Municipalities
The following table contains the largest municipalities of West Michigan according to the 2010 Census. This list holds for nearly every geographic definition of West Michigan. If Battle Creek were included, it would be ranked fourth.
| Rank | Municipality | County | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Rapids | Kent | 188,040 |
| 2 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 74,262 |
| 3 | Wyoming | Kent | 72,125 |
| 4 | Kentwood | Kent | 48,707 |
| 5 | Georgetown Charter Township | Ottawa | 46,985 |
| 6 | Portage | Kalamazoo | 46,292 |
| 7 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 38,401 |
| 8 | Holland Charter Township | Ottawa | 35,636 |
| 9 | Holland | Ottawa/Allegan | 33,051 |
| 10 | Plainfield Charter Township | Kent | 30,952 |
| 11 | Gaines Charter Township | Kent | 25,146 |
| 12 | Norton Shores | Muskegon | 23,994 |
| 13 | Walker | Kent | 23,537 |
| 14 | Kalamazoo Charter Township | Kalamazoo | 21,918 |
| 15 | Oshtemo Charter Township | Kalamazoo | 21,705 |
| 16 | Allendale Charter Township | Ottawa | 20,708 |
| 17 | Byron Township | Kent | 20,317 |
| 18 | Muskegon Charter Township | Muskegon | 17,840 |
| 19 | Park Township | Ottawa | 17,802 |
| 20 | Cascade Charter Township | Kent | 17,134 |
| 21 | Grand Rapids Charter Township | Kent | 16,661 |
| 22 | Grandville | Kent | 15,378 |
| 23 | Grand Haven Charter Township | Ottawa | 15,178 |
Five of the above cities, Wyoming, Kentwood, Portage, Norton Shores, and Walker, are former suburban townships that incorporated in the 1960s in order to prevent annexation by an adjacent city. The presence of these cities in the top ten reflects both the large geographic area of these cities, as well as the long and continuing growth of suburban areas in West Michigan.
Read more about this topic: Western Michigan