Okemos’ concentration of trails is 1.2 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Davis/Foster Preserve, at 110 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Okemos yet; the figures below are still real.

A growing town

Okemos has grown 18% from 2010 to 2020

21,369 counted in 2010 and 25,121 in 2020.

21,3692010

25,1212020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

Okemos a Chippewa Chief, 1880

Okemos’s story

164 years in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1909 on.

1862Okemos is settled

Explore the history →

Getting set up

Moving to Okemos: who provides what

Okemos is unincorporated, so Ingham County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterMeridian Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesIngham CountyIngham County provides services here

SchoolsOkemos Public SchoolsWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereMeridian Township ClerkMeridian Charter Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025

ZIP codes48864, 48823, 4889548864 83% · 48823 15% · 48895 3%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Okemos.

Work & commute

Okemos has 1.6 jobs for every working resident, and 13,563 people commute in

Among residents in Okemos, 15% live below the poverty line, where Michigan’s towns sit at 8.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. For most workers, Okemos is a place to come home to: only 12% work in town. Also worth knowing: in Okemos, the income of the median household is $103,000. Half the trips to work are shorter than 7 miles.

12%work in town

	Okemos	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	24%	10%	11%
Average trip to work	19 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	15%	8.9%	9.6%
Median household income	$103,000	$77,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Okemos12%

Lansing22%

East Lansing19%

Meridian Township10%

Alaiedon Township3%

7 mi

median commute distance

14,663

jobs based in Okemos

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageOkemos’ work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here14,663 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work12% work in Okemos Commute times19 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 7 miles

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Housing

A home in Okemos is worth about $367K, on Zillow’s estimate

The midpoint rent for Okemos comes to $1,298 a month. The share of households in Okemos who are owner-occupiers: 59%. A home in Okemos typically sold within 35 days of listing.

$367KZillow home value

	Okemos	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	59%	84%	73%
Median rent	$1,298 a month	$1,046 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Okemos$367K

Michigan$264K

Market temperature

days on market

100.2%

sale-to-list price

+0.9%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageOkemos’ housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 0.9% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 3.6 years of income Rents$1,298 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighbors4 bordering towns

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Climate

In Okemos, expect four seasons and pleasant summers

The midsummer high here is 82°F.

36″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter19–33°

Spring36–57°

Summer58–80°

Fall41–60°

Oct 17

typical first frost

Apr 28

typical last frost

+1.4°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageOkemos’ climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 82°, January lows 16°Rain & snow36″ of snow a winter · 35 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.4° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Natural hazards

Low risk in Okemos, with inland flooding at the top

Of the losses FEMA expects in Okemos, 54% come from inland flooding and 22% from tornadoes. Compared with 62% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower. The town has had 28 paid flood insurance claims since 1982.

38risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind

paid flood claims since 1982

Full pageOkemos’ hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesLow risk Flood claims28 paid flood claims · Since 1982 Past disasters8 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.4 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Health

How healthy Okemos is

Okemos: 13% of adults say their health is fair or poor. 8.9% of adults in Okemos smoke cigarettes; 29% have obesity.

	Okemos	Michigan towns	U.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	10%	14%	14%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)	8.9%	15%	14%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	29%	37%	35%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	18%	25%	25%

32 measures vs. Michigan

21 better10 too close to call1 worse

What stands out	Okemos	MI
Fewer adults with COPD	4.8%	8.1%
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth	6.1%	10.2%
Fewer adults treating high blood pressure	73.8%	77.6%

Mclaren Greater Lansing

4.3 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

Full pageOkemos’ health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby4.3 miles to an ER · Mclaren Greater Lansing How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than MI on 21 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Outdoors

Okemos keeps 5.3% of its land conserved

Across 25 parks and preserves: 20 miles of trail.

5.3%conserved

5.3%

conserved · 569 of 10,824 acres

20 mi

of trails · 1.2 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Davis/Foster Preserve	1.9 mi	110
2. North Meridian Road Park	1.9 mi	59
3. Legg Park	1.9 mi	44

Full pageOkemos’ outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map20 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk1.9 miles of trail · Davis/Foster Preserve Conserved land5.3% conserved · 569 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Okemos?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Nearby attractions

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and 10 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Okemos. Close and well known come first.

All 42 attractions →

4 mi MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum150K visitors a year

6 mi Zoo & aquariumPotter Park Zoo

7 mi MuseumR. E. Olds Transportation Museum

4 mi GardenW. J. Beal Botanical Garden

3 mi GardenMichigan State University Horticulture Gardens

4 mi Stadium & arenaSpartan Stadium

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Eli 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 · Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens: SweetCanadianMullet, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Spartan Stadium: Steven Depolo from Grand Rapids, MI, USA, CC BY 2.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Okemos

17pages on Okemos

The big questions

HealthBetter than MI on 21 of 32 CDC measures Cost of living$367K typical home · up 0.9% in a year Work & commute$103K median household income · 14,663 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors20 mi of trails · 5% conserved land PlacesAttractions42 nearby · Michigan State University Horticulture Gardens 3 mi LibraryHope Borbas Okemos Branch Library CollegesMichigan State University is 3.5 mi away

The story

HistorySettled 1862 Famous people7 born in Okemos Climate82° summer highs · 36″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 48805, 48864 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

4 within 15 miles of the center of Okemos

Michigan State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · East Lansing3.5 mi$16,458 in-state tuition Lansing Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lansing7.3 mi$4,100 in-state tuition Thomas M Cooley Law SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lansing7.3 mi

College town 19 of every 100 Okemos residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A job hub

Every workday, about 13,563 people come to Okemos for work

Where Okemos’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

14,663jobs based in Okemos

12%of working residents work in town

7 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

Famous people from Okemos

7 notable people were born in Okemos.

See all 7 →

Alma CooperAmerican beauty pageant titleholder · born 2002

Travis BaderAmerican basketball player · born 1991

Evan RothAmerican artist · born 1978

Andrew RoblAmerican poker player · born 1986

Johnathon JonesAmerican basketball player · born 1988

James HynesNovelist · born 1955

About Okemos

Census-designated place in Michigan, US

Okemos ( OH-kə-məss) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A suburb of Lansing, Okemos is located immediately southeast of East Lansing. Okemos is located mostly within Meridian Charter Township, with small portions extending south into Alaiedon Township and east into Williamstown Township. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 25,121. Okemos has post offices with 48805 and 48864 ZIP Codes, and the school district Okemos Public Schools, that also serves portions of the surrounding area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)