Once again, Grand Rapids is gaining attention as a budget-friendly metro. The Realtor.com® November 2025 Housing Trends Report shows the areas as a continuing, emerging example of how today’s buyers are adapting to higher financing costs and limited affordability.
The report highlights a national market defined by slowing momentum, soft buyer activity, and rising delistings—all conditions nudging shoppers toward lower-priced metros now known as refuge markets.
Grand Rapids fits that shift, offering an attainable price point while delivering stronger price growth than the nation as a whole.
Grand Rapids’ prices and pace set it apart
Grand Rapids posted a median list price of $389,900 in November, up 4.0% from last year. Price per square foot rose 5.5% during the same period, sharply outperforming the U.S. average, where PPSF fell 1.0% year-over-year. Since 2022, Grand Rapids has also seen 15.4% PPSF growth, compared with a national decline of 2.2%. These gains place the metro squarely within the report’s group of refuge markets—traditionally affordable places still seeing meaningful demand despite nationwide affordability challenges…