Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
East Lansing’s strongest subject is walkability (A+). Add schools to its strengths — its schools rank ahead of just over four fifths of Michigan towns. The drawback is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $317K, 4.4 years of the Lansing metro’s $73K median household income. Overall, that makes a B+, better than 69% of U.S. towns. The town is home to Michigan State University. On the outdoors, just 118 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. 67% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more here, where Michigan’s towns sit at 26% and U.S. towns at 29%. Its concentration of trails is 2.3 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · USGS PAD-US · OpenStreetMap. East Lansing is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among Michigan’s towns.
Where East Lansing beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far East Lansing is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 802 in 1910, 47,741 in 2020. The archive holds 17 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 3 maps from 1909 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Lansing, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in East Lansing.
East Lansing is shaped by its college students, draws workers from Lansing and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its A− for schools comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $317K.
Public schools: the East Lansing School District. Below: Three of its 13 schools, each with why it was picked.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacDonald Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 857 | A− |
| East Lansing High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,231 | A |
| Glencairn SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 298 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Across 27 parks and preserves: 31 miles of trail. Azaadiikaa Park, at 122 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Azaadiikaa Park | 1.9 mi | 122 |
| 2. Baker Woodlot and Rachana Rajendra Neotropical Migrant Bird Sanctuary | 1.5 mi | 75 |
| 3. Sanford Natural Area | 1.2 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
29,974 jobs are based in East Lansing, 2.4 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.2 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
East Lansing’s average trip to work is 16 minutes. Most people who work leave East Lansing to do it: just 18% work in town. Also worth knowing: in East Lansing, 33% of residents live below the poverty line. It had 29,974 jobs in 2021, up 4,624 from 2011.
| East Lansing | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 33% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 21% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Against the 4,257 U.S. towns with household incomes like East Lansing’s, it is healthier than 97%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income.
No town among the 701 in Michigan we compare has a higher share of adults who feel lonely than East Lansing. Nearly a third of East Lansing adults have been diagnosed with depression. Only 2 of the 701 Michigan towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than East Lansing. Of 32 CDC measures, East Lansing beats the Michigan average on 10 and trails it on 13.
| East Lansing | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 5.9% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | East Lansing | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.8% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 1.8% | 3.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 16.3% | 8.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The range runs from 16° on a January night to 82° on a July afternoon, with about 50 inches of snow a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
71.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 50.4% across Michigan. The median property tax bill is $5,599, against $2,904 across Michigan, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Zillow values the typical East Lansing home at about $317,000, up 3.4% in a year, 20% above the Michigan typical home. The share of renter households in East Lansing who spend 30% or more of their income on rent: 72%. Homes sold in East Lansing spent a median 37 days on the market.
| East Lansing | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 39% | 84% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 72% | 45% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Of the losses FEMA expects in East Lansing, 45% come from inland flooding and 24% from tornadoes. Compared with 62% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower. Federal aid has come to East Lansing households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In East Lansing, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 12.5 per 1,000 residents. Its violent offense rate comes in at 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
| East Lansing | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around East Lansing. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum150K visitors a year
3 mi Zoo & aquariumPotter Park Zoo
4 mi MuseumR. E. Olds Transportation Museum
in town GardenW. J. Beal Botanical Garden
in town Stadium & arenaSpartan Stadium
in town MuseumMichigan State University MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Potter Park Zoo: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · R. E. Olds Transportation Museum: kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0 · W. J. Beal Botanical Garden: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Spartan Stadium: Steven Depolo from Grand Rapids, MI, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Michigan State University Museum: Gpwitteveen, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of East Lansing
College town 60 of every 100 East Lansing residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where East Lansing’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
3 places in East Lansing on the National Register of Historic Places.
18 notable people were born in East Lansing.
City in Michigan, U.S.
East Lansing is a city in Ingham and Clinton counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. A college town, East Lansing is home to Michigan State University (MSU), one of the largest public universities in the United States. As of 2026, the city has a population of 49,435. The city is located immediately east of Lansing, Michigan's capital and sixth most populous city; the two cities anchor the Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with East Lansing.
Lansing Township next door grades lower for schools (C− to East Lansing’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B to C−).
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Lansing | – | B+ | C− | C+ | A− | B+ |
| Lansing | #673 | D | B− | D− | C− | C |
| Meridian Township | #159 | A− | D | C+ | A | A |
| DeWitt Township | #380 | B− | C | B | C+ | B+ |
| Haslett | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bath Township | #240 | B+ | C− | B+ | A− | A− |
| Lansing Township | #609 | C− | B | D− | C− | B |
| Okemos | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Haslett and Okemos aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare East Lansing with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. East Lansing grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns. East Lansing is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among Michigan’s towns. It grades B+ for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
18 notable people were born here, including Nate Silver and Ryan Miller.
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