City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Lafayette, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lafayette - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

25,277
Residents
$222,393
Median income
$2,000,001
Median home
$2,912
Median rent (state)

Lafayette - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Lafayette places in the 99th percentile for household income and the 50th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

99th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
97th
percentile, median rent
50th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lafayette, CA

Lafayette is a small city in California, home to 25,277 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $222,393 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.6%. Typical homes in Lafayette are valued around $2,000,001, and the median resident age is 45.0 years. 77.0% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 60.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Lafayette reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1347.5 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,912 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Lafayette workers runs 17.1 minutes, with 42.8% driving alone and 40.6% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 99.5 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

25,277 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$222,393 /yr

Poverty 1.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Lafayette compare to other US cities?

Here's how Lafayette stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 99% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 97% pricier than other cities
Safety 50% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Lafayette ranks #117 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lafayette's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

99thIncome percentile
50thSafety percentile

99th percentile nationally for median household income · 50th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Lafayette's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Lafayette's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 50 Avg. percentile National median
Lafayette's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Lafayette's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$2,000,001 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Lafayette $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lafayette, CA Lafayette, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lafayette, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lafayette, CA median $222,393/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lafayette, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lafayette, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 77.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
25,277
Median Income
$222,393
Median Home Value
$2,000,001
Median Age
45.0
Poverty Rate
1.6%
Labor force participation
60.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
77.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1347.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
80.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1267.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
25,100 residents25,200 residents25,300 residents25,400 residents25,500 residents 202020212022202320242025 25,394 residents 25,313 residents ▼ -0.3%
Lafayette's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
17.1 minutes
Drive Alone
42.8%
Carpool
2.6%
Public Transit
10.4%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
40.6%
Other
1.6%

Based on 11,676 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lafayette sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,912/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Norco
25,211 people
Dinuba
25,201 people
Barstow
25,198 people
Mountain House
25,108 people
Reedley
25,446 people
West Whittier-Los Nietos
25,459 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lafayette's 25,277 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Holt, MI
25,275 people
Mercer Island, WA
25,282 people
Sugar Hill, GA
25,285 people
Caledonia, WI
25,292 people
Mequon, WI
25,259 people
Dickinson, ND
25,216 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lafayette's $222,393 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Cabin John, MD
$222,500 median income
Englewood Cliffs, NJ
$222,192 median income
Rock Ridge, CT
$222,159 median income
Westport, CT
$222,650 median income
Hingham, MA
$222,696 median income
Wakefield, VA
$221,793 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lafayette, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lafayette, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 76.0% 9.3% 12.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 8.2% White 76.0% Black or African American 0.9% Asian 9.3% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 1.0% Two or more races 12.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lafayette compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lafayette (this city) 25,277 $222,393
Norco 25,211 $125,117
Dinuba 25,201 $59,048
Barstow 25,198 $51,811
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lafayette, CA?

What is the population of Lafayette, CA? +

25,277 people live in Lafayette, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lafayette, CA? +

Median annual household income in Lafayette runs $222,393, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lafayette? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lafayette; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Lafayette, CA safe? +

Lafayette has a total crime rate of 1347.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Lafayette, CA? +

The median home value in Lafayette is $2,000,001, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.