Housing data for East Lansing, MI

East Lansing, MI has an estimated 45,758 residents and 15,638 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).

It is a city in Ingham County.

61.5% of households rent.

The median gross rent is $1,171 a month.

Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−6.1%).

Figures last updated on .

Residents
45,758 (±407)
Housing units
15,638 (±556)
Households that rent
61.5%
Median gross rent
$1,171
Residents since 2015–2019
−6.1%

What stands out in East Lansing

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 51.4% (±4.3 points) in East Lansing, higher than in Ingham County (26.1%).

Median real estate taxes: $5,599 (±$274) in East Lansing, higher than in Ingham County ($3,640).

Households that rent: 61.5% (±3.0 points) in East Lansing, higher than in Ingham County (40.5%).

Households that moved in since 2020: 48.9% (±4.7 points) in East Lansing, higher than in Ingham County (30.8%).

Housing in East Lansing at a glance

East Lansing against Ingham County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
East LansingIngham CountyMichiganUnited States
Residents45,758 (±407)283,913 (exact)10,077,761 (exact)334,922,499
Housing units15,638 (±556)126,232 (±207)4,622,236 (±795)143,775,355
Households that rent61.5% (±3.0 points)40.5% (±1.1 points)26.8% (±0.2 points)34.8%
Median gross rent$1,171 (±$42)$1,084 (±$16)$1,129 (±$4)$1,413
Median household income$45,687 (±$3,696)$65,526 (±$1,674)$72,875 (±$293)$80,734
Median home value$270,800 (±$15,030)$198,800 (±$5,013)$231,600 (±$642)$332,700
Median real estate taxes (a year)$5,599 (±$274)$3,640 (±$57)$2,904 (±$9)$3,119
Built before 198059.3% (±4.6 points)64.9% (±1.7 points)62.1% (±0.2 points)49.7%
Average commute16.2 minutes (±0.9)20.5 minutes (±0.4)24.2 minutes (±0.1)26.4 minutes
Households with broadband88.5% (±1.9 points)90.3% (±0.7 points)90.5% (±0.1 points)91.0%
Median age of residents21.3 years (±0.2)33.3 years (±0.1)40.2 years (±0.1)38.9 years

East Lansing covers 13.4 square miles of land, about 3,407 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).

How East Lansing has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
2015–20192020–2024Amount of changeVerdict
Residents48,729 (±266)45,758 (±407)−6.1%Measurable decrease
Housing units15,182 (±474)15,638 (±556)+3.0%Not a measurable change
Median gross rent$952 (±$19)$1,171 (±$42)+23.0%No measurable change after inflation
Median home value$192,800 (±$6,322)$270,800 (±$15,030)+40.5%Up after inflation
Median household income$39,867 (±$3,181)$45,687 (±$3,696)+14.6%No measurable change after inflation
Median owner cost with a mortgage$1,606 (±$53)$1,940 (±$132)+20.8%No measurable change after inflation
Median real estate taxes$4,930 (±$162)$5,599 (±$274)+13.6%Down after inflation
Households that rent64.4% (±1.7 points)61.5% (±3.0 points)−2.9 percentage pointsNot a measurable change
Rental vacancy rate4.4% (±1.5 points)8.8% (±2.9 points)+4.4 percentage pointsMeasurable increase

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Crime reported to police in East Lansing

In 2025, the East Lansing Police Department reported 216 violent and 1,265 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.

ZIP codes in East Lansing

ZIP Code Tabulation Areas that cover this place (2020–2024 estimates)
ZIP codeShare of the ZIP’s land in this placeResidentsMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household income
48824100%2,097———
48825100%11,295———
4882344%50,034$1,176$282,600$52,018

A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.

Places near East Lansing

Nearest places with Census figures, by straight-line distance
PlaceDistanceMedian gross rentMedian home valueHouseholds that rent
Meridian Charter Township3.6 mi$1,196$331,10041.2%
Haslett4.3 mi$1,125$286,10040.6%
Okemos4.4 mi$1,298$359,20040.8%
Lansing4.6 mi$993$128,70046.2%
Bath5.0 mi$1,268$205,80037.9%
Lansing Charter Township5.4 mi$889$146,20051.8%
DeWitt Charter Township5.4 mi$1,278$276,00015.8%
Edgemont Park5.6 mi$774$162,40032.1%

Places in Michigan most like East Lansing

PlaceMedian gross rentMedian home valueMedian household incomeHouseholds that rent
Comstock Park$1,189$235,300$59,98451.3%
Houghton$978$254,500$43,45663.1%
Ypsilanti$1,080$232,700$46,58866.8%
Mount Pleasant$922$173,100$44,70664.3%
Comstock Northwest$1,080$261,100$73,47553.4%
Wixom$1,035$365,200$65,48557.5%

Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.

HUD Fair Market Rent for East Lansing, fiscal year 2027

Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA, dollars a month
Studio1 bedroom2 bedrooms3 bedrooms4 bedrooms
$1,036$1,054$1,323$1,685$1,739

HUD income limits for East Lansing, fiscal year 2026

Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA, annual household income
Household sizeExtremely low (30%)Very low (50%)Low (80%)
1 person$21,600$35,950$57,500
2 people$24,650$41,050$65,700
3 people$27,750$46,200$73,900
4 people$33,000$51,300$82,100
5 people$38,680$55,450$88,700
6 people$44,360$59,550$95,250
7 people$50,040$63,650$101,850
8 people$55,720$67,750$108,400

These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $102,600.

A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about East Lansing

What is the average rent in East Lansing, MI?

The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in East Lansing is $1,171 (±$42) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.

How much is a one-bedroom apartment in East Lansing?

The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in East Lansing, MI is $1,002 (±$56) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are renters in East Lansing rent-burdened?

71.7% of renting households in East Lansing pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many renters are there in East Lansing?

East Lansing has an estimated 8,511 (±621) renting households, 61.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the median household income in East Lansing?

The median household income in East Lansing is $45,687 (±$3,696) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

What is the average home value in East Lansing, MI?

The Census Bureau publishes the median: $270,800 (±$15,030) for owner-occupied homes in East Lansing (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is East Lansing growing?

In East Lansing, the number of residents went from 48,729 in 2015–2019 to 45,758 in 2020–2024 (−6.1%), a measurable decrease.

What ZIP codes are in East Lansing?

The ZIP codes that cover East Lansing are 48824, 48825, 48823.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for East Lansing city, Michigan (place:24120, in state:26).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.

Figures last updated on .

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