Measured against area pay, Fowler costs less to live in than 84% of U.S. towns
Up 6.1% in a year, 15% above the Michigan typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area ($73K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 1 sale in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade compares costs with what households across the Lansing metro earn ($73K, Census 2020–24). The typical home costs 2.7 years of metro income, and 23% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $303Ktypical home, 15% above the Michigan typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,020a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
- 95prices across the Lansing metro, where the U.S. is 100 (housing 83)BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
In paychecks the grade
- 2.7 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$73K, Lansing-area income
- 11%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Fowler
What’s behind Fowler’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Fowler is more affordable than 84% of U.S. towns. Property tax pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have outpaced Michigan: the typical Fowler home is up 30.6% in five years, against 24.4% statewide (Zillow).
Up 30.6% in five years
Faster than Michigan (24.4%).
Show as a table
| January | Fowler | Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $158,000 | $142,000 |
| 2018 | $171,000 | $153,000 |
| 2019 | $179,000 | $164,000 |
| 2020 | $194,000 | $173,000 |
| 2021 | $218,000 | $192,000 |
| 2022 | $231,000 | $215,000 |
| 2023 | $254,000 | $228,000 |
| 2024 | $266,000 | $238,000 |
| 2025 | $285,000 | $250,000 |
| 2026 | $295,000 | $259,000 |
| September 2026 | $303,000 | $264,000 |
A typical Fowler home worth $154K in October 2016 is worth about $303K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 2.7 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Fowler’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $29K short of a typical Fowler home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,020 a month here, $870 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Fowler’s typical property tax (1.18% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,020
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Michigan norm
The median bill is $2,331 (Michigan: $2,904), 1.18% of a home’s value a year, against 1.25% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
The rest of a budget near Fowler
Only figures published free for the whole country, each labeled with the area it covers: the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area, or Michigan. Groceries follow the goods price level; nobody publishes them town by town.
| Cost | Here | Compared with | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prices overall U.S. = 100 | 95 | MI 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Goods (groceries, clothing, cars…) U.S. = 100 | 94 | MI 96 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Utilities U.S. = 100 | 96 | MI 100 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Other services U.S. = 100 | 100 | MI 101 | metro | BEA, 2024 |
| Electricity cents per kWh, homes | 23.1¢ | U.S. 18.3¢ | state | EIA, July 2026 |
Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024 (metro area and state). Electricity: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A.
Fowler and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fowler | A− | $303K | $197K | 1.18% | $1,020 |
Questions about the cost of living in Fowler
Is Fowler expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Fowler costs less than 84% of U.S. towns: an A− for cost of living. The typical home costs 2.7 years of the median household income of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area ($73K).
How much does a house cost in Fowler?
About $303K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 6.1% in a year. The Michigan typical home is $264K.
What salary do you need to live in Fowler?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $81,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,890 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $41,000.
How much is rent in Fowler?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,020 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in.
What are property taxes in Fowler?
The median bill is $2,331 a year, 1.18% of the median home value (Michigan: $2,904, 1.25%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Fowler going up?
Yes: up 6.1% in the past year and 30.6% in five years, against 24.4% across Michigan (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Fowler buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.