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CITY

Lafayette

Indiana · 71,238 residents (2025 est.) · 29.4 sq mi
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The short version

With 71,159 people, Lafayette is a city in Indiana. 47% of homes are owner-occupied. This skews young, with a median age of 33.0. The typical home is worth $172,800, having more than doubled since 2000. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average. The population is up 26% since 2000.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $53,716, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Lafayette

What changed most since 1990

  • Homes owned by their occupants59.4% → 46.7% (−12.7 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
  • Poverty rate8.9% → 17.8% (+8.9 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts
  • White share95.4% → 68.7% (−26.7 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 42 cities and towns in the Lafayette metro

  • 21st in household income$53,716
  • 8th in share with a bachelor's degree27.9%
  • 6th in home value$172,800
  • 3rd in diversity score61.8

Its weight in Tippecanoe County

Lafayette's population equals 38% of Tippecanoe County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 28% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
71,159
+26%since 2000
from 56,397 in 2000
71,238 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
2,422 / sq mi
+26%since 2000
from 1,920 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.0
+4%since 2000
from 31.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
29.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
41K50K58K67K75K19902000201020202024Lafayette
202471K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.9%(4,919)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.1%(4,359)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.6%(4,714)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.5%(3,880)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 249.7%(6,906)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3418.3%(13,029)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(9,453)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410%(7,130)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.8%(6,991)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.7%(6,161)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.6%(2,540)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.5%(1,077)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$53,716
−18%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $35,859 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,390
+58%since 2000
from $19,217 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
33.5%
+14.9 ptssince 2009
from 18.5% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.8%
+5.7 ptssince 2000
from 12.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.410
−5%since 2010
from 0.431 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade24.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade5%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance3.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services2.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Arts, entertainment, food0.6%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$172,800
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $89,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,079
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $560 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
46.7%
−6.2 ptssince 2000
from 52.9% in 2000
53.3% rent
Vacancy rate
5.4%
−3.6 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.16 people
−5%since 2009
from 2.28 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
16.4%
−7.7 ptssince 2009
from 24.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+18%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
42
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic84.9%(47,896)
Black3.2%(1,790)
Hispanic / Latino9.1%(5,136)
Asian1.2%(687)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic68.7%(48,890)
Black10.3%(7,356)
Hispanic / Latino14.4%(10,274)
Asian2.5%(1,768)
Other4%(2,871)
Diversity Score
62
+51%since 2009
from 41 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican10.9%(7,782)
Central American1.8%(1,293)
Guatemalan0.6%(416)
Salvadoran0.5%(354)
Cuban0.5%(349)
Puerto Rican0.5%(341)
Panamanian0.4%(280)
Colombian0.3%(180)
Nicaraguan0.2%(170)
Ecuadorian0.1%(86)
Argentine0.1%(40)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.1%(37)
Costa Rican0.1%(36)
Dominican0%(26)
Spaniard0%(21)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.9%(641)
Chinese0.4%(270)
Japanese0.4%(253)
Korean0.3%(244)
Filipino0.2%(121)
Laotian0.1%(67)
Malaysian0.1%(54)
Nepalese0%(15)
Taiwanese0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German17%(12,109)
English8.9%(6,339)
Irish8.8%(6,246)
American3.8%(2,702)
Polish1.8%(1,285)
Italian1.7%(1,223)
Scottish1.5%(1,092)
French1.4%(1,010)
Dutch1.4%(996)
West Indian1.2%(869)
Haitian1.1%(806)
Swedish0.6%(435)
+ 34 more ancestry groups with data
British0.5%(382)
Welsh0.5%(367)
Norwegian0.5%(338)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(334)
Swiss0.5%(328)
Greek0.4%(266)
Russian0.3%(201)
Arab0.2%(163)
Romanian0.2%(123)
Lithuanian0.2%(117)
Czech0.1%(106)
Ukrainian0.1%(102)
Hungarian0.1%(97)
Belgian0.1%(96)
Slovak0.1%(69)
Jamaican0.1%(52)
Finnish0.1%(46)
Egyptian0.1%(45)
Portuguese0.1%(45)
Danish0.1%(44)
Moroccan0.1%(40)
Croatian0.1%(39)
Ghanaian0%(33)
Iranian0%(32)
Austrian0%(30)
Serbian0%(27)
Canadian0%(24)
Nigerian0%(16)
Turkish0%(7)
Latvian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
27.9%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 23.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
88.5%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 83.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
9.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.4 min
+42%since 2000
from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.6%
+1.6 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.6%
−4.3 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 3.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
8.0%
+5.0 ptssince 2009
from 2.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
11.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−5.5 ptssince 2011
from 9.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
66.2%
−4.4 ptssince 2011
from 70.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
74.9%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 77.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
11.6%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 12.5% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
33.9%
+4.4 ptssince 2009
from 29.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
51.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
10.9%
+3.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.8%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.5%
−2.0 ptssince 2012
from 13.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.5%
−10.6 ptssince 2013
from 18.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
91.4%
+15.4 ptssince 2017
from 76.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.1%
+3.9 ptssince 2020
from 92.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
83.4%
+4.5 ptssince 2020
from 78.8% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
88.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2016
from 88.2% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2016
from 9.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married42.4%(11,729)
Married43.1%(11,903)
Widowed2.3%(630)
Divorced12.2%(3,381)
Women 15+
Never married34.9%(10,295)
Married39.7%(11,721)
Widowed8%(2,362)
Divorced17.4%(5,146)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
7.5%
−10.6 ptssince 2013
from 18.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.7%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 58.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 10.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 15.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
24.5%
+4.9 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.7%
−2.7 ptssince 2020
from 67.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.3%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 33.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.1%(726)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.7%(462)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.6%(897)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.6%(207)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.3%(8)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,140 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Lafayette, decade by decade

Lafayette population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199043,764$64,857$122,64421.4%11.2
200056,397$65,323$162,67423.7%33.6
201067,140$54,097$149,89926.2%46.0
202070,783$56,875$144,71727.7%63.3
202471,159$53,716$172,80027.9%61.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to Lafayette

Ocala
Pop 71,753
Decatur
Pop 67,884
Lauderhill
Pop 75,668
Kissimmee
Pop 85,591
Places similar to Lafayette
Head to head

Compare Lafayette to nearby cities

LAFAYETTE VS
West Lafayette
Income$34,891−35%
Home value$350,000+103%
Population45,747−36%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Frankfort
Income$57,412+7%
Home value$138,600−20%
Population16,837−76%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Crawfordsville
Income$55,033+2%
Home value$134,000−22%
Population16,699−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Lebanon
Income$65,154+21%
Home value$195,600+13%
Population17,913−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lafayette, Indiana?

Lafayette, Indiana has about 71,159 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lafayette, Indiana?

The typical household in Lafayette, Indiana earns about $53,716 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lafayette, Indiana expensive?

In Lafayette, Indiana, the median home is worth about $172,800, and the typical rent is about $1,079 a month.

How educated are people in Lafayette, Indiana?

About 27.9% of adults age 25 and over in Lafayette, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lafayette, Indiana?

About 17.8% of people in Lafayette, Indiana live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lafayette, Indiana grown since 1990?

Yes, Lafayette, Indiana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 27,395 residents, a change of about 63 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →