Grand Rapids’ amenities, Ottawa County’s property taxes
Originally a lumber settlement on the banks of the Grand River, Jenison is a census-designated place named after a prominent 19th-century sawmill family. Over the last century, midcentury homes and growing subdivisions have since replaced the area’s native trees, historic mills and gravel pits. Today, Jenison’s lakes, golf courses and community parks attract homebuyers looking for comfortable bedroom communities within 10 miles of Grand Rapids.
“Jenison is a great community to live in with low property taxes,” says Amy Jo Weller, a longtime local and associate broker with Keller Williams Realty Rivertown. Located at the border of Ottawa and Kent Counties, Jenison residents have access to the grandeur of Grand Rapids without the added expenses. “Grand Rapids is Beer City USA. They have the restaurants and the art galleries, which is great. But in Jenison, you’re close to all those things with the benefit of affordability and a great community.”
Jenison has several areas of newer traditional style homes with larger lots.
Jenison has several small lakes and large ponds perfect for fishing in the summer.
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Growing subdivisions around Jenison’s lakes & golf courses
Jenison’s residential streets typically branch off central roads like Cottonwood Drive and Baldwin Street. The city offers various styles, price ranges and ages, from modern waterfront homes surrounding Cedar Lake East to the midcentury ranch-style homes and bilevels of Rosewood. Many subdivisions, like Georgetown Shores and the Gleneagle Golf Club, orient around community recreation. Meanwhile, brand-new townhome developments, like Lowing Woods, occupy subdivisions farther north. Altogether, the median price sits around $345,000 – higher than nearby Grand Rapids. “The market is still increasing, which is good,” Weller says. “But you’ll rarely see anything under $300,000.”
Jenison has a growing number of newer traditional style homes surrounding large ponds.
Long rows of brick ranch homes is a common sight on the quiet streets of Jenison.
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Jenison High’s Wildcats are state champions
With an A on Niche, the Jenison Public School system dates back over 50 years. “Every one of my grandkids attends the school district,” Weller says, herself a graduate of Jenison High School. “They have great programs, including the music program, which brings a lot of people to the area.” Jenison Senior High School’s marching band has won the state championships 13 times in the last 25 years, performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2023. Located on campus, the Jenison Center for the Arts offers programming for students throughout the district. “Bar none, the schools are far and above,” she says.
Jenison Junior High has an overall rating of A on Niche.com.
Pinewood Elementary School has an overall rating of A on Niche.com.
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Jenison is 25 miles from Lake Michigan’s beaches
Jenison residents make the most of Michigan’s warm, humid summers with waterfront recreation throughout the region. “We have a great location between Lake Michigan and Grand Rapids,” Weller says, noting the 25-mile drive west to the great lake’s beaches. Hiking and biking trails outline the Grand River as it flows east through Jenison and onward to Grand Rapids. “Millenium Park is a nice spot along the river that draws crowds in the summer,” she continues. “Mostly, people like the big lake there for the paddle boarding and trails.” Jenison’s neighborhood parks and facilities offer year-round recreation back home – even in the icy winter months. “When I was a kid, Hager Park was the place to go,” Weller adds. “And we used to call Rosewood Park ‘Charlie’s Dump’ because it actually was a gravel pit. But now it’s a sled hill – and a popular one, at that.”
Parks and sidewalks in Jenison are always active with joggers, bicyclists and dog walkers.
Dale E. Wagner Park in Jenison, MI.
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Heading into Grandville for shops & eats on Interstate 196
Jenison doesn’t offer a downtown area, but Weller shares that many residents head north into Grand Rapids for locally-owned restaurants and small businesses. “We have the Win Tavern 33, which is a cute little bar, and we’ve got Mexican, stir fry, pizza, ice cream and fast food. But if you’re looking for real dining, you’ll go to Grandville or Grand Rapids.” Beyond the Meijer on Baldwin Street, locals often head 2 miles south into Grandville for standard amenities. There, chain grocers and retailers like Walmart Supercenter, Lowe’s and Costco line Interstate 196. Those heading into Grand Rapids take the interstate 8 miles north instead. Local travelers often make the commute to fly commercially from Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Sprinkles Donut shop is a Jenison staple for a sweet treat and a hot coffee.
Maggie's Be Cafe is a great spot in Jenison for a morning coffee with friendly staff.
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From sawmills & gravel pits to Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile
Jenison’s historic gravel pits sit just north of its residential streets, where companies like Huizenga have mined gravel for nearly a century. “Jenison is built along this big gravel pit. They mined it for years and years, but now developers are building nice neighborhoods around the inland lakes they create.” While Huizenga continues to mine, the Ottawa County parks system has since converted the Jenison Gravel Pit into a sprawling community park. “I think the big draw now is the medical field,” Weller continues, referring to the Jenison Health Center and Grand Rapids Medical Mile. “The hospitals are bringing in a lot of people, so those are the kinds of jobs that are coming into this area,” she concludes.
The median household income of Jenison, as of 2022, is just over 61,000.
Jenison has several large active gravel pits on the edges of the Grand River.
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Crime rates are declining in Ottawa County
As a census-designated place, Jenison does not provide its own police department. According to FBI crime data and information sourced from the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the region’s property crime rate has steadily decreased since 2016. Violent crime rates have similarly declined since 2021, on par with nearby Grand Rapids.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
