Rob F is exactly right about GR and Kzoo. I know that Kalamazoo County has gained in population in the past decade as have a number of other counties in SW Michigan. Kalamazoo looks worse than GR in the stats above in part because greater Kalamazoo is divided into several separate large municipalities (Portage, Parchment, Oshtemo) in addition to more remote suburban areas in the traditional sense. Sort of like Minneapolis-St. Paul.
Grand Rapids, as I understand it, is more consolidated into a single metropolitan entity which includes near in population centers that do not have separate governance as they do in Kalamazoo County.
That is not to say these West Mich. regions don't have some major problems but they are not basket cases like the eastern part of the state.
Grand Rapids, as I understand it, is more consolidated into a single metropolitan entity which includes near in population centers that do not have separate governance as they do in Kalamazoo County.
That is not to say these West Mich. regions don't have some major problems but they are not basket cases like the eastern part of the state.
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