What percentage of people rent in East Lansing, MI?

Name: Renters and owners in East Lansing, MI, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

61.5% (±3.0 points) of the occupied homes in East Lansing, MI are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 8,511 renting households against 5,339 that own their home.

In East Lansing, the share of households that rent went from 64.4% in 2015–2019 to 61.5% in 2020–2024 (−2.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 61.5% (±3.0 points)
Renting households: 8,511 (±621)
Median renter income: $28,263 (±$3,529)

Who rents and who owns in East Lansing

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	East Lansing	Ingham County	Michigan	United States
Renter-occupied share	61.5% (±3.0 points)	40.5% (±1.1 points)	26.8% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	8,511 (±621)	47,469 (±1,388)	1,092,179 (±7,674)	45,017,354
Owning households	5,339 (±394)	69,627 (±1,389)	2,984,190 (±12,886)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.0 (±0.1)	1.9 (±0.0)	2.1 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	2.6 (±0.1)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.5 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$28,263 (±$3,529)	$38,673 (±$1,559)	$42,352 (±$376)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$128,750 (±$16,805)	$91,076 (±$1,534)	$87,130 (±$344)	$100,009

In East Lansing, the renter share is higher than in Ingham County (40.5%).

It is also higher than in Michigan (26.8%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Ingham County, East Lansing ranks 1 of 21 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 7 of 1,520.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in East Lansing has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	64.4% (±1.7 points)	61.5% (±3.0 points)	−2.9 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$952 (±$19)	$1,171 (±$42)	+23.0%	No measurable change after inflation
Median household income	$39,867 (±$3,181)	$45,687 (±$3,696)	+14.6%	No measurable change after inflation

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.

Households that rent in places near East Lansing

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with East Lansing
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
East Lansing	—	61.5% (±3.0 points)	—
Meridian Charter Township	3.6 mi	41.2% (±2.6 points)	Lower
Haslett	4.3 mi	40.6% (±3.5 points)	Lower
Okemos	4.4 mi	40.8% (±3.7 points)	Lower
Lansing	4.6 mi	46.2% (±2.0 points)	Lower
Bath	5.0 mi	37.9% (±10.0 points)	Lower
Lansing Charter Township	5.4 mi	51.8% (±5.0 points)	Lower
DeWitt Charter Township	5.4 mi	15.8% (±2.0 points)	Lower
Edgemont Park	5.6 mi	32.1% (±9.8 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Meridian Charter Township, MI (41.2%), Haslett, MI (40.6%), Okemos, MI (40.8%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Ingham County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	East Lansing	61.5% (±3.0 points)
2	Lansing Charter Township	51.8% (±5.0 points)
3	Lansing	46.2% (±2.0 points)
4	Meridian Charter Township	41.2% (±2.6 points)
5	Williamston	33.6% (±8.9 points)
6	Delhi Charter Township	32.3% (±3.2 points)
7	Mason	31.3% (±5.0 points)

Showing 7 of 21 places in Ingham County, ranked from highest to lowest.

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

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).

Is renting growing in East Lansing?

In East Lansing, the share of households that rent went from 64.4% in 2015–2019 to 61.5% in 2020–2024 (−2.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How big are renting households in East Lansing?

A renting household in East Lansing has 2.0 people on average, against 2.6 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in East Lansing?

The median renting household in East Lansing, MI has an income of $28,263 (±$3,529) a year, against $128,750 for households that own their home.

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) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) 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 DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

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.