Lafayette County, Florida Income Statistics
Lafayette County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Lafayette County Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Florida
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Lafayette County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $62,193 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $43,464 | $52,322 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 7.2% | 5.4% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 3.2% | 11.6% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.1% | 11.0% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Lafayette County is about 17% lower than in Florida. Income has been growing faster in Lafayette County (7.2%/yr) than in Florida (5.4%/yr).
About 3% of adults in Lafayette County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Florida average of 12%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Lafayette County, Florida grew by 34.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $62,193 in 2024. That's an average of about 7.2% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Lafayette County
| Metric | Lafayette County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.631 | 0.551 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $53,888 | $60,595 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $41,611 | $50,762 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 22.8% | 16.2% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Lafayette County, it is 0.631, higher than Florida's 0.551, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 30% more than women's income in Lafayette County, Florida. Over a 35-year career, a 30% wage gap accumulates to roughly $429,695 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lafayette County, Florida has narrowed from about 25% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2022, and in 2016 women out-earned men by 17%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,882 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Lafayette County | Florida Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 10.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 4.1% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 30 | 23 | 22 |
Approximately 332 people are unemployed in Lafayette County, Florida.
The average commute time in Lafayette County is 30 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in Florida.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Lafayette County, Florida has risen from 5.8% to 10.9% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 15.0% in 2016.
Lafayette County, FL Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Lafayette County, FL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 8,161 residents against a local median of 19,040. Lafayette County, FL's unemployment, at 10.9%, runs 103% above the 5.4% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Income growth tells the same story from another angle: 7.2%/yr against a local median of 5.1%/yr, 42% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: income growth runs ahead of the neighbourhood while unemployment runs behind it, so Lafayette County, FL is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves sit within 3.0% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Lafayette County, FL, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Lafayette County, FL has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County, FL | 8,161 | $62,193 #2/6 | 7.2%/yr #1/6 | 10.9% #6/6 | 0.631 #6/6 |
| Suwannee County, FL | 45,342 | $56,397 | 5.1%/yr | 6.3% | 0.567 |
| Dixie County, FL | 17,058 | $50,207 | 4.8%/yr | 3.3% | 0.581 |
| Taylor County, FL | 21,503 | $48,581 | 3.9%/yr | 5.4% | 0.604 |
| Gilchrist County, FL | 19,040 | $65,044 | 5.9%/yr | 3.5% | 0.572 |
| Madison County, FL | 18,089 | $48,984 | 6.5%/yr | 5.8% | 0.595 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Lafayette County, Florida has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Florida, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Lafayette County, Florida.
How Rich Is Lafayette County, Florida?
Lafayette County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $62,193, about 17% lower than the Florida average of $74,580.
Are incomes growing in Lafayette County, Florida?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Lafayette County, Florida rose 35%, from $46,178 to $62,193. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Florida as a whole: +35% against +57%.
What was the median household income in Lafayette County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Lafayette County, Florida was $62,096, up 16% from $53,649 in 2022. The Florida median that year was $71,864.
What was the median household income in Lafayette County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Lafayette County, Florida was $55,420. By 2024 it had risen 12% to $62,193.
Is unemployment high in Lafayette County, Florida?
Unemployment in Lafayette County, Florida is 10.9%, well above the Florida rate of 4.8%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What is the Gini coefficient in Lafayette County, Florida?
The Gini coefficient in Lafayette County is 0.631. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Lafayette County, Florida?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Lafayette County, Florida has narrowed from about 25% to 23% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 34% in 2022, and in 2016 women out-earned men by 17%. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $1,882 since 2009.
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