7 Best Lansing Suburbs To Live In

Check out these eight Lansing suburbs if you’re considering moving to Lansing, Michigan. The Greater Lansing area features affordable housing options, highly-rated school districts, and family-friendly entertainment like the Lansing Lugnuts and Impression 5 museum.

In this post, we’re covering cities near Lansing that are worth checking out. If you’re thinking of moving to Lansing, then check out these best Lansing suburbs.

• Grand Ledge
• East Lansing
• Okemos
• Holt
• Williamston
• Dimondale
• DeWitt

Grand Ledge

A western Lansing suburb, the quaint town of Grand Ledge is composed of two main areas.

First, there is the city of Grand Ledge, often referred to as Downtown Grand Ledge. The city of Grand Ledge scores favorably on walkability and family-friendly entertainment. Along Jefferson and Bridge Street, you will find many notable stores and restaurants such as the Log Jam, Jaycee Park, Flour Child Bakery, Cugino’s Italian restaurant, and the Sun Movie Theater.

When it comes to housing in the city of Grand Ledge, you will find mostly historic, two-story farmhouse style homes. Many homes were built in the 1800’s to early 1900’s when Grand Ledge was still predominantly a farming community.

Second, there is Grand Ledge, which features more country-style homes and is more rural than suburban. Along the main road, Saginaw, you will find places like Sophia’s House of Pancakes and Biggby Coffee. Here you will see some country homes, single story ranches, and new construction subdivisions built by Mayberry Homes or Allen Edwin.

Grand Ledge was named after the stunning sandstone cliffs and ledges that are along the Grand River. You can access many beautiful sights of the Ledges through Fitzgerald Park, Island Park, or Oak Park.

There is a trail along the Grand River that takes guests from Island Park to Fitzgerald Park. You have the opportunity to see many beautiful scenes, regardless of the time of year.

You can also do some rock climbing in Oak Park. Many people meet to do some rock climbing and there are even unofficial rock climbing clubs.

Grand Ledge public schools are ranked among the highest for quality education. Some of the schools within the Grand Ledge School District include Beagle, Holbrook, Neff, and Delta Mills. The Grand Ledge school district extends beyond the city limits and encompasses several neighborhoods in Delta Township. Delta Township is another suburb of Lansing and home to Horrocks.

East Lansing

East Lansing is often rated as one of the best Lansing suburbs for families. The city of East Lansing is most famous for Michigan State University, or MSU. The sprawling campus comprises roughly 60 percent of the land in East Lansing and features notable attractions such as the Wharton Center, Broad Art Museum and MSU Athletics.

Included on the university campus is some farmland where their agricultural and veterinary programs go to learn.

The remaining 40 percent of the suburb is composed of a bustling downtown along Grand River Ave, student housing, Frandor Shopping Center, Costco, and more. In Downtown East Lansing, you can find delicious Insomnia Cookies. Head over to Frandor and you can find many stores like Guitar Center, Five Below, Kroger, TJ Maxx, and more.

Parks and recreations are some of the reasons residents love East Lansing. In the city, you can find the Hannah Community Center, which features a fitness center, personal training, a 25-yard swimming pool, and fitness classes and programs. You will find notable parks such as Northern Tail dog park and John M. Patriarche park, which features baseball fields, basketball courts, large playing fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, and playgrounds.

Housing in the suburb of East Lansing is where you can find colonial style homes, modern houses, and trendy ranches. A significant portion of the city is dedicated to student housing and rental homes. As you move out from the university, you will find less student housing. On the northside of East Lansing is where you can find real estate with more land.

East Lansing is ranked one of the top school districts in all of Michigan. You can find the city of East Lansing making the list of many top ten school districts.

Okemos

Okemos is a suburb east of the city of Lansing and next to East Lansing. Okemos combined with East Lansing make up the region called Meridian Township. The city is a popular suburb among families and working professionals.

This Lansing suburb features many dining and entertainment options such as the Meridian Mall, Hatrick Park, and Ferguson Park.

Okemos is home to a major employer Jackson National Life Insurance and Delta Dental. Both companies have many white-collared jobs such as computer programmers, marketers, and administrative jobs.

Housing options in the city vary and are among the most expensive of the Lansing suburbs. In Okemos, you can find colonial-style homes, many modern houses, and new construction, too.

The city of Okemos has strong Native American references. At its root, the city was named in honor of chief, John Okemos, of the Ojibwa. The translation of the word “Okemos” means “little chief”. Hence the reasons the mascot of the Okemos school district is the Chiefs.

Okemos is consistently ranked as a top-performing school district and is widely placed at the top of many “Best Schools in Michigan” lists. The school’s sports teams tend to do really well, also. From a winning Division 1 soccer team to state ranked tennis players.

Holt

Holt is a Lansing suburb located roughly 10 miles south of the center of Lansing. This southern suburb of Lansing is another perfect place to live. Holt is part of Delhi Township, sometimes called “tax high” township as many residents feel like their property taxes are high. Despite that, it is a popular suburb nearly 26,000 Greater Lansing residents call home.

In Holt, you will find three distinct regions offering various experiences. First, northern Holt is more urban and similar to the southern section of Lansing. Here you will find many businesses and restaurants.

In the middle of Holt, you will find Downtown Holt. Over the last few years, Holt has seen significant redevelopment and investment in the city. For example, the Gillespie group has embarked on a few residential-office complexes in this suburb of Lansing.

The last region is more dispersed. It features homes with some land, on country roads, and isolated subdivisions built by Mayberry, CVE Homes, or Allen Edwin. You can find all kinds of different housing options if you’re looking to call Holt your home.

Holt is one of the few suburbs where residents can find luxury apartments. In Holt, you will find Aspen Lakes, a luxury apartment and condo community.

Holt, Michigan features two notable parks. The first is Valhalla park, which has a beach. Burchfield Park is the other one. Both provide an opportunity to get outside and connect with nature regardless of the season. There is a well-known cross-country ski trails in Burchfield park.

Dimondale

Dimondale is the smallest Lansing suburb to make our list. The village of Dimondale only has a population of roughly 1,300. It made our list of the best Lansing suburbs to live because of the outdoor activities and type of housing the village offers.

Dimondale features a quaint little downtown where you can find an ice cream shop and Lions Park. Lions Park offers an excellent place to fish, look at the river or launch a kayak. Many residents of Holt are part of the Dimondale School District.

More importantly, Dimondale features many homes along the Grand River. Either homes are directly on the river or you can find a home that sits on a canal that leads into the Grand River. If you love boating or kayaking, then living in Dimondale is a great option for you.

Dimondale is also among the most affordable Lansing suburbs. The median home value is aligned with the median for the entire state of Michigan.

Williamston

Considered to be the easternmost Lansing suburb is Williamston; another Lansing suburb that is considered a great place to live. The town is considered a bedroom community, as most residents commute to nearby Lansing suburbs for work.

However, Williamston is well-known for Merindorf Meats and Joey’s Pet Store. These two businesses are staples of the Greater Lansing area. Williamston is home to many beautiful homes, including cozy farmhouses, spacious ranches, and colonial-style homes.

The Downtown Historic District features many Victorian-era buildings and historical architecture. If you’re looking for more space and to be less urban, but still close to all of the amenities you need, then this suburb is a great place to live.

DeWitt

DeWitt is a well-known Lansing suburb and a popular place for residents to call home. The city is a tight-knit community and offers a variety of housing styles. Like many suburbs in Lansing, DeWitt has a downtown section which features some businesses and restaurants.

In DeWitt you can find cozy ranches to sprawling mansions and modern single-family homes. Several neighborhoods near Downtown DeWitt are where you can find duplexes, so if you’re a Lansing real estate investor, then look in DeWitt. The city of DeWitt is often a bedroom community as well, with the few employers in Downtown DeWitt. Most residents commute to other Lansing suburbs.

DeWitt is also well-known for their top-rated school district.

Moving to Lansing? The Dolinski Group is a team of real estate agents that can help you buy a house for sale in Lansing. We can help you with your move. Connect with one of our qualified real estate agents, today!

Suburb statistics from City-Data