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METRO AREA

Lafayette Metro

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN · 4 counties · 228,468 residents (2025 est.) · 1,642 sq mi
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The short version

Lafayette is a metro area of 226,805 people. This skews young, with a median age of 31.1. The typical home is worth $228,492, having more than doubled since 2000. People stay put here: 79% were in the same home a year ago. 39,845 more people live here than in 2000. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 31.1
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
226,805
+21%since 2000
from 186,960 in 2000
228,468 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
138 / sq mi
+21%since 2000
from 114 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
31.1
+6%since 2000
from 29.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,642 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
161K179K198K216K235K19902000201020202024Lafayette
2024227K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.4%(12,221)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(12,565)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146%(13,667)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1910.2%(23,131)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2414.5%(32,988)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(30,826)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.1%(25,077)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410%(22,742)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410%(22,786)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 748.1%(18,455)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.7%(8,479)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(3,868)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$62,104
−13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $39,288 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$33,767
+76%since 2000
from $19,214 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
41.9%
+16.8 ptssince 2009
from 25.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.8%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 13.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.466
+4%since 2010
from 0.449 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade19.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Information9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade5.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services3.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$228,492
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $104,366 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,078
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $542 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
58.1%
−2.5 ptssince 2000
from 60.6% in 2000
41.9% rent
Vacancy rate
7.1%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.32 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.41 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.6%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 20.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
50.0%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.6% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.7
+28%since 2009
from 2.9 in 2009
2009 – 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
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic88.5%(165,424)
Black2%(3,759)
Hispanic / Latino4.7%(8,707)
Asian3.6%(6,665)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic75%(170,042)
Black5.2%(11,787)
Hispanic / Latino9.4%(21,251)
Asian6.7%(15,212)
Other3.8%(8,513)
Diversity Score
52
+56%since 2009
from 33 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
28
−13%since 2020
from 32 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican6.5%(14,822)
South American0.8%(1,631)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,000)
Salvadoran0.3%(692)
Guatemalan0.3%(676)
Colombian0.3%(637)
Cuban0.3%(622)
Spaniard0.2%(342)
Venezuelan0.2%(341)
Ecuadorian0.2%(292)
Panamanian0.1%(281)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(261)
Argentine0.1%(174)
Honduran0.1%(166)
Peruvian0.1%(127)
Dominican0.1%(106)
Chilean0%(42)
Bolivian0%(18)
Asian origin
Asian Indian3%(5,882)
Chinese2.1%(4,402)
Korean0.7%(1,426)
Japanese0.5%(859)
Filipino0.3%(663)
Vietnamese0.2%(473)
Taiwanese0.2%(376)
Thai0.1%(225)
Pakistani0.1%(194)
Indonesian0.1%(142)
Cambodian0%(79)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Laotian0%(76)
Malaysian0%(54)
Nepalese0%(40)
Uzbek0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(1)
Ancestry
German19.8%(45,016)
English10.8%(24,399)
Irish10.1%(22,918)
American5%(11,254)
Italian2.7%(6,176)
Polish2.6%(5,816)
Scottish2.1%(4,729)
Dutch1.6%(3,658)
French1.6%(3,537)
Swedish1%(2,169)
Norwegian0.7%(1,677)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Welsh0.6%(1,352)
Swiss0.6%(1,277)
British0.5%(1,106)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(1,070)
West Indian0.5%(1,020)
Czech0.4%(867)
Haitian0.4%(843)
Arab0.4%(783)
Greek0.3%(660)
Russian0.3%(592)
Hungarian0.3%(573)
Nigerian0.3%(538)
Lithuanian0.2%(510)
Ukrainian0.2%(503)
Slovak0.2%(437)
Portuguese0.2%(350)
Turkish0.2%(333)
Iranian0.2%(318)
Danish0.1%(271)
Slovene0.1%(255)
Romanian0.1%(238)
Egyptian0.1%(228)
Croatian0.1%(217)
Belgian0.1%(216)
Serbian0.1%(203)
Armenian0.1%(173)
Canadian0.1%(161)
Austrian0.1%(147)
Ghanaian0.1%(145)
Guyanese0.1%(138)
Finnish0.1%(117)
Brazilian0.1%(115)
Jamaican0.1%(96)
Latvian0%(79)
Lebanese0%(71)
Syrian0%(58)
Moroccan0%(54)
Israeli0%(53)
Jordanian0%(39)
Bulgarian0%(33)
Ethiopian0%(28)
Iraqi0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.8%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 29.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.9%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 87.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.4%
+2.4 ptssince 2000
from 13.0% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.2 min
+55%since 2000
from 12.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
73.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 77.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.6%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.5% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
10.4%
+6.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
4.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 5.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
8.7%
+2.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−4.5 ptssince 2011
from 7.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.5%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 64.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.3%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 71.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 15.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
41.9%
+6.6 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.3%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 51.0% in 2009
Female
48.7%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.0% in 2009
Foreign born
10.6%
+2.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.9%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 8.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.6%
+0.2 ptssince 2012
from 10.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 12.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.5%
+12.0 ptssince 2017
from 78.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.6%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 94.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
79.4%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 77.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
87.3%
+0.7 ptssince 2016
from 86.5% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
5.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2016
from 5.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46.3%(44,726)
Married42.9%(41,418)
Widowed2.2%(2,084)
Divorced8.6%(8,319)
Women 15+
Never married37.6%(34,498)
Married43.8%(40,253)
Widowed6.8%(6,269)
Divorced11.7%(10,785)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.9%
−6.5 ptssince 2013
from 12.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2020
from 63.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.0%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 15.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
15.0%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 14.4% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 13.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.4%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
74.3%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 76.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
28.8%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 26.2% 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)23.6%(2,079)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.4%(1,705)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era29.8%(2,623)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.5%(752)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.4%(120)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 8,810 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
In this metro

Largest cities

LafayetteCENTRAL71,238West LafayetteCENTRAL45,747Delphi2,973Fowler2,386Flora2,106Williamsport1,954Battle Ground1,905Shadeland1,841Dayton1,368Oxford1,183Otterbein1,139Boswell812West Lebanon685Clarks Hill621Camden601Burlington533Romney391Earl Park369Stockwell286Green Hill234Ambia231Pine214West Point189Deer Creek183Rockfield144Burrows138Yeoman122State Line City122Judyville118Foster100

The 30 most populous of 44 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Tippecanoe CountyCENTRAL190,456Carroll County20,655Benton County8,883Warren County8,474
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Lafayette

Joplin
Pop 208,796
Macon-Bibb County
Pop 238,553
Binghamton
Pop 243,189
Lake Havasu City
Pop 228,102
Places similar to Lafayette
Head to head

Compare Lafayette side by side

LAFAYETTE VS
Joplin
Income$62,065same
Home value$167,644−27%
Population208,796−9%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Macon-Bibb County
Income$59,225−5%
Home value$186,510−18%
Population238,553+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Binghamton
Income$64,592+4%
Home value$156,052−32%
Population243,189+6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Lake Havasu City
Income$57,684−7%
Home value$281,000+23%
Population228,102same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN has about 226,805 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?

The typical household in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN earns about $62,104 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN expensive?

In Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, the median home is worth about $228,492, and the typical rent is about $1,078 a month.

How educated are people in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?

About 36.8% of adults age 25 and over in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?

About 17.8% of people in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN grown since 1990?

Yes, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN has grown since 1990. The population has added about 59,781 residents, a change of about 36 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →