Michigan · Census, HUD and BEA figures · Updated

Cost of Living in Lansing, MI

Prices around Lansing, MI run 5% below the U.S. average (BEA, the metro area). The typical household there earns $54,382 a year, and HUD puts a two-bedroom at $1,268 a month. Keeping that rent under 30% of income takes about $50,720 a year.

Lansing, MI at a glance

Median household income

$54,382$4,532 per month · U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year
2-bedroom rent$1,268HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rent
Price level (U.S. = 100)95.0-5% · BEA, the metro area
Electricity23¢per kWh · EIA Residential MI
Population113,023Census ACS 5-year estimate

How much rent can you afford in Lansing, MI?

HUD’s fair market rent for each size, against what a typical household here earns. Change the income to see yours.

Affordable (< 30% of income)
HUD Fair Market Rent$1,268Monthly market rent
Share of gross income28%Recommended max: 30%
Annual income needed$50,720To meet the 30% standard
Max affordable rent$1,360At 30% of $54,382
0%30% (Affordability standard)100%
Compare against:

How much is rent in Lansing, MI? By bedroom, 2026

HUD's fiscal 2026 Fair Market Rents for Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA, with the income each one takes if rent stays under 30% of it.

HUD Fair Market Rent in Lansing, MI, fiscal 2026
Unit SizeMonthly RentAnnual Rent30% Rule Min. Income% of Median Income
Studio / Efficiency$973$11,676$38,92021.5%
1-Bedroom Apartment$1,012$12,144$40,48022.3%
2-Bedroom ApartmentBenchmark$1,268$15,216$50,72028%
3-Bedroom Home$1,627$19,524$65,08035.9%
4-Bedroom Home$1,679$20,148$67,16037%

Rent in Lansing, MI, with the wage each unit needs →

What a typical income covers in Lansing, MI

The 50/30/20 rule applied to the local median of $54,382 a year ($4,532 a month before tax).

Needs (50%)$2,266/moRent ($1,268 2-BR), utilities (~$207/mo), groceries, transit
Wants (30%)$1,360/moEating out, travel, subscriptions and the rest
Savings and debt (20%)$906/moEmergency fund, retirement, paying down loans

What $54,382 leaves after Michigan taxes

Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and Michigan tax on the local median income. Change the salary to see yours.

$54,382
$20,000$110,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$54,382
Net 81%
Fed 8%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$43,815After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,651Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,685Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,346 / yr
Michigan state income tax$2,060 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,160 / yr

Living in Lansing, MI: common questions

What is the median household income in Lansing, MI?

According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year survey, the median household income in Lansing, MI is $54,382 per year (approximately $4,532 per month).

What is the average rent in Lansing, MI?

The closest official figure is HUD's Fair Market Rent for 2026: $973 for a studio, $1,012 for one bedroom, $1,268 for two, $1,627 for three and $1,679 for four, utilities included.

It is not an average of listings. HUD sets it at the rent 40% of recent movers paid or less for a standard unit, so a new lease on a nicer place will usually cost more.

Is Lansing, MI expensive to live in?

Prices there run 5% below the U.S. average. BEA's regional price parity for the metro area is 95.0, where the U.S. is 100. Rent moves the number most: housing is where places differ, while goods cost about the same everywhere.

How much do you need to earn to comfortably afford rent in Lansing, MI?

To keep a $1,268 two-bedroom under 30% of gross income, a household needs about $50,720 a year, or $4,227 a month. That is 93% of what the typical household in Lansing, MI earns.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Lansing, MI?

On the local median income of $54,382 ($4,532 a month before tax), the 50/30/20 rule leaves $2,266 a month for needs like rent, utilities and groceries, $1,360 for everything else and $906 for savings or debt. A two-bedroom at $1,268 takes 56% of the needs share.

How much is the electric bill in Lansing, MI?

Homes in Michigan paid 23¢ per kWh on average (EIA). At 900 kWh a month, a typical use, that is about $207. Your bill depends mostly on heating and cooling.