East Lansing Apartments and Rentals

East Lansing is Spartan territory, home to Michigan State University and the nearly 48,000 students who study there each year. Known as one of the most fun college towns in the United States, East Lansing embodies the vivacious energy expected at a school in the Big Ten Conference. The city stays lively late into the night, with students roaming the streets and taking advantage of East Lansing’s famed nightlife.

Residents of the city enjoy the young atmosphere and spirited energy brought on by the students, but do look forward to the quieter, calmer months during the summer. Apartments in East Lansing are very popular, and allow residents to appreciate the best of both worlds.

East Lansing is noted as one of the best college towns to start a business, adding lucrative esteem and bringing in a number of young professionals who are looking to take advantage of the city’s career and professional opportunities. There are always new ideas brewing in East Lansing, keeping life interesting and constantly changing for the city’s nearly 49,000 permanent residents.

When Lansing became the capital of Michigan in 1847, people began settling to the east of the city. East Lansing was an important junction for Native American trails, becoming the site of a toll road that improved travel between Lansing and Detroit. East Lansing was originally a very conservative city, demonstrated by the city prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol from 1907 until 1968. The creation and popularity of the university have since shifted the population to a larger mix that spans the political spectrum. 

The educational opportunities available in East Lansing won the city the title of being the sixth smartest college town in the United States. Michigan State University is the most prestigious school in the area, but it has some company. Lansing Community College, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Great Lakes Christian College and a number of trade schools are also located here.

The job market in East Lansing is comprised mostly of industries directly and indirectly benefitting MSU, as the school is the biggest employer. Nearly 40 percent of the population works in educational, health and social services, with an additional 15 percent working in the entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services sectors that support the lifestyles of students and visitors.

Like most college towns, there are hundreds of apartments for rent in East Lansing so the area has room to house all students who do not live in the university dorms. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the average cost of rent in East Lansing is $775 a month. The closer the apartment is to the MSU campus, the more likely it is that rent prices will be higher than the average, so renters should keep this fact in mind will apartment hunting.

However, there are great neighborhoods farther away from the campus - like Colonial Village, Waverly and Grosbeck - where residents can enjoy tree-lined streets and suburban serenity. These areas also boast lower rent prices than those in downtown East Lansing, with the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics reporting that the average cost of rent here is $724 a month.

East Lansing’s biggest attraction comes during the fall when the entire city gears up for football Saturday. Michigan State’s famed football team excites thousands of fans and brings a lot of excitement to the city. Other sporting events are popular throughout the year, as Spartan teams take on the best of the Midwest.

For those who are impartial to sports, East Lansing’s Art Festival is hailed as one of the top 100 fine arts festivals in the country.

To find a East Lansing apartment or rental, check out our apartment listings. Rent.com® is happy to help you find your next home.