Population
East Lansing
45,394
West Lafayette
44,802
Median Income
East Lansing
$43,547
West Lafayette
$33,497
Home Value
East Lansing
$251,600
West Lafayette
$318,100
Rent
East Lansing
$1,122
West Lafayette
$1,152
Crime Rate
East Lansing
2.20
West Lafayette
0.94
Cost of Living
East Lansing
100.1
West Lafayette
92.9
Avg Temp
East Lansing
N/A
West Lafayette
N/A
Unemployment
East Lansing
6.9%
West Lafayette
3.6%
How Similar Are East Lansing & West Lafayette?
West Lafayette is East Lansing's #6 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
East Lansing
45,394
West Lafayette
44,802
Both cities have similar populations — East Lansing at 45,394 and West Lafayette at 44,802.
Violent Crime
East Lansing
2.20
West Lafayette
0.94
East Lansing's violent crime is significantly higher than West Lafayette's — 57% difference.
Property Crime
East Lansing
12.20
West Lafayette
12.05
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 1% difference.
Political Leaning
East Lansing
53.5%
West Lafayette
49.1%
East Lansing leans Republican while West Lafayette leans Democratic.
Unemployment
East Lansing
6.9%
West Lafayette
3.6%
East Lansing has a 47% higher unemployment than West Lafayette.
Median Income
East Lansing
$43,547
West Lafayette
$33,497
East Lansing has a 23% higher median income than West Lafayette.
Home Values
East Lansing
$251,600
West Lafayette
$318,100
West Lafayette has a 21% higher home values than East Lansing.
Education
East Lansing
21.5%
West Lafayette
21.7%
Both cities have similar education — just a 1% difference.
Demographics
East Lansing
73.8%
West Lafayette
68.7%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 7% difference.
Cost of Living
East Lansing
100.1
West Lafayette
92.9
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. East Lansing and West Lafayette share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
East Lansing
0
West Lafayette
Cost of Living & Affordability — West Lafayette leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWest Lafayette scores 51.2 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 63.4 in East Lansing. West Lafayette scores 75.6 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 83.3 in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a living wage (family of 4) of $96,653 vs $104,144 in East Lansing (8% lower).
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWest Lafayette has a median property tax of $2,728 vs $5,540 in East Lansing (103% lower). East Lansing has a owner-occupied of 38.9% compared to 30.5% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a single-family homes of 42.2% compared to 34.6% in West Lafayette.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — East Lansing leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWest Lafayette has a unemployment rate of 3.6% compared to 6.9% in East Lansing. East Lansing has a work from home of 18.9% compared to 12.5% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a median household income of $43,547 vs $33,497 in West Lafayette (30% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — West Lafayette leads
Source: FBI UCRWest Lafayette has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.04 compared to 0.14 in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a violent crime rate (per 1k) of 0.94 compared to 2.20 in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a assault rate (per 1k) of 0.82 compared to 1.64 in East Lansing.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauEast Lansing has a high school diploma or higher of 25.4% compared to 24.8% in West Lafayette.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSEast Lansing has a population of 45,394, about 1x the size of West Lafayette (44,802).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
East Lansing
West Lafayette
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareEast Lansing: 4 vs West Lafayette: 3 for with emergency services. West Lafayette: 3.5 vs East Lansing: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — East Lansing leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSEast Lansing has a work from home of 18.9% compared to 12.5% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a bicycle of 3.8% compared to 3.4% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a public transit of 5.9% compared to 5.6% in West Lafayette.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to East Lansing, MI
Compare East Lansing against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.