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Moving to
Okemos.
Okemos is an unincorporated community in Ingham County, MI. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Okemos
Okemos is an unincorporated community in Michigan with rent below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Okemos deals with larger class sizes than the national average, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Growing population
The not so good
- High student-teacher ratio
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 36" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Okemos compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Okemos
Based on Okemos's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,596
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,920 a year
- 47% of Okemos renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$71,840
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,920
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,298/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,298 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $359,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $359,200 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ingham County is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Ingham County (county-wide)
Safety
253 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Okemos doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Meridian Township Police Department jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 1418/100k · Policed by Meridian Township Police Department (township-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 25% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 19.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 102% above US
73% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (78 miles away).
Bottom line
Okemos's strongest points are rent below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,298/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Okemos
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