For some of us, Ionia County is simply the place we grew up; the place where family is, where work is, where home is. For others, living in Ionia County was a choice.
Whether for work, a small-town feel, lower taxes, family or proximity to larger cities, Ionia County residents continue to stay, play and love living here.
To honor that, we decided to ask our readers to nominate the aspect of Ionia County that made them choose to live or continue living here. We recognize there’s probably more than one answer, but we asked voters to pick their favorite aspect — the one that truly drew them or kept them here.
What draws people to settle or stay in Ionia County, Michigan? As fate would have it, there are two main reasons.
Ionia’s rural, small-town feel and a plethora of work opportunities tied for first, with 26.09% of the vote each.
More than a quarter of voters indicated a variety of work options brought them to Ionia. As of April 2025, Ionia County ranked 15 of 83 for lowest unemployment rate in Michigan, at 4.6%.
According to a list of the top employers in West Michigan in 2024 from The Right Place, the largest employers in Ionia County are Ventra Ionia Main, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch and Mercantile Bank.
Voters equally appreciate the rural, small-town feel of Ionia. Residents enjoy having plenty of agriculture and property alongside smaller cities like Ionia, Portland and Belding, as opposed to nearby Grand Rapids and Lansing.
Other nominees that received votes included:
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ionia Sentinel-Standard: Results: Here’s the most popular reason residents choose to live in Ionia County
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Ionia Sentinel-Standard / Ionia Sentinel-Standard
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