By Grand Rapids Senior Advisor Care Team · Published October 30, 2026
How does senior care in Kent County compare with Ottawa County?
Kent has more of everything, and smaller homes. LARA lists 199 licensed homes serving older adults in Kent County against 69 in Ottawa, and Kent has 27 certified nursing homes to Ottawa's 11.
| Kent County | Ottawa County | |
|---|---|---|
| LARA-licensed homes serving the aged | 199 | 69 |
| Licensed beds | 4,592 | 2,228 |
| Median home size (beds) | 10 | 20 |
| Homes for the aged | 33 | 17 |
| Small AFC homes (1-12) | 128 | 22 |
| Certified nursing homes | 27 | 11 |
| Average nursing home overall rating | 3.4 stars | 3.0 stars |
| MI Choice region | 8 | 14 |
Counts are from LARA's statewide file and CMS Care Compare as of late October 2026.
Why are Ottawa County homes larger on average?
Because Ottawa's market grew around campuses of 20-bed adult foster care houses and mid-sized homes for the aged, especially in Holland, Grand Haven and Spring Lake, while Kent's grew around six-bed group homes in Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Wyoming neighborhoods.
The median licensed home in Ottawa holds 20 residents; in Kent it holds 10. For families, that means Ottawa searches tend to compare campuses and Kent searches tend to compare houses -- and Kent offers more choice for someone who would do best in a household-sized setting.
Who runs MI Choice and aging services in each county?
Kent County is in Region 8, where the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan in Grand Rapids and Reliance Community Care Partners are the MI Choice waiver agents; Ottawa is in Region 14, served by Senior Resources in Muskegon and Reliance.
This catches families on the county line. A parent with a Jenison or Hudsonville address applies through the Muskegon-based agency even though the home is fifteen minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. Call the agency for the county where your parent lives, not the one closest to you. Kent: 616-456-5664. Ottawa: 231-739-5858.
Which PACE program covers each county?
Care Resources covers every ZIP code in Kent County; in Ottawa, LifeCircles-PACE covers most of the county, while Care Resources also covers the Jenison (49428), Grandville (49418), Marne (49435) and Standale-area (49534, 49544) ZIP codes.
So a Jenison resident can join the same PACE program as a Grand Rapids resident, while someone in Hudsonville (49426) or Zeeland (49464) would go to LifeCircles-PACE in Holland. PACE eligibility depends on living inside the program's listed area, so check the ZIP code before anything else.
Do licensing rules change at the county line?
No. LARA applies the same home for the aged and adult foster care rules statewide, and nursing homes are inspected the same way everywhere.
What differs is the help around the license: which office screens for MI Choice, which PACE program can enroll your parent, which hospital system is closest. Corewell Health and Trinity Health operate in both counties, so a hospital discharge can lead to a home on either side.
How should a family on the line decide?
Decide by the person who visits most and the programs your parent may need. If PACE matters, check the ZIP; if MI Choice matters, know which agency you will deal with; if a small home matters, Kent has more of them.
Then compare the homes themselves on their records. Our Kent and Ottawa county pages list every licensed home by town.
Frequently asked questions
Is Grandville in Kent or Ottawa County?
The city of Grandville is in Kent County, but the Grandville mailing ZIP 49418 extends into Georgetown Township in Ottawa County, so some homes with Grandville addresses are licensed in Ottawa.
Can someone in Ottawa County use a Kent County home?
Yes. Families can choose a licensed home anywhere; only program enrollment, such as MI Choice and PACE, follows where the person lives.
Which county has better-rated nursing homes?
On average Kent's certified nursing homes rate slightly higher on Care Compare (about 3.4 stars against 3.0 in Ottawa), but ratings vary widely within each county.
