Allendale is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Allendale have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Allendale’s economy is one such example of this.
The citizens of Allendale are very well educated compared to the average community in the nation: 39.06% of adults in Allendale have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.
The per capita income in Allendale in 2022 was $24,332, which is low income relative to Michigan and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $97,328 for a family of four. However, Allendale contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Allendale also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 31.11% of its population below the federal poverty line.
Allendale is a somewhat ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Allendale home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Allendale residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Allendale include German, Dutch, Irish, Polish, and English.
The most common language spoken in Allendale is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Spanish.
