Lansing ranks 45th in our recently released report, which reveals the U.S. metro areas that offer the best balance between cost of living and amenities.  

Specifically, Lansing ranked 22nd for Location and Community, 66th for Socioeconomic, and 73rd for Quality of Life. 

To uncover the hidden gems providing a good mix of affordability, quality of life and community spirit, RentCafe.com analyzed 140 U.S. metro areas across 17 key metrics — including cost of living, healthcare, community spirit, food access and housing. 

Here’s more on why Lansing is the nation’s 45th most livable location in 2024: 
 

• Lansing has the Midwest’s 5th smallest share of uninsured residents at 5.4%, while also boasting one of the most educated workforces in the nation — here, more than 75% of adults hold a higher education degree. 
   

• Lansing has one of the best income inequality ratios among all analyzed locations: The top 80% earn just four times more than the bottom 20%, indicating a narrower income gap compared to most analyzed places. 
   

• With a score of 7.5 out of 9 for access to healthy food and over 78% of residents living near sports facilities, the area provides plenty of options for staying healthy. 
   

• In Lansing, 11.3% of residents face housing challenges such as overcrowding or a lack of basic amenities — 13th lowest nationwide. To compare, nearly 30% of Los Angeles residents are facing similar housing problems. 

A final note: The other Michigan locations that made the list of the most livable U.S. metro areas in 2024 are Ann Arbor at #5, Grand Rapids at #40 and Detroit at #84. 

Are you interested in reading the in-depth profiles of the top 20 most livable metros in 2024? Here’s the link to the study, featuring a breakdown of the best-performing locations in each of the 3 categories of factors we looked at: 
https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/most-livable-metro-areas/