| Walker, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Walker, Michigan | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Kent |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25.4 sq mi (65.9 km2) |
| • Land | 25.2 sq mi (65.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 745 ft (227 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 23,537 |
| • Density | 925/sq mi (357.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 49534, 49544 |
| Area code(s) | 616 |
| FIPS code | 26-82960[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1615688[2] |
Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Grand Rapids. The population was 23,537 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city, it was known as Walker Township. The township was organized on December 30, 1837, the second to be organized in Kent County, and initially comprised all of the land in the county north of the Grand River.
Walker is home to the corporate headquarters of Meijer.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 25.4 square miles (66 km2), of which 25.2 square miles (65 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.10%, is water.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 21,842 people, 8,805 households, and 5,379 families residing in the city. The population density 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, 1.47% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino 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 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 for the city was $21,198. About 3.1% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.
The city of Walker operates with a commission-manager style government, with seven elected officials serving plus the hired city manager. Two representatives are sent from the three wards that comprise Walker as well as the mayor who is elected at large. Unlike in the mayor-manager model, the mayor has no special power other than presiding over meetings. The current mayor is Robert VerHeulen. Mayor VerHeulen also works as a lawyer for Meijer.
City Commissioners 1st Ward
Al Parent Dan Kent
2nd Ward
Chuck Deschaine Barbara Holt (Mayor Pro-Tem)
3rd Ward
Cyndy Stek Mark Huizenga
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