What it's like to live in Lafayette
Lafayette is a smaller city in Indiana with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lafayette deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, cold winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Several well-rated hospitals
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Cold winters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Lafayette compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lafayette
Based on Lafayette's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,158
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,160 a year
- 50% of Lafayette renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$34,560
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $17,280
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,079/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,079 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $172,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $172,800 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 20% above US
396 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1668/100k · Lafayette Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.4 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 83°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 21°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 23% below US
28% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Indiana Dunes National Park (87 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lafayette's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,079/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Lafayette
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