West Lafayette, Indiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
West 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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A
Health Above average
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F
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,683 | 6,845,048 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3312.9 | 188.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 21.0 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,122 | 2,713,821 | 130,235,071 |
Population in West Lafayette grew by 11.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,683 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in West Lafayette is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 69.8% of residents. That is 47.6 points above Indiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 31,885 69.8% +47.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,323 9.5% -11.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,298 7.2% -12.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,254 4.9% -11.8 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 44.8% of the people living in West Lafayette and men 55.2%.
- Women 44.8% Indiana 50.4%
- Men 55.2% Indiana 49.6%
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Economy
West Lafayette has a the economy index of F, which means it scores poorly in the economy.
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $32,903 | $71,967 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.99% | 4.54% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 4.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in West Lafayette is about 54% lower than in Indiana.
Housing
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $95,760 | $142,738 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,213 | $1,062 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 26.2% | 70.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in West Lafayette is about 6.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,213 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in West Lafayette spend about 30 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 126 hours, about 5.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.1 | 21.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 30.2 | 42.2 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 126 | 176 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,896 | $5,455 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.3% | 10.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,558 | 8,333 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,068 | 1,308 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in West 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
West Lafayette has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.1% | 26.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.05 | 2.45 | 2.53 |
Health
West Lafayette has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | West Lafayette | Indiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.0 | 77.4 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.3% | 17.1% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.0% | 22.4% | 19.0% |
West Lafayette, IN Compared With Nearby Cities
How West Lafayette, IN compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Lafayette, IN | 45,683 | $32,903 #2/2 | $95,760 #2/2 | 15.1 min #1/2 |
| Lafayette, IN | 68,693 | $54,194 | $142,054 | 15.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about West Lafayette, Indiana.
How big is West Lafayette, Indiana by population?
About 45,683 people live in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 15,122 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 21.0, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
How densely populated is West Lafayette, Indiana?
Averaged over its land area, West Lafayette, Indiana has 3,313 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 38 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in West Lafayette, Indiana?
The median home costs 2.9 times the median household income ($95,760 against $32,903), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,213 a month takes about 44% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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