East Lansing, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
East Lansing, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A+
Health Top grade
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F
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 44,400 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3285.7 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.67% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 21.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 13,484 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in East Lansing grew by 16.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 44,400 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in East Lansing is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 64.7% of residents. That is 43.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 28,744 64.7% +43.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,612 10.4% -10.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,473 7.8% -12.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,463 7.8% -10.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in East Lansing and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.5% Michigan 49.5%
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Economy
East Lansing has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,970 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.54% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in East Lansing is about 38% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $73,853 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,122 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 37.4% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in East Lansing is about 5.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,122 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in East Lansing spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.3 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,039 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,398 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,983 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in East Lansing is 16 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
East Lansing has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.7% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.19 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
East Lansing has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | East Lansing | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.5% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
East Lansing, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How East Lansing, MI compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing, MI | 44,400 | $44,970 #3/3 | $73,853 #3/3 | 15.6 min #1/3 |
| Okemos, MI | 26,794 | $94,605 | $168,664 | 16.8 min |
| Lansing, MI | 106,034 | $55,428 | $123,867 | 16.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about East Lansing, Michigan.
How big is East Lansing, Michigan by population?
About 44,400 people live in East Lansing, Michigan, in 13,484 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 21.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is East Lansing, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, East Lansing, Michigan has 3,286 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 38 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in East Lansing, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($73,853 against $44,970), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,122 a month takes about 30% of the median household's income, right at the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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