City profile · Georgia · Census ACS 2023

LaFayette, GA

LaFayette's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

6,944
Residents
$39,820
Median income
$135,100
Median home
$1,203
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for LaFayette.

Place dossier plate

Sheet GA-LAFAYETTE-GA · LaFayette, GA 6,944 pop · income 7th pct · 18 tracts

POP-TOWN · INC-LOW · COL-PAR · SAFE-UNK · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-MID

  • POP-TOWN 6,944
  • INC-LOW $39,820
  • COL-PAR 96.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-BOTTOM 7th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Peetz
  • HOME-LOW $135,100
  • BOOK-MID 18 tracts

Nearest income peer: Peetz, CO (+ $1 income $)

Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.

Income neighbourhood around LaFayette

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest LaFayette on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for LaFayette on ACS population and median household income . Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.

Similar population

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 6,944.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $39,820. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

LaFayette - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, LaFayette places in the 7th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

7th
percentile, household income
22nd
percentile, home value
51st
percentile, median rent
📝 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, GA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 6,944 residents in LaFayette, a small town within Georgia. Median household income here is $39,820 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.3%. Home values in LaFayette run a median of $135,100, and the median resident age is 43.2 years. Educational attainment runs 9.8% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 53.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 63 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 34% from five years earlier.

Living costs in Georgia run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Georgia scores 96.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,203 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Georgia's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.5 out of 100 (Very Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of LaFayette's data

How this reading path is ordered

This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to housing and income to within-city variation; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For LaFayette, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles, local building permits. No matched row is reported here for FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

1. Population change

Is LaFayette growing, shrinking, or holding steady?

Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.

Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +220 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 63 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for LaFayette?

Within Georgia, the closest population matches are Whitemarsh Island (6,918 residents, $113,250 income); Thomson (6,824 residents, $43,376 income); Dacula (7,135 residents, $74,900 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Homeland Park, SC (6,944 residents); Oneonta, AL (6,943 residents); Nitro, WV (6,941 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.

Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in LaFayette?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 75.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

4. Within-city variation

What can 18 Census tracts reveal inside LaFayette?

That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.

PlainCities matches 18 Census tracts to this city.

Explore LaFayette's tract profiles →

Other supported questions

Why these stay compact

These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.

Housing and income

How far does income reach against housing in LaFayette?

The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 12.3%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.

This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.

Household income
$39,820
Home value
$135,100
Value / income
3.4×

City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Population

6,944 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$39,820 /yr

Lowest-decile income · poverty 12.3% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Georgia average

City profile score · LaFayette, GA

25/100

4 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023

Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians (income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.

Cost of living C
96.3 index

BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.

Poverty rate F
12.3%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Household income F
$39,820

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.

Bachelor's+ share F
9.8%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

LaFayette profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Poverty rate, Household income, Bachelor's+ share. Cost of livingPoverty rateHousehold incomeBachelor's+ share 25 F
LaFayette profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.3 index
  • Poverty rate: 31/100 (F) · 12.3%
  • Household income: 7/100 (F) · $39,820
  • Bachelor's+ share: 6/100 (F) · 9.8%

How does LaFayette compare to other US cities?

Where LaFayette sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 7% higher than other cities
Home value 22% pricier than other cities
Median rent 51% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares LaFayette against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Georgia only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Georgia-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places LaFayette near the bottom of Georgia's cities

Among the 638 Georgia cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, LaFayette ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares LaFayette only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#474 of 610
22nd percentile in Georgia
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 638
0th percentile in Georgia
Median Home Value
#365 of 577
37th percentile in Georgia
Poverty Rate
#301 of 637
52nd percentile in Georgia
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#487 of 638
24th percentile in Georgia
How in-state ranks are ordered

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Georgia only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

7thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

7th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How LaFayette's home value compares nationally

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

$135,100 Among the most affordable more affordable than 78% of 15,600 US cities

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

LaFayette's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.4×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,542 of 15,516
More affordable than 45% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,935 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 3.4×, LaFayette sits in the moderate band: national rank #8,542 of 15,516 and #6,935 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.

How this ratio is calculated

Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000. Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0). This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.

Income distribution context

$39,820 LaFayette, GA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - LaFayette, GA LaFayette, GA's median household income ($39,820) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not LaFayette, GA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution LaFayette, GA median $39,820/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, GA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for LaFayette, GA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 9.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.3%

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

Population
6,944
Median Income
$39,820
Median Home Value
$135,100
Median Age
43.2
Poverty Rate
12.3%
Labor force participation
53.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
9.8%

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
6,800 residents6,900 residents7,000 residents7,100 residents7,200 residents 202020212022202320242025 6,937 residents 7,157 residents ▲ +3.2%
LaFayette's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 6,937 residents
2021 6,896 residents
2022 6,988 residents
2023 7,060 residents
2024 7,079 residents
2025 7,157 residents

Housing Supply

BPS source

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
63
housing units authorized
Single-Family
36
detached homes
Multifamily
27
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 95
2020 17
2021 23
2022 20
2023 53
2024 63

Permit volume decreased 34% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
75.8%
Carpool
14.6%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
2.8%
Work from Home
6.0%
Other
0.8%

Based on 2,983 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Georgia statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $225

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Georgia at $225 (electricity about $125 , water and sewer about $45 ).

These are Georgia statewide averages, not a meter reading for LaFayette. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Georgia's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around LaFayette is $1,203/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Georgia statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 39.5 / 100 (Very Low).

Cost/risk geography note

Cost of living is a Georgia statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county LaFayette sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How LaFayette compares to similar-size Georgia cities

Same-state peer method

Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.

City Population Median Household Income
LaFayette (this city) 6,944 $39,820
Whitemarsh Island 6,918 $113,250
Thomson 6,824 $43,376
Dacula 7,135 $74,900
Census BPS 2024
Primary sources on this page

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, Census BPS 2024, 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.

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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