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Dearborn vs Lansing

74 miles apart. The biggest differences: home values (+70% in Dearborn) and growth since 2010 (+13.4 pts in Dearborn).

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Dearborn, MIA colonial town, settled 1786Michigan · 107,423 people
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Lansing, MIA history townMichigan · 113,023 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

DearbornA colonial town, settled 1786
HistorySettled in 17869 places on the National Register Famous people80 notable peopleborn in Dearborn Outdoors#27 most walkable in MI48 miles of trails across 43 parks and preserves All about Dearborn →
LansingA history town
HistorySettled in 183535 places on the National Register Housing$169K typical home36% below the MI typical home Outdoors#92 most walkable in MI38 miles of trails across 106 parks and preserves All about Lansing →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Home values+70%
Homes cost more in Dearborn
Dearborn $218,800Lansing $128,700
Growth since 2010+13.4 pts
Dearborn has grown faster since 2010
Dearborn +12%Lansing -1.4%
Property tax bill+42%
Tax bills are bigger in Dearborn
Dearborn $3,858Lansing $2,716
Rent+34%
Rent runs higher in Dearborn
Dearborn $1,327Lansing $993
Homeowners+14.6 pts renters
Lansing has more renters
Dearborn 68.4%Lansing 53.8%
Kids under 18+7.1 pts
Dearborn has more kids
Dearborn 28.7%Lansing 21.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in Dearborn

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Dearborn$1,680/mo
Typical home $251K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.76% · or rent about $1,327/mo · Housing →
Lansing$1,190/mo
Typical home $169K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.11% · or rent about $993/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Dearborn and Lansing.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Dearborn places higher on 13 of 23 MI lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
CDearbornSafer than 27% of U.S. towns D−LansingSafer than 3% of U.S. towns
Schools
BDearbornBetter than 62% of districts in the state CLansingBetter than 26% of districts in the state
Health
CDearbornHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns CLansingHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns
13Dearborn
9Lansing

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #91#511 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #70#513 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #157#551 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #460#188 Lowest depressionHealth · 723 towns #610#233 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 142 towns #139#82 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #563#306 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #322#60

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Dearborn’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
DearbornLansing
Snow a year31″50″
January low18°F17°F
July high84°F83°F
Growing season (days)166d162d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)33rd39th
Outdoors & history
DearbornLansing
Trails48 mi38 mi
Conserved land10.8%7.9%
Settled17861835
National Register places935
Archive photos246
Famous people born here8038
Community
DearbornLansing
Library hours a week58 hrs63 hrs
Colleges in town22
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

74 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

DearbornMILansingMI
Dearborn ↔ Lansing74 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

DearbornLansing
People
Population 107,423Lowest 113,023Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +12%Highest MI: +2% -1.4%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 33.3±0.7Lowest 17% below MI 33.7±0.6Highest 16% below MI
Lansing and Dearborn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.7%±1.4Highest MI: 21.2% 21.6%±1Lowest MI: 21.2%
Age 65+ 13.7%±0.9Highest MI: 18.6% 13.6%±0.8Lowest MI: 18.6%
Dearborn and Lansing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 34.6%Highest MI: 32.4% 30.2%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.5%±0.7Highest MI: 6.1% 8%±0.8Lowest MI: 6.1%
Dearborn and Lansing are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,324±$3kHighest 10% below MI $54,382±$2kLowest 25% below MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $218,800±$5kHighest 6% below MI $128,700±$4kLowest 44% below MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,327±$62Highest 18% above MI $993±$24Lowest 12% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,858Highest 33% above MI $2,716Lowest 6% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.3%±3.8Highest MI: 50.4% 50.2%±3.6Lowest MI: 50.4%
Below poverty line 24.3%Highest MI: 13.2% 20.1%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.4%Highest MI: 73.2% 53.8%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1952Lowest 20 yrs older than MI 1959Highest 13 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 10% below MI 19 minLowest 22% below MI
Work from home 13.2%±1.9Lowest MI: 13.5% 14.8%±1.5Highest MI: 13.5%
Lansing and Dearborn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 23.4%Lowest 31.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 5.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.12Highest 1.98Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Detroit (15%)East Lansing (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LansingFew work in Dearborn
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 10.8%Highest 7.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 47.8 miHighest 37.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.0 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 43Lowest 106Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 114Highest 78.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #380 of 493 in MI#474 of 493 in MI
School district Academy for Business and Technology · Henry Ford AcademyCole Academy · Mid-Michigan Leadership Academy
High school in town Fordson High SchoolEverett High School
Students per teacherat that high school 19.2Lowest 19.9Highest
Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Dearborn neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dearborn’s Town Square.

Lansing neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lansing’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Dearborn and Lansing

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Dearborn

D
+ Compare
Detroit638,530 people · $84K homes
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Melvindale12,554 people · $126K homes
+ Compare
Dearborn Heights61,771 people · $185K homes
A
+ Compare
Allen Park27,925 people · $184K homes

Towns like Dearborn

W
+ Compare
Wyoming77,353 people · $225K homes
+ Compare
Kentwood54,296 people · $268K homes
+ Compare
Ypsilanti Township55,066 people · $234K homes
C
+ Compare
Clinton Township100,447 people · $225K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Michigan towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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