Livability Score

This score rates the overall livability of a selected neighborhood, city, county, or state on a scale from 0 to 100. It is based on the average score of seven livability categories—housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity—which also range from 0 to 100. We score communities by comparing them to one another, so the average community gets a score of 50, while above-average communities score higher and below-average communities score lower. 

All scoring begins at the neighborhood level. Cities, counties, and states receive a score based on the average scores of neighborhoods within their boundaries. Most communities have a range of more- or less-livable neighborhoods, but for a community to get a high score, neighborhoods throughout it need to score well. This makes it even more challenging for a city, county, or state to get a high score: the more neighborhoods there are within a given boundary, the less likely it will be that all of them have high scores.

Creating a livable community is challenging, and so is getting a high livability score. To get a perfect score of 100, a neighborhood would have to be among the best in the country in each of the seven livability categories. Scoring highly across all categories is difficult. For example, a transit-rich neighborhood has its benefits, but it can also drive up housing prices. To help that neighborhood score highly in both categories, community leaders would have to commit to ensuring affordable housing near public transit is available.

 

Lansing, MI

55

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Lansing is the capital and fifth largest city of Michigan. A key player in the early automotive industry, Lansing now functions as a center for technology, insurance, higher education, and government. The city has a wide variety of options for culture, community, and entertainment, including yearly music festivals that attract fans of jazz and blues, professional and collegiate sports teams, theater and dance companies, farmers markets, libraries, and museums. Nearly 10% of Lansing’s residents are over age 65. 

Lansing joined the AARP network of Age-Friendly Communities in 2015. The cityhas completed the survey phase and is organizing committees, said Andy Kilpatrick, the city’s transportation engineer and a leader in its age-friendly initiative.

“We want to put together a complete guide of what is available to older citizens and to build on earlier efforts,” Kilpatrick said.

Ideas include adding express bus service to a regional shopping center, training selected taxi drivers in assisting older and special-needs passengers, and making sure sidewalks and intersection crossings are accessible, Kilpatrick said.

Funding for most projects comes from the local governments’ budgets, though in some cases the action plan helps communities apply for outside grants.

One of the earlier efforts Lansing is building on is a Complete Streets ordinance, passed in 2009. The ordinance encourages non-motorized transportation options and transportation accessibility for people of all ages and ability levels. 

The Lansing Parks and Recreation Department offers programs specifically geared toward seniors, including fitness classes, legal advice, and digital literacy. The city also hosts a Senior Activities Fair, and provides basic needs assistance for elders in the community.

Lansing scores well in the Housing category due to its affordability and a policy that protects homeowners from losing their homes to foreclosure. Lansing also scores well in Environment—this is because the area has good air quality and clean, safe drinking water. 

Lansing residents also enjoy easy access to high quality healthcare, and this is reflected in the city’s high score in the Health category.

To learn more about Lansing, click here: http://www.lansingmi.gov/

Revised: May 2017

 

The 8 Domains of Livability

As a member of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, Lansing’s leaders commit to a continual cycle of improvement in the eight domains the World Health Organization has identified as influencing the health and quality of life of older adults:

  1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
  2. Transportation
  3. Housing
  4. Social participation
  5. Respect and social inclusion
  6. Civic participation and employment
  7. Communication and information
  8. Community support and health services

Learn more about the domains by visiting the “8 Domains of Livability” slideshow.

For more information on the Age-Friendly Network, go to aarp.org/agefriendly.

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Livability Factors for this Location

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Housing
Affordability and access

They say home is where the heart is—and the same holds true for the Livability Index. Housing is a central component of livability. Deciding where to live influences many of the topics the Index covers. We spend more time in our homes than anywhere else, so housing costs, choices, and accessibility are critical. Great communities provide housing opportunities for people of all ages, incomes, and abilities, allowing everyone to live in a quality neighborhood regardless of their circumstances. 

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Neighborhood
Access to life, work, and play

What makes a neighborhood truly livable? Two important qualities are access and convenience. Compact neighborhoods make it easier for residents to reach the things they need most, from jobs to grocery stores to libraries. Nearby parks and places to buy healthy food help people make smart choices, and diverse, walkable neighborhoods with shops, restaurants, and movie theatres make local life interesting. Additionally, neighborhoods served by good access to more distant destinations via transit or automobile help residents connect to jobs, health care, and services throughout the greater community.

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Transportation
Safe and convenient options

How easily and safely we’re able to get from one place to another has a major effect on our quality of life. Livable communities provide their residents with transportation options that connect people to social activities, economic opportunities, and medical care, and offer convenient, healthy, accessible, and low-cost alternatives to driving. 

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Environment
Clean air and water

Good communities maintain a clean environment for their residents. Great communities enact policies to improve and protect the environment for generations to come. The Livability Index looks at air and water quality. It measures communities’ actions to create resilience plans to prepare for emergencies and natural disasters, and it awards points to states that have policies promoting energy efficiency and that protect consumers from having their utilities cut off during extreme weather events.

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Health
Prevention, access, and quality

Community conditions influence health behaviors. Healthy communities have comprehensive smoke-free air laws, offer easy access to exercise opportunities, and have high-quality health care available. Because health is so deeply related to quality of life, many other categories of livability in this Index include metrics related to health. For example, access to healthy foods, jobs and education, number of walk trips, lower speed limits, social engagement measures, and air and water pollution are all related to health. Where you live matters.

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Engagement
Civic and social involvement

A livable community fosters interaction among residents. From social engagement to civic action to Internet access, residents’ individual opportunities to connect and feel welcomed help lessen social isolation and strengthen the greater community. The Index explores and examines the different ways in which residents engage with and support their communities, and how they impact livability as a whole.

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Opportunity
Inclusion and possibilities

America was built on opportunity—and our nation’s many thriving communities are no different. The degree to which a community embraces diversity and offers opportunities to residents of all ages and backgrounds is important to overall livability. Backed by a strong regional economy and fiscally healthy local governments, welcoming communities provide residents an equal chance to earn a living wage and improve their well-being, from jobs to education.