Big Rapids, MI GIS Map
Big Rapids is a city in Mecosta County, Michigan, with a population of about 10,350. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Mecosta County
- Population
- 10,350
- Elevation
- 928 ft
- Coordinates
- 43.6981, -85.4837
- ZIP code
- 49307
- Land area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/Detroit
About Big Rapids, MI
Big Rapids is a city and the seat of government of Mecosta County, Michigan, United States. The population was 7,727 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 8,565 in 2024, The city is surrounded by Big Rapids Charter Township but they are completely separate jurisdictions. Big Rapids is home of the main campus of Ferris State University, a four-year public university.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Big Rapids
GIS Data for Big Rapids, MI
The Big Rapids map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Big Rapids without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Big Rapids Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
8,477
Households
3,133
Median household income
$43,858
Median age
22.9 years
Median home value
$156,400
Median gross rent
$929/mo
Owner-occupied homes
41.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
26.9%
Below poverty level
34.1%
Land area
4.4 sq mi
Population density
1,907 / sq mi
County
ZIP codes in Big Rapids
Big Rapids Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
10,601
April 2020 (estimates base)
8,356
July 2024 estimate
8,565
Change 2010-2020
-21.2%
Change 2020-2024
+2.5%
Photos of Big Rapids
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Big Rapids. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Federal Buildings & Leases in Big Rapids
GSA-managed federal properties in and around Big Rapids.
| Property | Address | Status | Sq ft | Lease ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Rapids Mi (502 N State St) SSA Building | 502 N State St, 49307 | Leased | 5,056 | May 2028 |
Source: U.S. GSA Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties (data.gov), September 2026.
Soils of Big Rapids
General soil map unit at the city center: Mecosta-Cohoctah
Soil Properties
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained
- Hydrologic soil group
- A (high infiltration, low runoff)
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 11.6 cm
- Typical slope
- 2%
- Flooding frequency
- None
- Min. annual water table depth
- 15 cm
Soil Components
- Mecosta67%
Entisols · Typic Udorthents
- Cohoctah18%
Mollisols · Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls
- Vestaburg5%
Entisols · Mollic Psammaquents
- Water3%
- Wasepi3%
Alfisols · Aquollic Hapludalfs
- Edwards2%
Histosols · Limnic Haplosaprists
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Big Rapids
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Big Rapids Wtp, Mi weather station, elevation 898 ft.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 81°F
Coldest month
Feb · avg low 12°F
Annual precipitation
37.9 in
Annual snowfall
61.3 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 28 | 31 | 42 | 55 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 58 | 44 | 33 |
| Avg low °F | 13 | 12 | 20 | 31 | 43 | 53 | 57 | 55 | 47 | 36 | 28 | 19 |
| Precip. in | 2.43 | 1.97 | 2.57 | 3.95 | 3.76 | 3.36 | 3.48 | 4.24 | 3.02 | 3.76 | 3.05 | 2.33 |
| Snow in | 17.8 | 16.0 | 7.7 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 3.8 | 14.3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Big Rapids
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Mecosta County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 69.8 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- Strong WindVery High
- Winter WeatherRelatively High
- LandslideRelatively Low
- Cold WaveRelatively Moderate
- Inland FloodingRelatively Low
- TornadoRelatively Low
- Ice StormRelatively Low
- LightningRelatively Low
- HailRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- Heat WaveVery Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- HurricaneVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Big Rapids FAQ
What county is Big Rapids in?
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Big Rapids, Michigan is located in Mecosta County.
What is the population of Big Rapids?
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Big Rapids has a population of about 10,350, making it the number 43 of the 51 Michigan cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Big Rapids?
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The elevation of Big Rapids is approximately 928 feet (283 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What ZIP codes are in Big Rapids?
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The ZIP code for Big Rapids is 49307.
What time zone is Big Rapids in?
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Big Rapids is in the Eastern Time zone (America/Detroit).
How far is Big Rapids from Lansing?
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Big Rapids is about 81 miles from Lansing, the capital of Michigan, in a straight line.
How far is Big Rapids from Detroit?
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Big Rapids is about 155 miles from Detroit, the largest city in Michigan listed on GIS Map, in a straight line.
What cities are near Big Rapids?
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Cities near Big Rapids include Mount Pleasant, MI (36 miles); Cadillac, MI (38 miles); Muskegon, MI (50 miles); Ludington, MI (51 miles); Grand Rapids, MI (52 miles).
Local notes for Big Rapids, MI
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.