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METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS

Lafayette Metro

Lafayette, LA · 4 counties · 314,677 residents · 2,834 sq mi
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The short version

Lafayette is home to 314,677 people. 24.0% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The typical home is worth $52,645. Median rent is $295 a month. The median household earns $21,156, about 30% below the national median. About 16% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.3
US median: 33.0
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 9%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
314,677
−11%vs 2000
vs 351,754 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
111 / sq mi
−11%vs 2000
vs 124 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
30.3
−9%vs 2000
vs 33.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
2,834 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
304K335K366K397K428K19902000201020202024Lafayette
2024413K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.4%(26,515)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 99.1%(28,625)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 148.3%(26,178)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.7%(24,188)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 247.5%(23,602)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3417.9%(56,291)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4414%(44,156)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 549.5%(30,027)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.7%(24,289)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 745.8%(18,141)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 843.2%(10,122)
US avg: 4%
85 and over0.8%(2,543)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$21,156
−16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,995 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$10,195
−39%vs 2000
vs $16,791 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
24.0%
+5.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 19.0% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$52,645
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $75,884 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$295
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $414 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
68.0%
−2.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 70.9% in 2000
32.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.1%(260,751)
Black22.4%(78,845)
Hispanic / Latino1.4%(5,005)
Asian1%(3,539)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic76.8%(241,797)
Black21.8%(68,566)
Hispanic / Latino1.2%(3,811)
Asian0.8%(2,452)
Other0.6%(1,862)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.9%(7,965)
Central American1.5%(6,106)
Honduran0.9%(3,902)
South American0.4%(1,297)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,146)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,111)
Spaniard0.2%(974)
Cuban0.2%(817)
Venezuelan0.2%(569)
Salvadoran0.1%(481)
Ecuadorian0.1%(456)
Nicaraguan0.1%(367)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Dominican0.1%(244)
Panamanian0%(103)
Bolivian0%(92)
Colombian0%(76)
Chilean0%(74)
Peruvian0%(10)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.6%(2,460)
Asian Indian0.5%(2,196)
Chinese0.2%(630)
Filipino0.1%(251)
Korean0%(160)
Laotian0%(110)
Japanese0%(55)
Pakistani0%(42)
Nepalese0%(40)
Taiwanese0%(29)
+ 1 more asian origin group with data
Thai0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(229)
Samoan0.1%(195)
Tongan0.1%(38)
Guamanian0%(14)
Ancestry
French17.2%(71,009)
German7.3%(30,082)
American5.8%(23,954)
English5.6%(23,247)
French Canadian5.2%(21,556)
Irish4.9%(20,146)
Italian3.1%(12,927)
Scottish0.8%(3,143)
Polish0.6%(2,534)
Arab0.6%(2,452)
Scotch-Irish0.4%(1,544)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch0.4%(1,491)
Lebanese0.3%(1,384)
British0.3%(1,203)
Swedish0.2%(785)
Russian0.2%(744)
West Indian0.2%(681)
Welsh0.1%(597)
Canadian0.1%(517)
Czech0.1%(470)
Norwegian0.1%(431)
Jamaican0.2%(407)
Belgian0.1%(369)
Jordanian0.1%(351)
Hungarian0.1%(311)
Portuguese0.1%(297)
Syrian0.1%(266)
Danish0.1%(232)
Croatian0.1%(211)
Nigerian0.1%(203)
Haitian0.1%(187)
Brazilian0.1%(180)
Finnish0%(157)
Ethiopian0.1%(155)
Egyptian0.1%(144)
Greek0%(138)
Ukrainian0%(130)
Slovak0%(111)
Lithuanian0%(108)
Iranian0%(99)
Iraqi0%(81)
Swiss0%(76)
Turkish0%(67)
Romanian0%(55)
Kenyan0%(54)
Israeli0%(44)
Serbian0%(42)
Austrian0%(41)
Bulgarian0%(23)
Armenian0%(21)
Slovene0%(18)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
15.6%
−2.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 18.2% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
64.9%
−7.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 72.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.7%
−0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 5.6% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
19.8 min
+17%vs 2000
vs 16.9 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married36.9%(58,819)
Married51.4%(81,881)
Widowed2.5%(3,965)
Divorced9.2%(14,659)
Women 15+
Never married31.9%(54,322)
Married47.6%(80,977)
Widowed8.2%(13,929)
Divorced12.3%(20,940)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
7.9%
−8.4 ptssince 2013
from 16.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
47.0%
−4.6 ptssince 2020
from 51.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
13.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 12.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
17.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 16.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
29.4%
+4.3 ptssince 2020
from 25.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.9%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
59.2%
−4.1 ptssince 2020
from 63.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
43.7%
+5.0 ptssince 2020
from 38.7% 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)26.5%(4,318)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)28%(4,549)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era32.8%(5,337)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War3%(489)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.5%(88)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 16,266 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

LafayetteCENTRAL123,311Youngsville19,980Broussard15,799Carencro13,224Crowley11,223Abbeville10,861Scott9,635Eunice9,035Breaux Bridge7,652Rayne6,995St. Martinville5,229Kaplan4,116Church Point4,036Maurice3,215Milton2,793Ossun2,271Erath1,932Cecilia1,742Cade1,710Henderson1,594Perry1,424Duson1,357Iota1,253Basile1,192Gueydan1,122Egan1,015Estherwood675Parks671Morse618Catahoula594

The 30 most populous of 33 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Lafayette ParishCENTRAL257,949Vermilion Parish57,671Acadia Parish57,032St. Martin Parish51,106
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Lafayette

Ocala
Pop 442,660
Gulfport
Pop 431,329
Fayetteville
Pop 395,412
Flint
Pop 401,093
Places similar to Lafayette
Head to head

Compare Lafayette side by side

LAFAYETTE VS
Ocala
Income$61,010+188%
Home value$243,100+362%
Population442,660+4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Gulfport
Income$62,786+197%
Home value$204,637+289%
Population431,329+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Fayetteville
Income$61,788+192%
Home value$201,958+284%
Population395,412−7%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAFAYETTE VS
Flint
Income$62,281+194%
Home value$182,400+246%
Population401,093−5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lafayette, LA?

Lafayette, LA has about 314,677 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Lafayette, LA?

The typical household in Lafayette, LA earns about $21,156 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lafayette, LA expensive?

In Lafayette, LA, the median home is worth about $52,645, and the typical rent is about $295 a month.

How educated are people in Lafayette, LA?

About 15.6% of adults age 25 and over in Lafayette, LA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lafayette, LA?

About 24.0% of people in Lafayette, LA live below the federal poverty line.

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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 →