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CITY

West Lafayette

Indiana · 45,747 residents (2025 est.) · 13.559 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#48Youngest by median ageof 6,82621.4#249Most educatedof 6,82673.3%
The short version

West Lafayette has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $34,891. The city has grown rapidly, with population up 57% since 2000. 73% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $350,000. At a median age of 21.4, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 52% less than the Indiana median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 21.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
73% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 33%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
45,159
+57%since 2000
from 28,778 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
3,331 / sq mi
+47%since 2009
from 2,264 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
21.4
−4%since 2000
from 22.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:45,747 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
24K30K37K44K51K1990201020202024West Lafayette
202445K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 51.9%(868)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 91.9%(877)
US avg: 6%
10 to 142.7%(1,226)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1927.2%(12,282)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2436.3%(16,383)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 348.4%(3,805)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 444.9%(2,231)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 544.8%(2,182)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 644.3%(1,964)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 743.5%(1,603)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 841.6%(724)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.2%(1,014)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$34,891
−23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $24,869 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,882
+36%since 2000
from $18,337 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
31.9%
+9.9 ptssince 2009
from 22.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
37.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 38.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.604
+7%since 2010
from 0.563 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade8.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information7%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services3.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance2.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Wholesale trade2.1%
US avg: 6.9%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration1.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Transportation & warehousing0.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$350,000
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $144,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,225
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $614 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
29.4%
−2.8 ptssince 2000
from 32.2% in 2000
70.6% rent
Vacancy rate
10.5%
+4.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.4% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
12.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 14.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
63.4%
−8.6 ptssince 2009
from 72.0% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
10.0
+34%since 2009
from 7.5 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
44
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in West Lafayette on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic81.5%(23,454)
Black2.3%(675)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(920)
Asian11.3%(3,252)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic65.3%(29,481)
Black3.5%(1,567)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(2,472)
Asian21.9%(9,873)
Other3.9%(1,766)
Diversity Score
65
+44%since 2009
from 45 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican2.3%(1,048)
Colombian0.8%(340)
Puerto Rican0.5%(244)
Spaniard0.4%(162)
Peruvian0.3%(114)
Argentine0.2%(94)
Cuban0.2%(86)
Venezuelan0.1%(60)
Ecuadorian0.1%(57)
Costa Rican0.1%(40)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(35)
Salvadoran0.1%(31)
Honduran0.1%(24)
Chilean0.1%(23)
Dominican0%(22)
Asian origin
Asian Indian9.2%(4,172)
Chinese7.1%(3,221)
Korean1.5%(674)
Japanese1%(444)
Taiwanese0.6%(276)
Vietnamese0.5%(231)
Thai0.4%(181)
Filipino0.4%(176)
Pakistani0.2%(93)
Sri Lankan0.2%(72)
Indonesian0.1%(55)
Nepalese0.1%(25)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German19.8%(8,928)
Irish10.5%(4,725)
English7.4%(3,359)
Italian5%(2,268)
Polish5%(2,240)
American3.3%(1,498)
Scottish3.2%(1,440)
French1.5%(658)
Swedish1.4%(637)
Dutch1.4%(615)
Arab1.2%(532)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian1%(473)
Czech0.9%(410)
British0.8%(361)
Welsh0.7%(321)
Nigerian0.7%(296)
Slovak0.6%(265)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(247)
Russian0.5%(237)
Swiss0.5%(211)
Lithuanian0.4%(202)
Egyptian0.4%(171)
Greek0.4%(165)
Turkish0.3%(155)
Portuguese0.3%(148)
Croatian0.3%(127)
Ghanaian0.2%(112)
Hungarian0.2%(107)
Ukrainian0.2%(104)
Brazilian0.2%(96)
Serbian0.2%(84)
Iranian0.2%(79)
Palestinian0.2%(76)
Danish0.2%(73)
West Indian0.2%(73)
Romanian0.2%(70)
Austrian0.2%(68)
Armenian0.1%(62)
Canadian0.1%(62)
Syrian0.1%(53)
Belgian0.1%(39)
Israeli0.1%(39)
Macedonian0.1%(36)
Australian0.1%(35)
Bulgarian0.1%(33)
Finnish0.1%(32)
Jamaican0.1%(32)
Lebanese0.1%(28)
Jordanian0%(18)
Haitian0%(17)
Latvian0%(16)
Ethiopian0%(13)
Iraqi0%(7)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Asian Indian population · Largest English population · Largest Chinese population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
73.3%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 69.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
97.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 96.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
44.8%
+4.6 ptssince 2000
from 40.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
16.1 min
+61%since 2000
from 10.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
48.3%
−13.5 ptssince 2009
from 61.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
4.5%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 7.9% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
4.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.1%
+12.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
22.4%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
3.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
18.3%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
50.7%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 54.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
20.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 21.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
58.1%
−19.9 ptssince 2009
from 78.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
55.7%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 55.0% in 2009
Female
44.3%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 45.0% in 2009
Foreign born
20.5%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 17.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
1.8%
−54.0 ptssince 2009
from 55.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.1%
+3.2 ptssince 2012
from 5.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.5%
−90.5 ptssince 2013
from 93.0% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.8%
+4.9 ptssince 2017
from 84.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
75.8%
+3.5 ptssince 2016
from 72.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 2.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married78.6%(18,736)
Married18.5%(4,414)
Widowed1.2%(285)
Divorced1.7%(404)
Women 15+
Never married68.7%(12,598)
Married23.9%(4,384)
Widowed3.9%(722)
Divorced3.5%(645)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare West Lafayette to nearby cities

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Income$53,716+54%
Home value$172,800−51%
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WEST LAFAYETTE VS
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WEST LAFAYETTE VS
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WEST LAFAYETTE VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in West Lafayette, Indiana?

West Lafayette, Indiana has about 45,159 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in West Lafayette, Indiana?

The typical household in West Lafayette, Indiana earns about $34,891 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is West Lafayette, Indiana expensive?

In West Lafayette, Indiana, the median home is worth about $350,000, and the typical rent is about $1,225 a month.

How educated are people in West Lafayette, Indiana?

About 73.3% of adults age 25 and over in West Lafayette, Indiana hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in West Lafayette, Indiana?

About 37.3% of people in West Lafayette, Indiana live below the federal poverty line.

Has West Lafayette, Indiana grown since 1990?

Yes, West Lafayette, Indiana has grown since 1990. The population has added about 19,252 residents, a change of about 74 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 →