Population
528 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Virginia
City profile · Virginia · Census ACS 2023
Lafayette, VA
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.
- 528
- Residents
- $32,210
- Median income
- $1,254
- Median rent (state)
Lafayette - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Lafayette places in the 3rd percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.
- 3rd
- percentile, household income
- 41st
- 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, VA
Virginia's Lafayette is a small town, with 528 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Lafayette brings in $32,210 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 24.1%. The median resident age is 42.3 years. About 16.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 22.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Virginia tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 101.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,254 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Virginia run around $235, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 52.2 out of 100 (Low).
Median Household Income
$32,210 /yr
Poverty 24.1%
Cost of Living Index (state)
101.1 (US=100)
Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Virginia average
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 3% higher than other cities
Median rent 41% 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
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 Virginia, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.
3rd percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 16.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL) 24.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+) 22.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
528
Median Income
$32,210
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
42.3
Poverty Rate
24.1%
Labor force participation
22.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.1%
Commute Patterns
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.6%
Carpool
13.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
10.3%
Based on 107 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
State-average estimates for Virginia - EIA 2023 residential energy data
Electricity
$115
avg/month
Natural Gas
$70
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$50
avg/month
Total Utilities
$235
estimated/month
Estimates reflect Virginia 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 Virginia 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
101.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,254/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
52.2 / 100
Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Virginia
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lafayette's 528 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lafayette's $32,210 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How Lafayette compares to nearby Virginia 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) | 528 | $32,210 |
| Seven Mile Ford | 528 | $27,716 |
| Keezletown | 529 | $61,250 |
| Bland | 526 | $68,333 |
Census ACS 5-year FIPS VA OMB Bulletin 23-01
What do people ask about Lafayette, VA?
What is the population of Lafayette, VA? +
528 people live in Lafayette, VA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in Lafayette, VA? +
In Lafayette, the typical household earns $32,210 per year, 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 Virginia state average, a cost of living index of 101.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Virginia vary by metro area.
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.
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 EditorialEvery 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.