City safety & data profile

East LansingMI

East Lansing, MI is a 48K-resident city in Ingham County with a median household income of $45,687.

Ingham County, Michigan. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for East Lansing, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. East Lansing has a population larger than 78% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $270,800, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

48K
Population
Top 22%
By size
$45,687
Median income
$270,800
Median home
33%
Poverty rate

The read on East Lansing

East Lansing posts a median household income higher than 5% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the East Lansing area.

Top 95%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near East Lansing

Where East Lansing income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$45,687 Bottom 5% higher than 5% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. MI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading East Lansing, MI beyond the headline numbers

East Lansing sits inside Ingham County, Michigan, at roughly 42.74°N, -84.48°W. Population 48,471, $45,687 median household income. Median home value $270,800, median rent $1,171. Poverty rate 33%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: East Lansing's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 34.9%, then obesity at 32.6%. 1 hospital in/around East Lansing, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for East Lansing from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
48,471
East Lansing
Median Income
$45,687
-33% vs avg
Median Home Value
$270,800
+19% vs avg
Median Age
21.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Ingham County) - East Lansing's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
284K+1%
Median Income
$65,526+45%
Median Home Value
$198,800+65%
Poverty Rate
16.7%-24%
Unemployment
6.2%-43%

Economics

Economics indicators for East Lansing, MI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,171/mo
Poverty Rate
33% +132% vs avg
Unemployment 6.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 66.6%
Work From Home 21%
Public Transit 4.7%

Population

White 72.9%
African American 8%
Asian 9.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.4%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
34.9%
Obesity
32.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
25.1%
Physical Inactivity
23.3%
High Blood Pressure
22.9%
Binge Drinking
18.6%
Current Asthma
12.6%
Current Smoking
12.4%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.8%
Lack of Health Insurance
8.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 63.3%
Annual Checkup 74.1%

Other Measures

Diabetes
5.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
3.5%
Stroke
1.8%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of East Lansing, MI? ▼
East Lansing, MI has a population of 48,471 people, located in Ingham County, Michigan.
What is the median household income in East Lansing? ▼
The median household income in East Lansing, MI is $45,687 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 33%.
What is the median home value in East Lansing? ▼
The median home value in East Lansing, MI is $270,800. Median rent is $1,171/month.
What are the top health concerns in East Lansing? ▼
The top health indicators in East Lansing include Short Sleep Duration (34.9%), Obesity (32.6%), Frequent Mental Distress (25.1%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in East Lansing? ▼
East Lansing has 1 hospital. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in East Lansing? ▼
The median age in East Lansing, MI is 21.3 years. 66.6% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

East Lansing, MI is located in Ingham County, Michigan. With a population of 48K and a $45,687 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital. Safety alerts for the East Lansing area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Michigan

Real-time AQI for every monitored Michigan location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Okemos, MI 21K Lansing, MI 113K Haslett, MI 19K Holt, MI 24K Waverly, MI 24K Owosso, MI 15K Jackson, MI 33K Ionia, MI 11K
All cities in Michigan → Compare East Lansing vs Okemos → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using East Lansing's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the East Lansing area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare East Lansing against Michigan peers on any ranking lens. Explore Michigan

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Ingham County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.