Lansing 73 Excellent
Lansing Livability #296 ranked city in Illinois#5,698 ranked city in the USARanks better than 80% of areas
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Pros and Cons of Living in Lansing

PROS
  • Commute Commute

    High scores in the commute category could indicate that this area offers short commute times to work and readily available public transportation options.

  • Cost Of Living Cost Of Living

    Residents in this area benefit from an affordable cost of living. This includes goods and services, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries and healthcare.

  • Housing Housing

    The housing category in this area boasts higher than average scores, likely influenced by a positive home affordability ratio, robust appreciation rates or elevated home values.

CONS
  • Amenities Amenities

    It appears that many amenities may not be conveniently situated within walking distance, potentially necessitating the use of a vehicle or public transit.

  • Ratings Ratings

    Polls and surveys done by AreaVibes among area residents did not yield positive feedback when it came to the walkability of amenities, safety, nearby parks and the overall sense of community.

What's it like Living in Lansing?

Lansing is a moderately-sized city located in the state of Illinois. The city has a population of 28,675 residents. In Lansing, there are 3,843 people per square mile, which is well above the national population density average. Lansing is mostly populated by White (44%) and Black or African American (43%) ethnic groups. Lansing is very likely to be a great place to live for singles as only 42%, of the population (over fifteen) are classified as married. Long, unnecessary commutes can be both frustrating and inconvenient when heading to work. Nationwide, the average one-way commute time takes 26 minutes, but regrettably, residing in Lansing entails a longer-than-average one-way commute time, averaging 32 minutes.

Whether you’re relocating to a new city to be closer to family, friends or for a new job, living in Lansing could be a positive experience compared to other cities in Illinois if you know where to look. Don't forget to determine what matters most to you in a neighborhood. Consider factors such as safety, proximity to work or school, access to amenities (like parks, fitness facilities, grocery stores, restaurants), public transportation options, community atmosphere and the overall vibe you're looking for. Using the livability score which includes data from categories like crime, health & safety, housing, you can easily compare the best places to live in Lansing and also determine if there are any nearby cities that might be a better match for your lifestyle. You can also compare Lansing to Illinois and the national average.

The livability score in Lansing is 70/100 and the city is ranked in the 76th percentile of all cities across America. For each of the livability categories, we know that Lansing ranks very well for cost of living (B) and housing (A+). Regrettably for Lansing, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: amenities (F) and crime (D).

A healthy real estate market serves as a key economic indicator. It could signify overall local economic strength, stability and reflects consumer confidence in the area. Based on multiple factors including: median home and rental prices, appreciation rates and home affordability, Lansing has received high marks in the housing category. Based on these calculations, the apartment rental and real estate market appears to be very healthy.

Certain items on your wish list like shopping, restaurants, nightlife, parks and proximity to public transportation are all important things to look for. Having said that, perhaps the most important metric to consider when contemplating a move to Lansing is real estate affordability. The median home price for Lansing homes is $232,052, which is 24.8% lower than the Illinois average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Lansing, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 2.7, which is 22.9% lower than the Illinois average.

Best Places to Live in and Around Lansing

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How Do You Rate The Livability In Lansing?

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Compare Lansing, IL Livability

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      Lansing transportation information

      Statistic Lansing Illinois National
      Average one way commute32min29min26min
      Workers who drive to work80.1%73.4%76.4%
      Workers who carpool6.2%8.3%9.3%
      Workers who take public transit5.9%9.2%5.1%
      Workers who bicycle0.0%0.6%0.6%
      Workers who walk1.6%3.1%2.8%
      Working from home5.2%4.4%4.6%
      Source: The Lansing, IL data and statistics displayed above are derived from the United States Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) and include 2026 modeled data developed using proprietary methodologies.