Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetIN-WEST-LAFAYETTE-IN · West Lafayette, IN 44,802 pop · income 4th pct
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 West Lafayette
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest West Lafayette on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Dover · lowest
33,491
Dover · lowest
33,491 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #1
West Lafayette · this city
33,497
West Lafayette · this city
33,497 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #2
Clarendon · near
33,500
Clarendon · near
33,500 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #3
Hardy · near
33,500
Hardy · near
33,500 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #4
Glencoe · near
33,500
Glencoe · near
33,500 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #5
Wynona · near
33,500
Wynona · near
33,500 median HH income
28.0% of the leader · rank #6
Westfield · highest
119,598
Westfield · highest
119,598 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
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.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for West Lafayette on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. 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: 44,802.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
West Lafayette - the verdict
West Lafayette ranks in the 4th percentile for household income and the 52nd percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
4th
percentile, household income
68th
percentile, home value
27th
percentile, median rent
52nd
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: West Lafayette, IN
West Lafayette is a small city in Indiana, home to 44,802 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $33,497 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 7.2%. West Lafayette's housing stock carries a median value of $318,100, and the median resident age is 21.4 years. 71.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 48.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 131 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 75% from five years earlier. West Lafayette reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1298.3 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Indiana run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Indiana scores 93.3 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,096 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $235 across Indiana, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. 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 West 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 reported crime to housing and income to schools and households to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For West Lafayette, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Is West Lafayette growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +1,093 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 131 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
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.
Which cities make useful reference points for West Lafayette?
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. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Indiana, the closest population matches are Lawrence (49,284 residents, $73,455 income); Jeffersonville (50,176 residents, $70,157 income); Mishawaka (50,907 residents, $53,120 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are York, PA (44,830 residents); Mankato, MN (44,882 residents); Moorhead, MN (44,706 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in West Lafayette?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1298.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 43% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
How far does income reach against housing in West Lafayette?
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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 9.5 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.2%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
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.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for West Lafayette?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 71.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
7.2%
Bachelor's degree+
71.2%
Matched public schools
7
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What does the journey to work look like in West Lafayette?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 49.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
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.
Drive alone
49.0%
Work from home
12.5%
Public transit
5.6%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 18,521 workers age 16+.
Lowest-decile income · poverty 7.2% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
93.3 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Indiana average
C-
City profile score · West Lafayette, IN
54/100
5 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.
Bachelor's+ share A+
71.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
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.
Violent crime B
94 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate C-
7.2%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income F
$33,497
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
West Lafayette profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 98/100 (A+) · 71.2%
Cost of living: 72/100 (B) · 93.3 index
Violent crime: 72/100 (B) · 94 /100k
Poverty rate: 51/100 (C-) · 7.2%
Household income: 0/100 (F) · $33,497
Where West Lafayette sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
West Lafayette's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - West Lafayette highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
West Lafayette, IN (this city): home $318,100, crime 1,298/100k
York, PA : home $103,100, crime 2,392/100k
Mankato, MN : home $250,600, crime 2,865/100k
Moorhead, MN : home $246,300, crime 2,041/100k
Cleveland Heights, OH : home $176,700, crime 1,551/100k
The Colony, TX : home $355,100, crime 1,569/100k
Riverton, UT : home $543,900, crime 968/100k
Lawrence, IN : home $220,400, crime 2,020/100k
Jeffersonville, IN : home $208,500, crime 1,988/100k
Mishawaka, IN : home $140,600, crime 2,806/100k
Columbus, IN : home $231,000, crime 96/100k
Westfield, IN : home $391,900, crime 686/100k
Portage, IN : home $210,800, crime 1,344/100k
How does West Lafayette compare to other US cities?
West Lafayette measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income4% higher than other cities
Home value68% pricier than other cities
Median rent27% pricier than other cities
Safety52% 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 Indiana, West Lafayette ranks #67 of 110 Indiana cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares West Lafayette 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 West Lafayette near the bottom of Indiana's cities
Among the 850 Indiana cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, West Lafayette ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares West Lafayette only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#754 of 766
2nd percentile in Indiana
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 850
0th percentile in Indiana
Median Home Value
#34 of 771
96th percentile in Indiana
Poverty Rate
#410 of 849
51st percentile in Indiana
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#13 of 850
98th 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.
Gauge source note
4th percentile nationally for median household income · 52nd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
West Lafayette's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
West 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 West Lafayette's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$318,10032nd percentilemore affordable than 32% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
West Lafayette's home-value-to-income ratio: 9.5×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,305 of 15,516
More affordable than 1% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,269 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 9.5×, West Lafayette sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,305 of 15,516 and #3,269 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
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
$33,497West Lafayette, IN median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context West Lafayette, 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 West Lafayette, IN.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)71.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.2%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)48.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
44,802
Median Income
$33,497
Median Home Value
$318,100
Median Age
21.4
Poverty Rate
7.2%
Labor force participation
48.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
71.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1298.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
93.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1204.7
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
West Lafayette's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
44,654 residents
2021
44,970 residents
2022
45,037 residents
2023
45,050 residents
2024
46,022 residents
2025
45,747 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
131
housing units authorized
Single-Family
25
detached homes
Multifamily
106
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.9
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
529
19
510
$64.8M
2020
318
15
303
$40.9M
2021
149
31
118
$28.1M
2022
263
28
235
$59.7M
2023
923
43
880
$179.5M
2024
131
25
106
$28.3M
Permit volume decreased 75% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
49.0%
Carpool
3.8%
Public Transit
5.6%
Walk
24.5%
Work from Home
12.5%
Other
4.6%
Based on 18,521 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 West Lafayette. 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 West Lafayette 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 West Lafayette sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How West Lafayette 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.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, 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.