Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do East Lansing, MI compare?
| Figure | East Lansing, MI |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 49,355 |
| Change since April 2020 | +2.6% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 47,741 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 3,555 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 0.1 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 5.9 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 30.8% |
| Measure | East Lansing, MI |
|---|---|
| Total population | 45,758±407 |
| Median age | 21.3±0.2 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.6%±1.0 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 71.5%±1.7 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 7.6%±1.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 8.9%±1.2 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 11.5%±1.3 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 66.6%±3.3 pts |
| Median household income | $45,687±$3,696 |
| Per capita income | $30,335±$3,077 |
| People below the poverty line | 33.0%±2.8 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 6.6%±1.5 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $270,800±$15,030 |
| Median gross rent | $1,171±$42 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 66.1%±4.2 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 38.5%±3.0 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.4%±0.2 pts |
| Worked from home | 21.0%±2.5 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 47.7%±3.0 pts |
| Public transportation | 4.7%±1.4 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 16.2 min±0.9 |
| No health insurance coverage | 6.5%±1.2 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov