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CITY

East Lansing

Michigan · 49,355 residents (2025 est.) · 13.4 sq mi
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Part of the Lansing metro area
The short version

With 45,758 people, East Lansing is a city in Michigan. This skews young, with a median age of 21.3. This is an unusually credentialed place: 67% of adults have a four-year degree. People stay put here: 60% were in the same home a year ago. 39% of homes are owner-occupied. The poverty rate is 33.0%, above the 12.5% national rate.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 21.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
67% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
45,758
−2%since 2000
from 46,525 in 2000
49,355 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,407 / sq mi
−3%since 2009
from 3,496 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
21.3
−2%since 2000
from 21.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
13.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
45K46K48K50K51K19902000201020202024East Lansing
202446K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 52.1%(940)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 92.8%(1,285)
US avg: 6%
10 to 142.6%(1,207)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1926.3%(12,014)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2434%(15,547)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 348.9%(4,070)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 445.7%(2,591)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 544.7%(2,165)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 644%(1,834)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 744.3%(1,954)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843%(1,379)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(772)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$45,687
−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,217 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,335
+86%since 2000
from $16,333 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
35.9%
+12.3 ptssince 2009
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
33.0%
−1.8 ptssince 2000
from 34.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.583
+1%since 2010
from 0.579 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information9.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade5%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services4.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Wholesale trade3.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance2%
US avg: 5.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical1.6%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing0.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$270,800
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $144,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,171
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $578 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
38.5%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 32.0% in 2000
61.5% rent
Vacancy rate
11.4%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 16.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.18 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.22 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.8%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 22.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
68.7%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 66.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
5.9
−16%since 2009
from 7.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
31
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic79.4%(36,919)
Black7.3%(3,410)
Hispanic / Latino2.7%(1,252)
Asian8.2%(3,814)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic71.5%(32,700)
Black7.6%(3,460)
Hispanic / Latino6.6%(3,008)
Asian8.9%(4,089)
Other5.5%(2,501)
Diversity Score
59
+36%since 2009
from 43 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.8%(1,728)
Puerto Rican1.1%(491)
Argentine0.3%(154)
Cuban0.2%(108)
Peruvian0.2%(89)
Spaniard0.2%(75)
Guatemalan0.2%(69)
Ecuadorian0.1%(63)
Venezuelan0.1%(47)
Paraguayan0.1%(26)
+ 6 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese4.2%(1,933)
Asian Indian2.2%(1,015)
Korean0.8%(380)
Filipino0.3%(132)
Pakistani0.2%(114)
Vietnamese0.2%(113)
Japanese0.2%(77)
Taiwanese0.1%(60)
Malaysian0.1%(43)
Nepalese0.1%(42)
Indonesian0.1%(27)
Thai0%(13)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(12)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(13)
Ancestry
German14.3%(6,531)
English9.1%(4,171)
Irish8.7%(4,001)
Polish6.6%(3,005)
Italian5.3%(2,406)
Dutch3.4%(1,560)
Swedish1.8%(828)
American1.7%(774)
Scottish1.7%(768)
Arab1.6%(736)
French1.4%(641)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
British0.9%(402)
Norwegian0.8%(382)
Greek0.8%(375)
Russian0.8%(345)
Hungarian0.5%(251)
Welsh0.5%(238)
Czech0.5%(207)
Austrian0.4%(205)
Egyptian0.4%(203)
Canadian0.4%(203)
Ukrainian0.4%(196)
Nigerian0.4%(185)
Iranian0.4%(174)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(173)
Danish0.4%(171)
Lithuanian0.3%(145)
Lebanese0.3%(144)
Brazilian0.3%(143)
Swiss0.3%(135)
Serbian0.3%(131)
Somali0.2%(103)
Turkish0.2%(93)
Iraqi0.2%(90)
Slovak0.2%(90)
Finnish0.2%(86)
Croatian0.2%(85)
Romanian0.2%(78)
Armenian0.1%(64)
West Indian0.1%(64)
Bulgarian0.1%(63)
Ethiopian0.1%(52)
Australian0.1%(46)
Jordanian0.1%(45)
Portuguese0.1%(39)
Jamaican0.1%(34)
Slovene0.1%(25)
Ghanaian0%(19)
Israeli0%(18)
Moroccan0%(11)
Latvian0%(11)
Kenyan0%(10)
Haitian0%(9)
Syrian0%(8)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
66.6%
−3.8 ptssince 2000
from 70.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
98.4%
+1.5 ptssince 2000
from 96.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
39.2%
Unchangedsince 2000
from 39.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.2 min
+54%since 2000
from 10.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
47.7%
−7.8 ptssince 2009
from 55.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.8%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
4.7%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
21.0%
+17.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
16.6%
−8.5 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
4.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 3.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
13.2%
+3.0 ptssince 2009
from 10.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.6%
−0.1 ptssince 2011
from 6.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
54.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2011
from 51.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.3%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 69.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
23.3%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
46.4%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 40.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
Female
52.0%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 51.7% in 2009
Foreign born
11.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
1.9%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.3%
+6.3 ptssince 2012
from 5.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
6.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2013
from 6.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.5%
+8.1 ptssince 2017
from 80.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
99.2%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 96.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
59.5%
+7.2 ptssince 2020
from 52.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
84.1%
+2.8 ptssince 2016
from 81.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.3%
+0.6 ptssince 2016
from 2.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married75.8%(15,333)
Married19.8%(4,012)
Widowed1.5%(310)
Divorced2.8%(566)
Women 15+
Never married74.6%(16,485)
Married19.4%(4,278)
Widowed3.2%(700)
Divorced2.9%(642)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
6.5%
+0.3 ptssince 2013
from 6.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
68.9%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 70.4% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
19.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 21.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
9.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 9.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.7%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 9.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
83.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 87.2% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
18.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.6%(139)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)4.8%(38)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era33.2%(262)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War30.9%(244)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.5%(12)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 789 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Head to head

Compare East Lansing to nearby cities

EAST LANSING VS
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EAST LANSING VS
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EAST LANSING VS
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EAST LANSING VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in East Lansing, Michigan?

East Lansing, Michigan has about 45,758 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in East Lansing, Michigan?

The typical household in East Lansing, Michigan earns about $45,687 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is East Lansing, Michigan expensive?

In East Lansing, Michigan, the median home is worth about $270,800, and the typical rent is about $1,171 a month.

How educated are people in East Lansing, Michigan?

About 66.6% of adults age 25 and over in East Lansing, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in East Lansing, Michigan?

About 33.0% of people in East Lansing, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.

Has East Lansing, Michigan grown since 1990?

Yes, East Lansing, Michigan has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 4,919 residents, a change of about -10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →