Lafayette Parish, Louisiana Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lafayette Parish, LA 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 averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Louisiana
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 92% of counties in Louisiana
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C
Education Below averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in Louisiana
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 247,982 | 4,610,276 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 921.5 | 88.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.68% | -0.10% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 35.9 | 37.3 |
| Households | 100,896 | 1,803,262 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lafayette Parish grew by 21.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 247,982 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lafayette Parish is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.6% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Louisiana as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 55,174 22.2% +0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 58,572 23.6% +1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 47,585 19.2% -0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 36,022 14.5% -2.6 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 Louisiana, 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 Parish and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% Louisiana 51.1%
- Men 49.1% Louisiana 48.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Lafayette Parish
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Lafayette Parish has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,829 | $60,934 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 2.97% | 3.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 6.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lafayette Parish is about 11% higher than in Louisiana.
Housing
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $241,213 | $170,446 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,056 | $1,063 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.5% | 67.4% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lafayette Parish is about 19.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,056 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lafayette Parish spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 156 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.7 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.3 | 42.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 156 | 177 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,822 | $5,493 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.4% | 8.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,449 | 8,275 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,203 | 1,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Louisiana:
East Carroll Parish (11.4 min), Madison Parish (13.1 min), St. Mary Parish (15.5 min).
Slowest:
West Feliciana Parish (32.8 min), East Feliciana Parish (32.8 min), St. Helena Parish (32.4 min).
The average commute time in Lafayette Parish is 19 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Louisiana.
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 Parish has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 31.7% | 24.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.49 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Louisiana:
Orleans Parish (0.3), East Baton Rouge Parish (0.3), St. Tammany Parish (0.3).
Lowest:
East Carroll Parish (0.1), Assumption Parish (0.2), Evangeline Parish (0.2).
Health
Lafayette Parish has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Lafayette Parish | Louisiana Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.7 | 75.1 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 22.3% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.7% | 23.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Louisiana:
St. Tammany Parish (0.8), Ascension Parish (0.8), Vernon Parish (0.8).
Lowest:
East Carroll Parish (0.7), Madison Parish (0.7), Tensas Parish (0.7).
Lafayette Parish, LA Compared With Nearby Counties
Lafayette Parish, LA is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 247,982 residents against a local median of 57,123. The measure that sets Lafayette Parish, LA apart most is median home price: $241,213, 77% above the local median of $136,547.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $67,829 against a local median of $56,434, 20% above it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, so Lafayette Parish, LA is not trading one advantage for another, it reads stronger than its neighbours across the board. The counties themselves spread $181,870 on median home price, so Lafayette Parish, LA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Lafayette Parish, LA has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish, LA | 247,982 | $67,829 #1/6 | $241,213 #1/6 | 18.7 min #1/6 |
| Acadia Parish, LA | 56,955 | $45,601 | $206,666 | 22.5 min |
| St. Landry Parish, LA | 81,670 | $44,313 | $136,547 | 22.1 min |
| St. Martin Parish, LA | 51,353 | $56,973 | $72,210 | 23.5 min |
| Vermilion Parish, LA | 57,123 | $56,434 | $24,797 | 23.9 min |
| Iberia Parish, LA | 68,630 | $56,492 | $154,658 | 20.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lafayette Parish, Louisiana.
How big is Lafayette Parish, Louisiana by population?
About 247,982 people live in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, in 100,896 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
Averaged over its land area, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana has 921 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 11 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
The median home costs 3.6 times the median household income ($241,213 against $67,829), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,056 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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