A small town with urban amenities, Grand Blanc is a suburban area 7 miles southeast of Flint and 50 miles northwest of Detroit. Initially settled as a campground by the Chippewa Native American tribe, the first Europeans arrived in 1822. Almost a century later, it was incorporated as a city. Grand Blanc's name means "Great White" in French, making the city's less-than-four-square-mile size slightly ironic. It's home to about 8,000 residents, and most people work in healthcare, manufacturing and retail.
It's often meshed with the surrounding community of Grand Blanc Township, but it's a smaller, more urban option. "It's the right-sized town," says Jennifer Tremaine, a broker at Real Estate by Tremaine with over 20 years of experience in the area. "It's not too small like Burton, where you have to go to Grand Blanc to handle your needs, and it's not too big like Flint. It's all centralized, but it has everything you need."
Grand Blanc's cost of living is 4% lower than the national average, and the city earned an A-minus ranking from Niche as one of the best places to live in the Flint area.
The Grand Blanc Heritage Museum shares the origin story of the city as a Chippewa camp.
A robust manufacturing industry is one the leading sources of employment for Grand Blanc.
Ascension Genesys Hospital is the single largest healthcare employer in Grand Blanc.
Grand Blanc's school district boasts an impressive A-rating on Niche.com.
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Centrally located shopping and dining districts
Grand Blanc has a wide selection of shops, retailers and restaurants—from upscale dining establishments and quick-service restaurants to local microbreweries. Saginaw Road has numerous locally owned shops that create a strong downtown district. The Downtown Development Authority works to bring in new businesses and beautify the downtown area with hanging flower baskets and ground-level beds. Also located downtown, the Grand Blanc Farmers' Market operates on Sundays from May to October each year. The Grand Mall & Office Center is a local landmark near the city center, a combined shopping center and business park home to retailers, restaurants, medical offices and financial services.
Locals can meet friends for dinner at one of the many restaurants in downtown Grand Blanc.
Shoppers can spend the day looking for high end goods at Grand Blanc's Heritage Park plaza.
The Grand Blanc Farmers Market operates May to October behind the Grand Chalet Shoppes.
Grand Mall & Office Center combines a business park with local retail shopping options.
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Improving Grand Blanc’s green spaces
There are seven parks in Grand Bland, along with several public and private golf courses. Grand Blanc Commons is the largest, covering 137 acres near McFarlen Library. The nature preserve offers walking trails, and Thread Creek bisects the popular birdwatching area. Centrally located in the city, Physicians Park is a short distance from several downtown businesses. It features a playground with swings, a gazebo, picnic areas with grills, and a seasonally operated ice rink and splash pad. The Grand Blanc Senior Activity Center provides various activities and services for people over 50, with annual memberships that include access to classes for line dancing, physical therapy and Tai Chi. Grand Blanc's parks and recreation master plan outlines several improvements the department is implementing through 2026, including ensuring all residents are within one-half mile of a green space and increasing accessibility.
A trailhead at Grand Blanc Commons is accessible from Grand Blanc-McFarlen Library's lot.
The ice rink at Physician's Park sees plenty of action during the colder months.
Thread Creek winds through many of Grand Blanc's parks and popular birdwatching spots.
Grand Blanc Senior Activity Center offers many activities and services for locals over 50.
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Art fairs, history museums and borrowed books
Grand Blanc has a variety of year-round events and cultural destinations. Community events include the Food Truck Festival, Concerts in the Park, and Holiday Light Shows. Many of these are sponsored by the Grand Blanc Art Council. The Council was founded in 1997 with a mission to enhance the arts in the area; it also supports the Grand Blanc Art Fair each August at Physician's Park. The fair features a variety of local and regional vendors selling jewelry, paintings, crafts, sculptures and more. The Heritage Museum was built in 1885 and served the community as a church for over 80 years. The building reopened in 1976 as one room and now fills two floors, with guided tours throughout the week. The Grand Blanc-McFarlen branch of the Genesee District Library has computers, free Wi-Fi, private study rooms and print and digital media for the public's use.
Physician Park is home to the annual Grand Blanc Art Fair.
The Grand Blanc Art Council sponsors many of the city's local art installations and events.
Built in 1885, the First Congregation Church building now houses the city's heritage museum.
Locals can find programs and computer access at the Grand Blanc-McFarlen Library.
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Mid-priced homes that sell in 32 days
Grand Blanc has a wide variety of housing. There are more than 3,600 total housing units, 56% of which are owner-occupied. Most were built in the 1970s, but development continues today, with 53% of the residential properties being detached single-family dwellings. "Other towns, like Davison, didn't have a building boom, so they didn't have enough inventory to choose from," Tremaine says. "Grand Blanc has had steady new builds. So, here I am 21 years later, still selling a ton of homes in the city."
Homes in Grand Blanc have appreciated at an annual rate of 7.7% over the past decade, with a median sell price of about $310,000. This sales price is lower than the US average of $420,000 but higher than cities such as Flint. Homes generally sell in about 35 days, compared to the US average of 44 days.
Grand Blanc's housing is primarily comprised of newer single family homes.
Many of the homes in Grand Blanc were built during a housing boom in th 70s.
There is a wide variety of home styles in Grand Blanc.
New development continues to draw families to the surrounding township of Grand Blanc.
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Mass transit and solo drives
The Genesys Regional Medical Center-Health Park is located in Grand Blanc Township and is one of the largest employers in the area. Stretching over 400 acres, this facility is home to Ascension Genesys Hospital, a fitness center, a 40,000-square-foot medical office and more. It was recently purchased by Henry Ford Health System, the second-largest health system in the state. Many residents also commute to cities like Detroit and Ann Arbor for work. The journey is easy thanks to convenient access to Interstates 75 and 475, supplemented by Grand Blanc, Holly, Perry and Saginaw Roads. The Mass Transportation Authority, or MTA, operates a limited fixed route on Saginaw and Holly Roads. The bus also takes riders into nearby Flint. The Flint Bishop International Airport lies eight miles northwest of Grand Blanc and provides nonstop flights to 10 hub cities on three major airlines.
Highly ranked Michigan school system
In 1904, Grand Blanc became the first place in Michigan to consolidate its school system. Today, Grand Blanc Community Schools serves over 8,200 students annually across 14 campuses. Niche ranks it as the best school district in the Flint area with an overall A-minus ranking. The district continues to improve and has laid out its goals in the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. Split into four parts, the strategy focuses on specific action plans to strengthen integrated technology use, increase accessibility and belonging, and emphasize self-motivation. Goodrich Area and Lake Fenton Community Schools also serve small parts of the city. A few higher education options close to Grand Blanc include Baker College of Flint, Mott Community College, Kettering University and the University of Michigan.
Anderson Elementary School serves students in grades K-1.
Grand Blanc East Middle School has a student population of 845 students.
Grand Blanc High School is on a massive campus with several different schools present.
The Goodrich High School campus includes several ball fields and a football stadium.
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Environmental factors and crime
According to FBI statistics released in September 2023, Grand Blanc's crime rate is 57% below the national average. Both violent and property crimes are below the national average, and that trend continues when compared to the rest of Michigan. Violent and property crimes in Grand Blanc occur at roughly half the rate as they do statewide.
The city has a low risk of natural disasters. Thirteen percent of all properties in Grand Blanc face a minor to moderate risk of flooding or wildfires over the next 30 years. Being close to Flint might cause some residents to worry about the quality of Grand Blanc’s drinking water. The city has its own groundwater wells and treatment plants, making it entirely independent of water supplies from the Flint River or the city of Flint. Water quality reports can be found on the city of Grand Blanc’s website.
Written By
Kaitlin Davis
Photography Contributed By
James Gordon
Video By
Andrew Perrius
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GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Grand Blanc, MI sell after 94 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Grand Blanc, MI over the last 12 months is $391,000, up 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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