## ALICE & Economic Vulnerability 50% of Lansing households fall into the ALICE category (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) or below the poverty line — one of the highest rates in the South Central Michigan region. Statewide, 14% of Michigan households fall below the Federal Poverty Level, while another 27% live above poverty but can't afford basic necessities — the ALICE threshold. For ALICE families, healthcare is frequently sacrificed: the impossible choice is often whether to fix the car to get to work, or skip medication this month. Lansing's poverty rate stands at approximately 18–20%, with significant racial disparities — roughly 29.6% for Black residents compared to 14.2% for white, non-Hispanic residents. The per capita income is around $31,500. --- ## Insurance & Access to Care In 2025, 5.79% of Ingham County residents under age 65 lacked health insurance — better than the national average of about 10%, largely due to Michigan's Medicaid expansion. However, being insured doesn't mean having access. The 2024 Community Health Needs Assessment for Ingham County identifies access to healthcare, behavioral health, and housing as the top three health priorities for the region. --- ## Leading Health Problems **Chronic disease** is the dominant burden: 34% of Ingham County adults are obese (BMI ≥ 30), which tracks closely with the state average. Michigan has the 18th highest obesity rate in the nation, with a correspondingly high diabetes rate — diabetes costs an estimated $7,900 per year in medical care per patient, double the cost for someone of healthy weight. Heart disease, cancer, and accidents are Michigan's top three causes of death, accounting for 50% of all deaths in the state. These same conditions dominate mortality in Ingham County, with heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, and diabetes all tracked as leading causes. **Mental health** is a critical and growing concern. Health care access and quality, chronic disease, obesity, financial stability, and behavioral health have been identified as the priority areas for the tri-county region's Community Health Improvement Plan. --- ## Mortality & Life Expectancy Michigan ranks 16th in premature deaths (before age 75), with a premature death rate 9% higher than the national average and 43% higher than Minnesota, the best-performing state. Michigan ranks below most states and most Midwestern neighbors in life expectancy, self-reported health status, and the number of days impacted by poor physical or mental health — and the state ranked 32nd out of 50 in composite health outcomes. In 2025, the child mortality rate in Ingham County was 57.9 deaths per 100,000 residents under age 18. --- ## Racial & Socioeconomic Disparities Persistent disparities in health exist by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography, and populations of color are driving population growth in the region — making closing these gaps a long-term demographic and economic imperative. Black Lansing residents face nearly double the poverty rate of white residents, less access to healthy food, higher rates of chronic disease, and worse maternal and infant health outcomes. --- ## Housing as a Health Driver 16.3% of Ingham County residents live with severe housing problems. The City of Lansing had one of the highest proportions of housing-burdened households in the region, with over a third of households qualifying. Unstable housing directly worsens mental health, chronic disease management, and healthcare utilization. --- ## The Delivery Paradox Perhaps the most striking fact: Michigan has better access to primary care doctors, hospitals, and insurance than much of the country, yet still ranks 34th in overall health — a gap that experts attribute to poverty, chronic stress, unhealthy behaviors, and the structural barriers that ALICE families face in actually using the system. Lansing sits squarely in this paradox — it has two major hospital systems (Sparrow/UofM Health and McLaren), community health centers, and relatively low uninsured rates, yet health outcomes remain stubbornly poor, especially in lower-income and minority neighborhoods. --- **Bottom line:** Lansing's healthcare picture is shaped less by a lack of infrastructure and more by economic stress, racial inequity, behavioral health gaps, and the daily impossible trade-offs that half the city's households face. The 2024 CHNA's focus on access, behavioral health, and housing reflects a recognition that medicine alone won't move the needle — the social determinants are driving the outcomes.
## References & Sources **ALICE / Economic Vulnerability** 1. **United Way of South Central Michigan — "The State of ALICE in UWSCMI: 2025 Report"** (May 2025) *Source for the 50% Lansing ALICE/poverty stat, regional ALICE rates, and racial breakdowns.* https://unitedforscmi.org/the-state-of-alice-in-uwscmi-2025-report/ 2. **United For ALICE — Michigan State Profile** *Source for the statewide 14% poverty + 27% ALICE figures.* https://www.unitedforalice.org/michigan 3. **Michigan Association of United Ways — ALICE Report: Michigan** (via Council of Michigan Foundations) https://www.michiganfoundations.org/resources/alice-report-michigan --- **Health Rankings — Ingham County & Michigan** 4. **County Health Rankings & Roadmaps — Ingham County, Michigan (2025)** *Source for uninsured rate (5.79%), obesity (34%), child mortality, and severe housing problems.* https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/health-data/michigan/ingham 5. **County Health Rankings — Michigan State Data & Resources (2025 download)** *All raw Michigan county-level health data available here.* https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/health-data/michigan/data-and-resources --- **Community Health Needs Assessments** 6. **Healthy! Capital Counties — Community Health Improvement Plan 2022–2024 (Updated September 2023)** *Source for tri-county health priorities (access, behavioral health, housing), housing burden data, and violent crime disparities in Ingham County.* https://www.healthycapitalcounties.org/uploads/9/1/6/3/9163210/h_cc_chip_final_923_updates.pdf 7. **E.W. Sparrow Hospital (UofM Health Sparrow) — 2022–2024 Community Health Needs Assessment** *Detailed clinical and social determinant data for Lansing/Ingham area.* https://www.uofmhealthsparrow.org/sites/default/files/2022-04/ew_sparrow_hospital_chna_2022-24.pdf 8. **Ingham County Health Department — Community Health Assessment Page** *Overview of the Healthy! Capital Counties collaborative and local health assessment process.* https://health.ingham.org/health/community_health,_planning_and_partnerships/community_health_assessment.php --- **Michigan Mortality & Chronic Disease** 9. **USAFacts — Leading Causes of Death in Michigan** *Source for the stat that heart disease, cancer, and accidents account for 50% of Michigan deaths.* https://usafacts.org/topics/health/state/michigan/ 10. **MDHHS — Michigan Mortality Statistics** *Official state mortality tables by county, cause, and city.* https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/statisticsreports/vitalstats/mortality 11. **MDHHS — Community Health Information (County-Level Tables)** *Pull statistics for Ingham County: hospitalizations, births, deaths, cancer, STDs, and more.* https://www.michigan.gov/en/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/statisticsreports/community-health-information 12. **MDHHS — Michigan State Health Assessment (2021, with 2024 update)** *Comprehensive statewide assessment used for Michigan health rankings context.* https://www.michigan.gov/en/mdhhs/doing-business/state-health-assessment --- **Racial Disparities & Demographics** 13. **MDHHS — Health Disparities Data** *Data on differences in health behaviors and chronic disease rates by race/ethnicity in Michigan.* https://www.michigan.gov/en/mdhhs/inside-mdhhs/statisticsreports --- A note of transparency: the original summary drew on a combination of these sources, some general contextual knowledge about Lansing's demographics, and the County Health Rankings 2025 data snapshot. A few specific figures (like per capita income and exact racial poverty rate breakdowns for the City of Lansing) are best verified directly through the **U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey** at https://data.census.gov, filtering for Lansing city, Michigan.
https://michwa.org/ https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/medicaid/community-health-workers