Walker is a city in
Kent County in the U.S. state of
Michigan
Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
. The population was 23,537 at the
2010 census.
Walker was originally organized as Walker Township in 1837 and later incorporated as a city in 1962. It is part of the
Grand Rapids metropolitan area
The Grand Rapids metropolitan area is a triangular shaped Metro Triplex, in West Michigan, which fans out westward from the primary hub city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to the other two metro hubs of Muskegon and Holland. The metropolitan area ...
and is bordered by the city of
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
on the east.
History
The area was first organized as Walker Township on December 30, 1837, the second to be organized in Kent County. It initially comprised all of the land in the county north of the
Grand River. Shortly thereafter in 1838, part of the township was split off to form
Ada Township. The earliest settlers of the township were Canadian immigrants. In 1867, a township hall was built. However, the area where the township hall was annexed into Grand Rapids in 1959.
Walker was established as a city in 1962 to prevent further annexation of the area into Grand Rapids. At the time it was made a city, Walker had a population of 11,000.
The city gained national attention when
Gwendolyn Graham and Cathy Wood
Gwendolyn Gail Graham (born August 6, 1963) and Catherine May Wood (born March 7, 1962) are American serial killers convicted of killing five elderly women in Walker, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, in 1987. They committed their crimes in ...
committed their murders as workers at a nursing home in Walker in 1987.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (2.27%) is water.
Major highways
* runs along the north side of the city.
* passes briefly through the northeastern part of the city.
* runs south–north through the western edge of the city.
* enters from the north of the city and then runs concurrently with I-96.
* runs west–east briefly through the center of the city.
Government
The city of Walker operates with a
City commission government
City commission government is a form of local government in the United States. In a city commission government, voters elect a small commission, typically of five to seven members, typically on a plurality-at-large voting basis.
These commissione ...
, with six elected officials serving on a commission plus an appointed
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a "Mayor–council government" council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief execu ...
. The city government is represented by three wards, each with two elected commissioners, which are overseen by an elected mayor.
The city levies an income tax of 1% on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents.
Economy
* The corporate headquarters for
Meijer
Meijer Inc. (, ; stylized as meijer) is an American supercenter chain that primarily operates throughout the Midwest. Its corporate headquarters are in Walker, Michigan, which is a part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. Founded in 1934 as ...
are located in the city of Walker.
* The headquarters for
Bissell Homecare, Inc. is located in the city of Walker.
* A facility of the ''
Grand Rapids Press
''The Grand Rapids Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $1.50 daily and $7.99 on Sunday.
AccuWeather provides weather content to the ''Grand Rapids ...
'' is in Walker.
Media
Newspaper
* ''
The Grand Rapids Press
''The Grand Rapids Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the largest of the eight Booth newspapers. It is sold for $1.50 daily and $7.99 on Sunday.
AccuWeather provides weather content to the ''Grand Rapids ...
'' has its printing and distribution facility in Walker.
Television
*
WZZM
WZZM (channel 13) is a television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan as an affiliate of ABC. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station has studios on 3 Mile Road NW in Walker (with a Grand Rapids mailing add ...
13 is located in Walker.
*
WXSP-CD
WXSP-CD (channel 15) is a low-power, Class A television station licensed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, serving West Michigan as an affiliate of MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Grand Rapids–licensed NBC a ...
15 broadcast tower is located in Walker.
Radio
*
WTRV
WTRV (100.5 FM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits-leaning soft adult contemporary radio format. The station is licensed to Walker, Michigan, and serves the Grand Rapids metropolitan area radio market. WTRV is a Class A ...
100.5 MHz is licensed to Walker. However, the studio is located in downtown Grand Rapids.
Education
Public schools
School districts serving the City of Walker include
Comstock Park Public Schools,
Grand Rapids Public Schools
The Grand Rapids Public Schools is a public school district serving Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) is Michigan's eight largest public school district. It is also the third-largest employer in the City of Grand Rapids ...
,
Grandville Public Schools, and
Kenowa Hills Public Schools.
Kenowa Hills schools in the Walker city limits include the Kenowa Hills Early Childhood Center/Day Care & Learning Center, (previously Walker Station Elementary School) Kenowa Hills Central Elementary School, (formerly Kenowa Hills Intermediate School) and Zinser Elementary School. The district previously operated Fairview Elementary School in Walker. Kenowa Hills district residents are zoned to Kenowa Hills Middle School and
Kenowa Hills High School
Kenowa Hills High School is a public secondary school in Alpine Township, Michigan, U.S. (near Grand Rapids). It serves grades 9-12 for the Kenowa Hills Public Schools district.
Academics
In the 2022 '' U.S. News & World Report'' annual survey o ...
in
Alpine Township.
One Grandville school, Cummings Elementary, is in the city limits.
One
National Heritage Academies
National Heritage Academies, Inc. (NHA) is a for-profit education management organization headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As of the 2019-20 school year, NHA operates 88 charter schools in nine states: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Nor ...
charter school, Walker Charter Academy, is in the city limits.
Private schools
Covenant Christian High School and Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School are located in Walker.
Public libraries
The
Kent District Library
The Kent District Library is a public library system located in Kent County, Michigan. With twenty branch locations and an annual circulation of more than 8.2 million items ''(2016 circulation data)'', the Kent District Library is one of the larg ...
Walker Branch is in Walker.
Sports
The
DeltaPlex Arena is within Walker and was home to the
Grand Rapids Gold
The Grand Rapids Gold are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and are affiliated with the Denver Nuggets. The Gold play their home games at Van Andel Arena. They began play as the Anaheim ...
of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
, which is an affiliate of the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
.
"Fans get first taste of Grand Rapids Drive atmosphere at DeltaPlex Arena"
/ref>
Demographics
2010 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 23,537 people, 9,684 households, and 5,923 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 10,432 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 91.3% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 2.8% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.5% Native American, 1.9% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 1.4% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 9,684 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 34.6 years. 22.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 12.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 21,842 people, 8,805 households, and 5,379 families living in the city. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 868.3 per square mile (335.2/km2). There were 9,201 housing units at an average density of 365.8 per square mile (141.2/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.51% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 1.47% African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.46% Native American, 0.98% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.09% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.75% of the population.
There were 8,805 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.14.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 12.4% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,818, and the median income for a family was $58,912. Males had a median income of $37,438 versus $28,372 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $21,198. About 3.1% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
Sister city
* Walker is the sister city of Colac, Victoria
Colac is a small city in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Melbourne on the southern shore of Lake Colac.
History
For thousands of years clans of the Gulidjan people occupied the region o ...
in Australia.
Notes
References
External links
City of Walker official website
{{Authority control
Cities in Kent County, Michigan
Grand Rapids metropolitan area
1837 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1837