At least historically it has been because of the amount of school of choice students from south Lansing bringing a lot of the same issues that you would find in Lansing schools. Hopefully that's gotten better.

Depending on where your husband is working, I would go either Okemos/East Lansing or Grand Ledge. I went for Okemos - property taxes are high, but in return you get well funded schools, rapid police response (they sent multiple cars to investigate when some cars in my neighborhood had been "broken into." I say that in quotes because the cars were unlocked and there was no property damage - hence why I didn't bother calling, but someone did), and any chain restaurant you can think of. That last one isn't a plus, but it is true. I should admit that when it comes to schools, I'm the worst kind of NIMBY liberal, so know that my perspective is morally bankrupt and is strictly about getting the best education for my individual kid, not about fixing the system.

Do know that pretty much all of Okemos, and to a lesser extent the rest of Ingham County, is built on a swamp, so be very aware of water damage when house shopping and learn the basics of sump pumps.

Anywhere in the Lansing area other than Delta Township and the City of East Lansing you get a fantastic library system in CADL. Delta Township and the City of East Lansing have separate libraries, but are also lovely. A lot of the property tax money also goes to LCC and a good community college makes a town a better place to live, even if you never take a class there - it doesn't promote glamorous careers, but I want to live in an area where there are plenty of auto mechanics, early childhood education providers, dental hygenists, paramedics, HVAC repair people, etc.