology. The typology is a data-driven cluster built from vote share, vote swing, race and ethnicity, income, language spoken at home, religion, and ancestry. Across 38 elections in the dataset, the metro has voted Democratic 3 times, Republican 30 times, and other 1 times.

When did Big Rapids, MI, Michigan last vote Democratic?

The most recent presidential election in which Big Rapids, MI, Michigan voted Democratic was 1996.

How many people live in Big Rapids, MI, Michigan?

Big Rapids, MI, Michigan has a population of 41,242 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.

What is the median household income in Big Rapids, MI, Michigan?

Median household income in Big Rapids, MI, Michigan is $60,951 — below the national median of $80,734. The Michigan state median is $72,875.

What is the political history of Big Rapids, MI, Michigan?

Akashic tracks 38 presidential elections in Big Rapids, MI, Michigan from 1876 to 2024. Of those, 3 went Democratic and 30 went Republican. The metro's typology — "Farm Belt" — captures where that record, its demographics, and its recent swing place it among American communities.

Big Rapids, MI has voted Republican in seven straight presidential elections — R+30 in 2024.

Key facts

Demographics

Compare two places, side by side

Frequently asked questions