Lafayette, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lafayette, IN Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,693 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2252.0 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.10% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.2 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 31,048 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lafayette grew by 10.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 68,693 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lafayette is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.3% of residents. That is 4.0 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 18,044 26.3% +4.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 16,181 23.6% +2.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,104 16.2% -3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,392 13.7% -3.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Indiana, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Lafayette and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 49.1% Indiana 49.6%
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100% of everyone living in Lafayette
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Economy
Lafayette has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,194 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.20% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lafayette is about 25% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $142,054 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,074 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 47.1% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lafayette is about 11.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,074 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lafayette spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 129 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.5 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.9 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 129 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,997 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.0% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 10,164 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,526 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Lafayette is 15 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Indiana.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lafayette has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.4% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.17 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
Lafayette has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.3 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.7% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
Lafayette, IN Compared With Nearby Cities
How Lafayette, IN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette, IN | 68,693 | $54,194 #1/2 | $142,054 #1/2 | 15.5 min #2/2 |
| West Lafayette, IN | 45,683 | $32,903 | $95,760 | 15.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lafayette, Indiana.
How big is Lafayette, Indiana by population?
About 68,693 people live in Lafayette, Indiana, in 31,048 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 31.2, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Lafayette, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, Lafayette, Indiana has 2,252 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 26 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lafayette, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($142,054 against $54,194), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,074 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Lafayette, Indiana?
Unemployment in Lafayette, Indiana is only 3.6%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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