Mortgage Broker in Kent County, Michigan
Align Lending is a mortgage broker serving Kent County, Michigan, and the 13 communities inside it, from our office in Waterford, about two hours east of the county.
Kent County is not one housing market. A typical home in Ada Township, near $545,000, costs more than 2 times as much as one in Wyoming, near $225,000. Toward Ada Township, the largest homes can pass the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750; toward Wyoming, the cash to close is usually the harder number.
Buying a Home in Kent County
Kent County is anchored by Grand Rapids, the second-most populous city in Michigan, and ringed by suburbs and townships that run from mid-century neighborhoods close to downtown to subdivisions built over the last thirty years.
What Homes Cost in Kent County
The 13 Kent County communities on this page, by typical home value: Ada Township leads near $545,000 and Wyoming closes the list near $225,000, with Byron Township near $340,000 in the middle.
| Community | Typical home value | Typical housing |
|---|---|---|
| Ada Township | $545,000 | colonials and subdivisions |
| East Grand Rapids | $521,000 | lakefront/waterfront homes |
| Cascade Township | $472,000 | historic homes, colonials and subdivisions |
| Cannon Township | $461,000 | mixed housing stock |
| Grand Rapids Township | $427,000 | colonials and subdivisions |
| Caledonia Township | $383,000 | colonials and subdivisions |
| Byron Township | $340,000 | colonials and subdivisions, mid-century ranches |
| Plainfield Township | $327,000 | newer construction, colonials and subdivisions |
| Gaines Township | $325,000 | colonials and subdivisions, mid-century ranches |
| Walker | $295,000 | colonials and subdivisions, mid-century ranches |
| Kentwood | $268,000 | condos and townhomes, colonials and subdivisions |
| Grand Rapids | $244,000 | historic homes, mid-century ranches |
| Wyoming | $225,000 | mid-century ranches, colonials and subdivisions |
Plainfield Township, Grand Rapids and Wyoming have their own city guide so far; guides for the others are being written, and we lend in all of them today.
Kent County Property Taxes After a Sale, Community by Community
The year after a Michigan home sells, its taxable value resets to half of the assessor's market value, so the seller's tax bill is not your tax bill. Across the 30 assessing units in Kent County, our 2026 Michigan Property Tax Uncapping Study puts the typical rise in taxable value after a sale between about 36% in Byron Township and 70% in the City of Grand Rapids, against about 52% for the county as a whole. 13 of the 30 sit above the statewide 50.5%.
| Assessing unit | Taxable value rise after a sale | Added first-year tax, $300,000 home | Parcel records |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Grand Rapids | +70% | about $2,160 | assessing office |
| Bowne Township | +66% | about $1,790 | |
| Grattan Township | +66% | about $1,850 | |
| Alpine Township | +63% | about $1,920 | |
| Nelson Township | +63% | about $1,670 | |
| City of Wyoming | +59% | about $2,280 | assessing office |
| City of Lowell | +55% | about $2,340 | |
| Solon Township | +54% | about $1,320 | |
| City of Kentwood | +54% | about $2,140 | assessing office |
| City of East Grand Rapids | +52% | about $2,450 | assessing office |
| Oakfield Township | +52% | about $1,420 | |
| City of Grandville | +52% | about $2,060 | |
| Courtland Township | +51% | about $1,490 | |
| City of Cedar Springs | +50% | about $2,220 | |
| Cannon Township | +50% | about $1,540 | assessing office |
| City of Walker | +50% | about $1,460 | assessing office |
| Tyrone Township | +48% | about $1,580 | |
| Spencer Township | +47% | about $1,360 | |
| Lowell Township | +47% | about $1,430 | |
| Vergennes Township | +46% | about $1,410 | |
| Ada Township | +46% | about $1,540 | assessing office |
| Plainfield Township | +46% | about $1,520 | assessing office |
| Sparta Township | +45% | about $1,390 | |
| Grand Rapids Township | +45% | about $1,380 | assessing office |
| Algoma Township | +44% | about $1,420 | |
| City of Rockford | +42% | about $1,890 | |
| Cascade Township | +40% | about $1,320 | assessing office |
| Gaines Township | +39% | about $1,230 | assessing office |
| Caledonia Township | +37% | about $1,260 | assessing office |
| Byron Township | +36% | about $1,150 | assessing office |
Put in dollars on a $300,000 house: about $2,160 added to the first-year bill in the City of Grand Rapids, about $1,150 in Byron Township. Your payment estimate from us uses the post-sale number for the address you choose. Source: State Tax Commission records; the dollar column uses each unit's median homestead millage.
Kent County Towns by Type of Housing
Sorted from our research on each Kent County community's homes: 5 of them describe newer subdivisions and new construction, the largest group.
Rural acreage and farm country
Caledonia Township, Cannon Township and Gaines Township.
Newer subdivisions and new construction
Ada Township, Byron Township, Caledonia Township, Gaines Township and Wyoming.
Matching the Loan to the Town in Kent County
We sorted 13 Kent County towns by typical value against the 2026 limit of $832,750. 4 land in "Conventional, jumbo only on the largest homes", more than any other group. Your own down payment, credit and the specific house decide the real answer.
Conventional, jumbo only on the largest homes
Ada Township, East Grand Rapids, Cascade Township and Cannon Township (typical values $461,000 to $545,000).
Conventional, including new-build timelines
Plainfield Township (typical value near $327,000).
Conventional, competitive offers common
Grand Rapids Township, Caledonia Township, Byron Township and Gaines Township (typical values $325,000 to $427,000).
Conventional and FHA, strong first-time buyer fit
Walker, Kentwood, Grand Rapids and Wyoming (typical values $225,000 to $295,000).
Down Payment Help in Kent County
In Wyoming, Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Walker, with typical values between $225,000 and $295,000, the down payment, closing costs and reserves often decide a purchase before the monthly payment does.
- MSHDA, the state housing authority, for down payment help and first-time buyer loans.
- Start from a comfortable payment with the budget review, then the first-time buyer page.
Official Kent County Sources to Check
- Kent County property search, to look up a parcel and its current taxable value.
- Michigan DIFS, where every Michigan mortgage license can be checked, ours included.
Kent County Mortgage FAQs
Which Kent County communities do you cover?
Every one of the 13 listed here, Ada Township and Wyoming included, and the rest of the state too.
Which Kent County communities see the largest tax increase after a sale?
In our 2026 Uncapping Study the largest typical rises in taxable value after a sale are in the City of Grand Rapids (about 70%), Bowne Township (about 66%), Grattan Township (about 66%). The smallest is Byron Township, about 36%.
Will I need a jumbo loan in Kent County?
Rarely. The highest typical value in Kent County is about $545,000 in Ada Township, under the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750.
Which Kent County towns have the lowest typical prices?
Among the communities on this page, Wyoming (near $225,000), Grand Rapids (near $244,000) and Kentwood (near $268,000). That puts Wyoming at about 40 percent of the typical Ada Township price.
Talk With a Kent County Mortgage Expert
Shopping Ada Township, Wyoming or somewhere in between? Tell Samantha what you are trying to do and she will tell you which part of the purchase needs attention first, and whether the timing is right.
Schedule a call Start your application
Align Lending LLC · NMLS #2041154 · Equal Housing Opportunity · 2625 Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford, MI 48328 · 248-506-5727
