Lansing vs Lincoln Park

Which is the better fit for you?

Lansing, MI
49
Area Score
Bottom 16% nationally
Lincoln Park, MI
48
Area Score
Bottom 15% nationally

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Lansing receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Lansing to Lincoln Park

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Everyday prices
6% higher
Regional price level 98.2 against 93.0 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$78 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,190 in Lincoln Park against $1,268 in Lansing.
The median home
2% more
$131,000 in Lincoln Park against $128,700 in Lansing.
The weather you would swap
Winters 2°F milder
Normal January lows are 19°F in Lincoln Park against 17°F in Lansing; July highs are 84°F against 83°F (summers 1°F hotter).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

33 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Lansing
Lincoln Park
Opportunity: Lincoln Park is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
18 · Bottom 1%
vs
23 · Bottom 3%
Growth: Lansing is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
37 · Bottom 24%
vs
23 · Bottom 7%
Climate: Lincoln Park is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
61 · Bottom 18%
vs
62 · Bottom 24%
Physical resilience: Lansing is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
85 · Top 17%
vs
81 · Top 22%
Housing affordability: Lincoln Park is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
72 · Top 33%
vs
76 · Top 22%
Schools: Lincoln Park is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
12 · Bottom 5%
vs
17 · Bottom 8%
Access: Lansing is the more favorable of the two.
Access
99 · Top 9%
vs
98 · Top 21%
Economic stability: Lansing is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 21%
vs
35 · Bottom 15%

Measured values

MetricLansingLincoln ParkSource period
Population113,02339,2572024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$54,382$58,616 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$30,958 — more favorable$27,7882024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,871/sq mi6,727/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$128,700$131,0002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$993 ±$24$1,023 ±$862024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,268$1,190 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index93.0 — more favorable98.22023
Homeownership rate53.8%68.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate6.4%6.3% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−6.4%−1.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher30.2% — more favorable11.5%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate19.3% ±2%21.1% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)229012 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents2.0 — more favorable0.012 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−9.1%−14.9%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high83°F84°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low17°F19°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.3"34.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport5 mi — more favorable9 miNASR current cycle
Average commute20.5 min — more favorable26.4 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age33.735.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools28102024-25 school year
Students per teacher17.117.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency17.8%18.9% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency25.2%32.9% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility87.1%87.3%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.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Lansing

Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, tornado.

Lincoln Park

No hazard reaches elevated exposure.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Lansing
—
Lansing: Your Score
49
Area Score
Lincoln Park
—
Lincoln Park: Your Score
48
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Lansing, MI · Lincoln Park, MI · How this is calculated: methodology