County outline
Where Ingham County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 99.2% of Ingham County’s measured area and water for 0.8%. Its combined area converts to 1,452.2 square kilometers or approximately 358,857 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 556.081 | 1,440.243 | 355,891.8 |
| Water | 4.633 | 11.999 | 2,965.1 |
| Total | 560.714 | 1,452.243 | 358,857 |
How Ingham County compares
By original Census land area, Ingham County ranks #56 of 83 in Michigan and #1866 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.979 times the Michigan county-equivalent median of 567.8 square miles. It accounts for 1% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Michigan ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Ingham County
The Census Bureau estimates that 289,709 people lived in Ingham County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #254 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #8 of 83 in Michigan. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 285,228, the population has grown by 4,481 (+1.6%), compared with +0.5% for Michigan as a whole.
With 556.1 square miles of land, that is 521 people per square mile (201 per km²), placing Ingham County #329 nationally for density and #8 in Michigan. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Michigan median is 62. Put another way, there are about 1.2 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 285,005 | 271,708 | 284,388 | 286,405 | 287,390 | 289,709 |
| Change | — | −13,297 | +12,680 | +2,017 | +985 | +2,319 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Ingham County
Ingham County is divided into 21 municipalities and townships. In Michigan, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Lansing city, with 108,771 residents (37.5% of the county). The largest by land is Aurelius township, at 36.3 mi², or 6.5% of the county’s land. The county seat, Mason city, has 8,264 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Onondaga township grew fastest since then (+3.1%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing city | 108,771 | +1.1% | 33.3 | 6% |
| East Lansing city | 46,904 | +2.8% | 10 | 1.8% |
| Meridian charter township | 44,869 | +2.2% | 30.6 | 5.5% |
| Delhi charter township | 28,431 | +2.6% | 28.6 | 5.1% |
| Mason cityCounty seat | 8,264 | −0.2% | 5.11 | 0.9% |
| Lansing charter township | 8,060 | −0.9% | 4.92 | 0.9% |
| Williamstown township | 5,338 | +0.6% | 29.3 | 5.3% |
| Aurelius township | 4,394 | +0.9% | 36.3 | 6.5% |
| Stockbridge township | 3,998 | +2.1% | 35.5 | 6.4% |
| Leroy township | 3,881 | +2.2% | 34.1 | 6.1% |
| Williamston city | 3,810 | +0.1% | 2.453 | 0.4% |
| Vevay township | 3,638 | +0.9% | 31.6 | 5.7% |
| Onondaga township | 3,086 | +3.1% | 36.1 | 6.5% |
| Alaiedon township | 2,933 | +0.7% | 35.5 | 6.4% |
| Ingham township | 2,395 | −0.2% | 32.7 | 5.9% |
Show the other 6 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie township | 2,308 | +0.5% | 34.9 |
| Bunker Hill township | 2,004 | +2.2% | 32.9 |
| Leslie city | 1,937 | −0.1% | 1.283 |
| Locke township | 1,809 | +0.1% | 35.8 |
| Wheatfield township | 1,659 | 0% | 29 |
| White Oak township | 1,220 | +2.3% | 36.3 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Ingham County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Ingham County is a central county of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its 3 county equivalents have 479,722 residents on 1,698.6 square miles of land; Ingham County accounts for 32.7% of the land and 60.4% of the residents. By combined land it ranks #189 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #116 by population. It belongs to the Lansing-East Lansing-Owosso, MI Combined Statistical Area.
| County equivalent | Population 2025 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|
| Ingham County | 289,709 | 556.1 |
| Eaton County | 109,581 | 575.2 |
| Clinton County | 80,432 | 567.3 |
ZIP codes
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ingham County; 18 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
4881948821488234882448825488274884048842488544886448872488924889548906489104891148912489154891748933492514926449285
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Ingham County
Ingham County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Jackson County (701.9 mi²) and the smallest is Shiawassee County (531.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Ingham County forms a block of 3,497 mi² of land, of which it holds 15.9%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Ingham | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 701.9 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Eaton County | 575.2 | about the same | Compare |
| Clinton County | 567.3 | about the same | Compare |
| Livingston County | 565.3 | about the same | Compare |
| Shiawassee County | 531.1 | about the same | Compare |
How big is Ingham County compared with U.S. states?
Ingham County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 1.9 times as much. Michigan’s county land could hold about 102 areas the size of Ingham County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23.6 miles (38 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Ingham County?
Ingham County has more land than 1,356 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Ingham County at #1,974 nationally by total area, 108 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 0.8%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 0.3 percentage points lower. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Ingham County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1865 | Sarasota County, Florida | 556.1 | Compare |
| #1866 | Ingham County, Michigan | 556.1 | This county |
| #1867 | Richland Parish, Louisiana | 555.6 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 42.603534, -84.373811. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,440,243,331 m²; AWATER: 11,999,085 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Ingham County?
Ingham County, Michigan has 556.1 square miles (1,440.2 km²) of land and 4.633 square miles of water, for a total area of 560.7 square miles. It ranks #1866 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Ingham County the largest county in Michigan?
No. Ingham County ranks #56 of 83 in Michigan by land area. The largest is Marquette County, with 1,809.1 square miles of land.
What counties border Ingham County?
Ingham County shares a land border with Livingston County, Eaton County, Jackson County, Clinton County, and Shiawassee County.
What is the population of Ingham County?
The Census Bureau estimates Ingham County had 289,709 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #254 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 521 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Ingham County?
The county seat of Ingham County is Mason.
What cities and towns are in Ingham County?
Ingham County has 21 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Lansing city, East Lansing city, Meridian charter township, Delhi charter township, and Mason city.
Is Ingham County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has 3 county equivalents and 479,722 residents.
How many ZIP codes are in Ingham County?
23 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Ingham County, and 18 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Ingham County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 1.9 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Ingham County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 355,892 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 358,857 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.