48906 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
48906
49017
Opportunity
19 · Bottom 2%
vs17 · Bottom 1%
Growth
36 · Bottom 27%
vs26 · Bottom 12%
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
83 · Top 19%
vs88 · Top 12%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 22%
vs97 · Top 17%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs100 · Top 4%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 29%
vs43 · Bottom 23%
Measured values
| Metric | 48906 | 49017 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,901 | 21,295 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,315 | $60,885 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,843 | $33,150 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 796/sq mi | 375/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $139,700 | $152,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,093 | $983 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.3% | 74.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 5.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -8.1% | -7.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.2% | 20.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 20.5% | 13.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 229 | 9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 2.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -9.1% | 12.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 17°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.3" | 31.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 1 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.1 min | 20.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.8 | 43.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 5 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 16.17 | 17.46 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 89.2% | 60.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
48906
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
49017
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: 48906 — Lansing, MI · 49017 — Battle Creek, MI · How this is calculated: methodology