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Eastern Michigan University brings about 16,300 students to Ypsilanti, a riverside town just east of Ann Arbor with a quietly creative streak. Campus sits near downtown, so students walk to class and spill into the surrounding neighborhoods easily. Depot Town, the historic district along the Huron River, anchors the local scene with a Saturday farmers market and old brick storefronts. Frog Island Park and Riverside Park trace the water and host festivals through the warmer months. The Cross Street corridor is the student artery, lined with the spots you'd actually use. Ypsilanti keeps a laid-back, lived-in feel, and Ann Arbor's bigger energy is a short drive or bus ride west, so you never have to go far to find something to do.
EMU requires all incoming first-year students to live on campus. Plan on a residence hall assignment for your first year as the default. Build on-campus housing into your first-year budget unless you secure an approved exemption.
The main exemption covers students commuting from a parent or guardian's permanent address within 50 miles of campus, so if home is close enough you can apply to live there instead. Medical needs route through the Disability Resource Center, and you will want to start that early since approved students get specific room types in designated halls. Apply rather than assume, and file early.
Most students move off campus as sophomores, usually into Depot Town, the Cross Street area, or the College Heights blocks near campus. Ypsilanti's rental process is standard: expect a credit and income check, a guarantor if you are a first-time renter, and a security deposit. Watch out for older houses split into student rentals, and confirm a place is legally rented for your group size before you sign anything.
Housing policies change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with Eastern Michigan University before signing a lease.
Ypsilanti follows a fall-driven cycle, and the search tends to start the winter before. The larger purpose-built complexes prelease earlier than the houses, so they reward an early look. If you want to be near Cross Street or in Depot Town, line up roommates and start touring in winter. Signing by early spring is the move if you want to be close.
The best houses near Cross Street and in Depot Town get claimed from January through March for an August or September move-in. Classes start in late August, so this winter-to-early-spring window is when the strongest near-campus inventory turns over. Sign by early spring if you want to be close. Since EMU and Ann Arbor share a rental orbit, comparing both can widen your options.
If you are hunting in June or July you will find fewer of the walk-to-campus options but still plenty in the wider neighborhoods. Late searchers should widen toward Green Road and the apartment clusters farther from campus, where leases turn over later into summer. Spring and summer sublets open up from students heading home or graduating. They are a reliable backup if you land midyear or want a short commitment.
The historic riverside district, walkable and full of character near Frog Island and Riverside parks.
The main student strip, close to campus with the spots you will actually use.
Farther out with larger apartment complexes and easier parking, usually a bit easier on price.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
A room in a shared house or apartment near campus usually runs $500-$800/month per person. Newer complexes and units near Cross Street or Depot Town sit higher, often $650-$950/month per person, while houses farther out toward Green Road land lower. Plan on another $50-$110/month for utilities if they aren't included.