† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles; 2004 predates the ACS and is extrapolated. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupEast LansingMichiganUnited States
German19.8%17.7%12.5%
English13.1%10.5%9.5%
Irish11.3%9.9%9.4%
Polish5.3%7.2%2.2%
Italian4.1%4.2%4.8%
American3.3%4.2%5.3%
French2.6%3.0%1.6%
Dutch2.5%3.0%—
Asian Indian2.3%1.2%1.4%
Chinese2.2%0.5%1.3%
Vietnamese1.1%0.2%0.6%
Korean0.9%0.2%0.4%
Filipino0.5%0.2%0.9%
Nepalese0.5%——
Burmese0.5%——
Taiwanese0.3%——
African American†6.9%12.2%9.9%
African0.3%0.5%0.5%
Nigerian0.2%—0.2%
Ethiopian0.2%——
Somali0.2%——
Haitian0.2%—0.3%
Mexican4.7%4.0%11.3%
Cuban0.5%0.2%0.7%
Puerto Rican0.4%0.5%1.8%
Spaniard0.2%——
Spanish0.2%——
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
East Lansing
Michigan
United States
Median age
21.3
40.3
39.1
Age 18–24
58.5%
9.2%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
8.9%
18.5%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
East Lansing
Michigan
United States
Median household income
$45,687
$72,875
$84,427
Poverty rate
33.0%
13.2%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
66.6%
32.6%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
East Lansing
Michigan
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
15.9%
10.4%
22.3%
Spanish
3.3%
3.1%
13.6%
Other Indo-European
2.9%
1.8%
2.0%
Chinese (incl. Mandarin & Cantonese)
3.5%
0.5%
1.1%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
1.7%
0.8%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
East Lansing
Michigan
United States
Catholic
—
14.8%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
12.1%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
60.3%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
East Lansing, Michigan
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
+36.7%
2008
+51.1%
2012
+43.2%
2016
+49.2%
2020
+60.1%
2024
+54.1%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
76.1%Harris14,279
22.0%Trump4,122
2.0%
D+54.1
R+6.0
D+55.6
18,769
D
79.4%Biden11,977
19.3%Trump2,911
1.3%
D+60.1
D+10.9
D+55.6
15,086
D
72.0%Clinton13,040
22.8%Trump4,133
5.2%
D+49.2
D+6.0
D+47.1
18,112
D
70.8%Obama11,755
27.6%Romney4,583
1.6%
D+43.2
R+7.9
D+39.3
16,612
D
74.8%Obama17,790
23.7%McCain5,646
1.5%
D+51.1
D+14.4
D+43.8
23,784
D
67.7%Kerry14,511
31.0%Bush6,649
1.2%
D+36.7
—
D+39.2
21,425
East Lansing's electorate is shaped overwhelmingly by its university population, producing some of the most lopsided margins in mid-Michigan and unusually high turnout volatility tied to academic-year enrollment cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 60.1 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the city moved 6.0 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 54.1 points.
A population of 45,758, a 72% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $45,687 describe the city. The city's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Athens and DeKalb.
Akashic
Political twins — cities
The cities whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
In 2024, East Lansing, Michigan voted Democratic by 54.1 points (D+54.1), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 18,769 votes cast, 14,279 went Democratic and 4,122 went Republican.
How many people live in East Lansing, Michigan?
East Lansing, Michigan has a population of 45,758 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in East Lansing, Michigan?
Median household income in East Lansing, Michigan is $45,687 — below the national median of $80,734. The Michigan state median is $72,875.
What is the political history of East Lansing, Michigan?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in East Lansing, Michigan from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 6 went Democratic and 0 went Republican.
