48906 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
49017
48906
Opportunity
17 · Bottom 1%
vs19 · Bottom 2%
Growth
26 · Bottom 12%
vs36 · Bottom 27%
Climate
61 · Bottom 19%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
88 · Top 12%
vs83 · Top 19%
Housing affordability
97 · Top 17%
vs95 · Top 22%
Access
100 · Top 4%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 23%
vs47 · Bottom 29%
Measured values
| Metric | 49017 | 48906 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 21,295 | 25,901 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,885 | $64,315 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,150 | $34,843 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 375/sq mi | 796/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $152,900 | $139,700 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $983 | $1,093 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 74.7% | 69.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.6% | 6.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.3% | -8.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.8% | 29.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.0% | 20.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 9 | 229 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.2 | 2.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 12.5% | -9.1% | 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 | 31.5" | 33.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 6 mi | 1 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 20.5 min | 22.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.0 | 35.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 5 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.46 | 16.17 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.9% | 89.2% | 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
49017
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
48906
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.
Full profiles: 49017 — Battle Creek, MI · 48906 — Lansing, MI · How this is calculated: methodology