Living in Lafayette, IN
Small city in Indiana
Lafayette is a small city in Indiana, home to about 71,000 people, with 203,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Lafayette a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $263k and rents for $1,490 a month
- Dog-friendly: 13 dog parks within 9 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 83°F
- Low natural disaster risk: 5 federally declared disasters since 2000
👎 Cons
- Smaller job market: about 203,000 people live within 31 mi
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Fewer graduates: 28% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Lafayette ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Lafayette: common questions
What is the cost of living in Lafayette?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $263k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,490 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 93, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Lafayette?
Indiana collects about $1,275 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.66% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Lafayette safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.3× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Lafayette?
Lafayette has cold winters: winter days average around 37°F and summer days around 83°F, with roughly 21″ of snow a year.
Does Lafayette get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, cold waves and tornadoes: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.89 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Lafayette?
The nearest major airport is IND, about 56 mi away.
How Lafayette scores
Each bar compares Lafayette with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Nearby
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Is Lafayette right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.