Millennials, Quit Your Bitching About Living In Lansing; Learn What The Rest Of Us Know

Everywhere I look on social media, I see it. Every club, bar, or social gathering I go to, I hear it. "I hate this town." "Lansing sucks." "Lansing's boring." "I can't wait to get out of here." That's a common theme amongst those born during or after the Reagan Administration. (not to mention their lack of work ethic) Everytime I hear it and read it, it gets me a little hot under the collar. If they were all speaking of the region's lack of infrastructure, or ability to respond to grand scale emergencies, they would have a point. If they are tired of watching ultra-conservative d-bags, like our Attorney General, continue to get elected to prominent political offices, I'd understand. But, I know better to think that the Millennial Generation actually bothers to take their noses out of their mobile web devices, online streaming services, or reality shows to notice actual issues that affect more people than just themselves. (God, is this how Baby Boomers view us Gen-X'ers?)

Well, stop and smell the roses, kiddies!! Lansing is a damn fine place to live, learn, and grow. For those of us who have known this for years, here's some supporting evidence: livability.com has ranked the capital city as the fourth Best Affordable Place To Live in the United States. The ranking is based on median home value ($85,000), median household income, and cost of living. The article explains how low, flat income tax rates and transportation costs factor into these categories.

The article also cites a plethora of entertainment and activity options for Lansing, including Lansing City Market, the River Trail, as well as numerous dining, drinking, and live entertainment options.

All of this is encouraging news if you're looking to buy a house in Lansing. But, naysayers can always point to the high volume of over-priced rentals (apartments, duplexes, and houses) and the crime rate. Okay, rentals are expensive, but the crime rate only seems higher because of all of the information outlets available to us. Gangsters, thugs, and undesirables have been shooting each other all over America since before The Revolution. It's not like we're Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw where random acts of violence are commonplace. so, take it easy on that.

However, as this article at mlive.com spells out, if you're looking at purchasing a home in the suburbs of East Lansing, DeWitt Township, or Meridian Township, don't expect it to be as affordable as a purchase in Lansing.

Lansing is the only Michigan city on the list at number four. Round Rock, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; and Lawton, Oklahoma are the three cities that rank ahead of Lansing.