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Moving to
Lafayette.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.
What it's like to live in Lafayette
Lafayette is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and public transit that many commuters actually use. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lafayette deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Public transit that many commuters use
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
How Lafayette compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.
What it takes to move to Lafayette
Based on Lafayette's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,784
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $115,680 a year
- 35% of Lafayette renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$400,000
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $200,000
- Homes cost 8.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 105% above US
$2,892/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,892 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $2,000,000+ · 35% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.1%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 83% below US
55 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1084/100k · Lafayette Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 4 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% take public transit; 43% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 42°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 119% above US
79% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is John Muir National Historic Site (6 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lafayette's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,892/mo) equals 15% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (43% of workers here already work from home), and people who would rather not drive. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Lafayette
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