Kent County, MI

In the selected direct-evidence set, Zillow's June ZORI, a typical observed asking-rent index, runs from $1,392 to $1,871, with a $1,709 median and a $479 spread. The selected-set median is above the county Zillow value of $1,630, but it should be read as a selection-set result rather than a countywide average. The decision is therefore not simply which ZIP label appears least expensive: it is whether the target unit, household budget, and move timing fit the observed range, and where a property-by-property search is warranted. A ZIP label is a search filter, not a promise about a unit. The low end is represented by 49509; the upper end should not by itself be read as a better or worse rental choice.

Zillow, ACS, and HUD answer different questions and should not be merged. ACS five-year ZCTA median gross-rent survey estimates span $1,051 to $1,408; they are not current asking rents or a measure of change from ZORI. The packet's administrative, bedroom-specific HUD FMR is $1,334 in every shown record, while the county figure is $1,531; it is a program standard, not asking rent. ZORI is 4.3% to 40.3% above the ZIP HUD standard, useful for a screening comparison but not proof of a particular unit's rent. Differences in timing and measurement make conversion between these series inappropriate. The annual income mechanically required to hold ZORI at 30% of income runs from $55,680 to $74,840, before utilities, fees, or other household costs.

Affordability pressure does not line up neatly with ACS vacancy estimates. Across the shown ZCTAs, the ACS share of renter households spending at least 30% of income on rent ranges from 37.4% to 54.9%, around a county estimate of 49.0%. ACS vacancy rates range from 2.9% to 7.6%, versus 4.6% countywide. At the low-vacancy extreme, 49509 has a 53.2% burden share; at the high-vacancy extreme, 49504 has a 50.3% share. This cross-section does not establish a relationship, and a survey vacancy estimate does not identify an available unit. Rankings can change depending on whether the search screen is burden or vacancy. Check advertised rent, income rules, and lease terms directly.

The display covers 12 of 16 eligible matched ZIP/ZCTA records and 61,342 renter households, so it is selected evidence rather than an exhaustive county inventory. Assignment follows the largest HUD residential-address county share, not a boundary test. Displayed assignment shares of 64.4% and 84.9% mean that those ZIP-based records can include addresses outside Kent County. Census ZCTAs are statistical areas, not USPS delivery ZIPs. Before acting on any listing, verify the bedroom count, advertised rent, utility responsibility, recurring and move-in fees, deposit, income qualification, availability date, and that the address matches the intended geography. Confirm that any concessions are included in a written quote and apply to the required lease term.