What $300,000 buys in Kentwood
The condos and townhomes — many off 52nd Street and toward the Kentwood/Gaines line — are the lower-maintenance way in, generally $185,000 to $240,000. The detached option is the mid-century ranch, three bedrooms in the $250,000 to $315,000 band depending on updates. As with any 1950s-60s stock, I have my buyers price in the mechanicals first: furnace, panel, and the sewer lateral before the kitchen.
One Kentwood wrinkle worth knowing: the city is split across school districts. Most of it is Kentwood Public Schools, but pieces fall into Forest Hills, Caledonia, Kelloggsville, and Godfrey-Lee. The assignment follows the parcel, not the city name, so if schools drive your decision, send me the address and I'll confirm the buildings first.
Where the under-$300k homes are
The condo and townhome supply concentrates in the newer developments off 52nd and toward the southeast side. The mid-century ranches sit in the older, established neighborhoods closer to 28th Street and Breton, the original core of the city. Both keep you inside that 15-minute downtown commute and a short drive to the airport.
The full Kentwood neighborhood guide walks the whole price ladder.
More on the Kentwood area
Kentwood does something most Grand Rapids suburbs can't: it gives you a real spread of price points inside one set of borders, from 1950s ranches to new construction off 52nd Street. A first purchase and a move-up can live in the same city, twelve minutes from downtown.
Read the full Kentwood neighborhood guide →