City profile · Indiana · Census ACS 2023

Lawrence, IN

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

49,284
Residents
$73,455
Median income
$220,400
Median home
$1,096
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Lawrence, IN

Lawrence is a city in Indiana with a population of 49,284 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $73,455 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 5.4%. Typical homes in Lawrence are valued around $220,400, and the median resident age is 34.4 years. About 35.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 70.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 83 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Stable), up 2% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2020.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Indiana registers 93.3 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,096 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $235 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Lawrence report an average commute of 21.6 minutes, with 72.3% driving alone and 13.5% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 45.5 out of 100 (Low).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

49,284 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Indiana

Median Household Income

$73,455 /yr

Poverty 5.4%

Cost of Living Index

93.3 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Lawrence compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 54% higher than other cities
Home value 48% pricier than other cities
Median rent 27% pricier than other cities
Safety 31% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Lawrence against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Lawrence, IN Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Lawrence, IN. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lawrence, IN — median $73,455/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for Lawrence, IN — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.4%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 70.8%

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

Population
49,284
Median Income
$73,455
Median Home Value
$220,400
Median Age
34.4
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Labor force participation
70.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2020.3
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
292.7
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1727.6
per 1,000 residents

Housing Supply

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

🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
83
housing units authorized
Single-Family
83
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 81
2020 232
2021 49
2022 83
2023 59
2024 83

Permit volume increased 2% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.6 minutes
Drive Alone
72.3%
Carpool
12.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.4%
Work from Home
13.5%
Other
1.0%

Based on 26,140 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Indiana — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$110
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month

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

Living Costs & Risk

Indiana state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
93.3
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,096/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
45.5 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Lawrence, IN 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 Lawrence, IN — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Lawrence compares to nearby Indiana cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Lawrence) plus the nearest peer cities in Indiana, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

IN

Lawrence

73.45% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$73,455
Brackets
49
Selected

IN

Jeffersonville

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,020
Brackets
50
Selected

IN

Mishawaka

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,090
Brackets
51
Selected

IN

Columbus

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$5,110
Brackets
51
Census ACS 5-year FIPS IN FBI UCR Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lawrence, IN?

What is the population of Lawrence, IN? +

Lawrence, IN has a population of 49,284 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lawrence, IN? +

The median household income in Lawrence is $73,455 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lawrence? +

Lawrence has a cost of living index of 93.3 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Lawrence, IN safe? +

Lawrence has a total crime rate of 2020.3 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Lawrence, IN? +

The median home value in Lawrence is $220,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →