City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

La Fontaine, IN

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

873
Residents
$50,875
Median income
$83,800
Median home
$1,096
Median rent (state)
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See how it ranks

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

Place dossier plate

Sheet IN-LA-FONTAINE-IN · La Fontaine, IN 873 pop · income 21st pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-BELOW · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-LOW · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 873
  • INC-MID $50,875
  • COL-BELOW 93.3
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 21st
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Mena
  • HOME-LOW $83,800
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Mena, AR (+ $0 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 La Fontaine

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest La Fontaine 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 La Fontaine 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: 873.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $50,875. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

La Fontaine - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, La Fontaine places in the 21st percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

21st
percentile, household income
4th
percentile, home value
27th
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: La Fontaine, IN

La Fontaine is a small town in Indiana, home to 873 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. La Fontaine households earn a median of $50,875 annually, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.7%. La Fontaine's housing stock carries a median value of $83,800, and the median resident age is 42.2 years. Educational attainment runs 20.2% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Indiana at 93.3 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,096 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Indiana's average monthly utility costs around $235 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 45.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of La Fontaine'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 comparison shortlist to housing and income to work and mobility to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

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

Question 1

Which cities make useful reference points for La Fontaine?

Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Clayton (874 residents, $83,500 income); Swayzee (872 residents, $66,250 income); Lanesville (871 residents, $80,473 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Eden, UT (873 residents); Blue Mounds, WI (873 residents); Oakman, AL (872 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 →

Question 2

How far does income reach against housing in La Fontaine?

The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.7%, 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. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.

Compare the housing trade-off →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in La Fontaine?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 90.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

4. Population change

Is La Fontaine 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 +12 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +1.5% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.

See the national growth ranking →

Population

873 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$50,875 /yr

Low income · poverty 7.7% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

93.3 (US=100)

Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average

City profile score · La Fontaine, IN

43/100

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 B
93.3 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 D
7.7%

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

Bachelor's+ share F
20.2%

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

Household income F
$50,875

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

Violent crime N/A
N/A

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

La Fontaine profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Cost of living, Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Household income. Cost of livingPoverty rateBachelor's+ shareHousehold income 43 D
La Fontaine profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
  • Poverty rate: 49/100 (D) · 7.7%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 35/100 (F) · 20.2%
  • Household income: 21/100 (F) · $50,875

How does La Fontaine compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 4% pricier than other cities
Median rent 27% 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 La Fontaine against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Indiana only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Indiana-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent places La Fontaine near the bottom of Indiana's cities

Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, La Fontaine ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares La Fontaine only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#584 of 766
24th percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#690 of 771
11th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#387 of 849
54th percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#291 of 850
66th percentile in Indiana
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 Indiana only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

21stIncome percentile
Gauge source note

21st percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How La Fontaine's home value compares nationally

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

$83,800 Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Above this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $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. La Fontaine $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

La Fontaine's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.6×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#638 of 15,516
More affordable than 96% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#624 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 1.6×, La Fontaine sits in the affordable band: national rank #638 of 15,516 and #624 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.

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

$50,875 La Fontaine, IN median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - La Fontaine, IN La Fontaine, IN's median household income ($50,875) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not La Fontaine, IN-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution La Fontaine, IN median $50,875/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%
La Fontaine, IN median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for La Fontaine, IN.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.3%

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

Population
873
Median Income
$50,875
Median Home Value
$83,800
Median Age
42.2
Poverty Rate
7.7%
Labor force participation
56.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.2%

Population Change

PEP vintage

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
800 residents810 residents820 residents830 residents 202020212022202320242025 807 residents 819 residents ▲ +1.5%
La Fontaine's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.
Read the chart as text
Period Population
2020 807 residents
2021 808 residents
2022 802 residents
2023 808 residents
2024 813 residents
2025 819 residents

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
90.0%
Carpool
6.9%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
1.3%
Work from Home
1.8%

Based on 389 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

Indiana statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $235

EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Indiana at $235 (electricity about $110 , water and sewer about $45 ).

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

Living Costs & Risk

Indiana's BEA cost-of-living index is 93.3 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around La Fontaine is $1,096/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Indiana statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 / 100 (Low).

Cost/risk geography note

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

How La Fontaine compares to similar-size Indiana 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
La Fontaine (this city) 873 $50,875
Clayton 874 $83,500
Swayzee 872 $66,250
Lanesville 871 $80,473
Primary sources on this page

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