In Walker, a typical home is worth $295,200 and typical rent is $1,202 a month. Compared with all of Kent County, typical household income is 8% lower and the share of households that own their home is 5 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $274,980 to $359,796.
Typical rent
$1,492a month
Typical rent from Zillow, December 2025 to September 2026: from $1,419 to $1,492.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Walker is in Kent County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Kent County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Nearby, in Wyoming, the typical home value is $225,200: 24% less than in Walker ($295,200).
2
65% of households in Walker own their home, against 70% in Kent County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Walker
What homes there are in Walker, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Kind of home: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Detached house
59%
65%
72%
61%
Attached house
7%
7%
5%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
3%
7%
5%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
29%
18%
13%
19%
Mobile home
3%
4%
5%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Walker (59%), but less so than in Kent County (65%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Year built: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Before 1960
16%
33%
36%
26%
1960–1979
29%
21%
26%
24%
1980–1999
34%
25%
22%
25%
2000–2009
16%
12%
10%
14%
2010 or later
5%
10%
6%
11%
Homes in Walker are newer: the typical year built is 1984; in Kent County, 1977.
There are fewer big homes in Walker than in Kent County: 59% have 3 bedrooms or more, against 64%.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K7%
$100K–$200K11%
$200K–$300K34%
$300K–$500K43%
$500K–$750K4%
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Under $100K
7%
$100K–$200K
11%
$200K–$300K
34%
$300K–$500K
43%
$500K–$750K
4%
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable estimate
By price, most homes in Walker sit under the FHA limit for Kent County ($541,287): about 96%.
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99920%
$1,000–$1,49966%
$1,500–$1,99910%
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
20%
$1,000–$1,499
66%
$1,500–$1,999
10%
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
With a mortgage
$1,454 a month
Kent County: $1,603 a month
Without a mortgage
$556 a month
Kent County: $618 a month
Owners with a mortgage
57%
Kent County: 63%
The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in Walker is $1,454 a month, less than in Kent County ($1,603); without one, $556.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Walker+69%
Kent County+67%
Michigan+50%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Walker+41%
Kent County+38%
Michigan+30%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Walker+17%
Kent County+31%
Michigan+28%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Typical home value
+69%
+67%
+50%
+53%
Typical rent
+41%
+38%
+30%
+33%
Typical household income
+17%
+31%
+28%
+29%
Much as in Kent County, the typical home value in Walker rose 69% since 2015–2019.
Rents in Walker rose faster than in Kent County: 41% since 2015–2019, against 38%.
Here income did not keep up with housing: it rose 17%, while home values changed +69% and rent +41%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Walker and its comparisons
Measure
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
4.3%
5.1%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
0.3%
0.8%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
1.9%
1.6%
3.4%
People per household
2.37
2.54
2.42
2.53
Drive alone
77%
73%
74%
69%
Carpool
10%
8%
8%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
2%
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
3%
Work from home
10%
14%
14%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
1%
1%
2%
Typical commute
Unreliable estimate
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Fewer people live in each home here: 2.37 on average, against 2.54 in Kent County.
To get to work, 77% of workers in Walker drive alone; in Kent County, 73%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Walker?
A typical home costs more than the typical income allows
We start with a typical home in Walker, worth $295,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 38% of the typical household income in Walker, which is $76,360 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $104,614 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Kent County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Walker. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $10,332 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$2,441
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$289,853
Total interest
$417,031
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $4,985 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,782 a month
Tight
$1,782 to $2,291 a month
Hard
more than $2,291 a month
Your payment · 38%
Compared with the typical household income in Walker ($76,360 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,964
Property tax
$224
Home insurance
$123
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$131
You need at least $10,332 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $2,441; principal and interest $1,964.
The city and its county
Walker and Kent County
Walker is in Kent County, Michigan. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Walker
Map of Kent County, Michigan, with Walker marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Walker
Kent County
Other cities with a page
Walker's own numbers
Typical home value
$295,200
Typical monthly rent
$1,202
Typical yearly household income
$76,360
Households that own their home
65%
Effective property tax rate
0.91%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Kent County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,630
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+60%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Kent County.
A typical home in Walker is worth $295,200: about the same as the county and 27% above Michigan. With the typical household income in Walker ($76,360 a year), a typical home costs 3.9 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Walker3.9 years
Kent3.5 years
Michigan3.2 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Kent County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Kent County rose 130% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Kent County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Kent County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +8.6% +8.6% 2016
2017: +9.0% +9.0% 2017
2018: +8.8% +8.8% 2018
2019: +6.6% +6.6% 2019
2020: +4.3% +4.3% 2020
2021: +14.3% +14.3% 2021
2022: +15.7% +15.7% 2022
2023: +9.0% +9.0% 2023
2024: +6.3% +6.3% 2024
2025: +4.5% +4.5% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Kent County, Michigan and the United States
Period
County
Michigan
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+4.5%
+4.7%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+60%
+52%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+130%
+97%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Walker next to Kent County, Michigan and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Walker$295,200
Kent$289,900
Michigan$231,600
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Walker$1,202
Kent$1,243
Michigan$1,129
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Walker$76,360
Kent$82,631
Michigan$72,875
United States$80,734
See the full table
Walker next to Kent County and Michigan
Measure
Walker
Kent County
Michigan
U.S.
Typical home value
$295,200
$289,900
$231,600
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,202 ▼3% below the county
$1,243
$1,129
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$76,360 ▼8% below the county
$82,631
$72,875
$80,734
Households that own their home
65% ▼5 points below the county
70%
73%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,698 ▼16% below the county
$3,217
$2,904
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
0.91% ▼0.2 points below the county
1.11%
1.25%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
43% ▼6 points below the county
49%
50%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Kent County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Walker
For a typical $295,200 home in Walker, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Walker's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$2,441a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$10,332
Cash to close
$19,188
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $131
Conventional, 5% down$2,387a month
Down payment
$14,760
Cash to close
$23,616
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $140
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,947a month
Down payment
$59,040
Cash to close
$67,896
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$2,220a month
Down payment
$44,280
Cash to close
$53,136
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Walker
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$2,441
$10,332
$289,853
7.18%
FHA MIP · $131
$19,188
580
Conventional, 5% down
$2,387
$14,760
$280,440
7.18%
PMI · $140
$23,616
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,947
$59,040
$236,160
7.18%
None
$67,896
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$2,220
$44,280
$250,920
8.18%
None
$53,136
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Walker is $1,202 a month: 3% below the county. In Walker, 43% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Kent County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,630 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $31.35 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Kent County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$1,306
$25.12
$52,240
1 bedroom
$1,365
$26.25
$54,600
2 bedrooms
$1,630
$31.35
$65,200
3 bedrooms
$2,113
$40.63
$84,520
4 bedrooms
$2,417
$46.48
$96,680
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Walker
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Walker has 2 ZIP codes with their own.
For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,540 in 49544 to $1,600 in 49534.
None is above the fair market rent for Kent County ($1,630).
Fair market rent by ZIP code, HUD area and size in Walker, fiscal year 2027. A ZIP code that crosses a HUD area line appears once per area.
49534
Holland-Grand Haven, MI
$1,240
$1,360
$1,600
$2,070
$2,380
49544
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
$1,230
$1,290
$1,540
$2,000
$2,280
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
49534 $1,600$2,070
49544 $1,540$2,000
2 of these ZIP codes cross the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Walker when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
There are 5 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Kent County; 2 say they serve in Spanish.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Walker or Kent County. The ones below are statewide in Michigan: they work in Walker the same as in the rest of the state.
Michigan state agency loan of up to $10,000, with no interest and no monthly payments, for the down payment, closing costs and prepaid expenses; it goes with MSHDA's MI Home Loan mortgage and is repaid in certain cases, such as when you pay off the first mortgage, sell or refinance the home, or no longer live in it.Offered by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
Michigan state authority certificate that lets you take 20% of the interest you pay each year on your mortgage off your federal taxes, for the life of the loan; you apply with an approved lender before you buy.Offered by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Walker or Kent County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Walker and all of Kent County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Walker?
The typical home value in Walker is $295,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Kent County it is $289,900.
How much does it cost to rent in Walker?
Typical rent in Walker is $1,202 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Kent County is $1,630.
What is the FHA loan limit in Walker?
Walker uses the FHA limit for all of Kent County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Walker?
The typical homeowner in Walker pays $2,698 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 0.91% of the home’s value; in Kent County, the rate is 1.11%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Walker?
There are 5 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Kent County. 2 say they serve in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
