menu
Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

West Lafayette, IN
Real Estate & Demographic Data






West Lafayette profile


Living in West Lafayette



West Lafayette is a medium-sized city located in the state of Indiana. With a population of 45,060 people and 15 associated neighborhoods, West Lafayette is the 23rd largest community in Indiana.

West Lafayette real estate is some of the most expensive in Indiana, although West Lafayette house values don't compare to the most expensive real estate in the U.S.

And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that West Lafayette has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too.

Also of interest is that West Lafayette has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 10.89% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In addition, West Lafayette is a major college town that has a very high percentage of its residents over 18 years old who are college students. Naturally, collegiate life has a major influence on local West Lafayette culture, lifestyle and entertainment options. West Lafayette really pulses to the beat of the academic calendar. In West Lafayette every fall, returning students reinvigorate the community, who you will notice are all over town, buying groceries, out with friends, and getting acquainted or re-acquainted with each other and West Lafayette. One of the beneficial effects that colleges provide is that they tend to be lasting institutions that deliver direct economic benefits to the local economy in the form of such things as jobs for faculty and staff, and spending by students. West Lafayette benefits directly from this.

West Lafayette, while not large, also appears to be attractive to some younger, educated professionals, who help shape the character of the city.

One of the benefits of West Lafayette is that there is very little traffic. The average commute to work is 17.02 minutes, which is substantially less than the national average. Not only does this mean that the drive to work is less aggravating, but noise and pollution levels are lower as a result.

A lot of people in West Lafayette take the bus for their daily commute. For the size of the city, the number of people who use public transportation is quite high. For many people in West Lafayette, this fills their need for low-cost transportation.

If knowledge is power, West Lafayette is a pretty powerful place. 71.20% of the adults in West Lafayette have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in West Lafayette in 2018 was $21,559, which is low income relative to Indiana and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $86,236 for a family of four. However, West Lafayette contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. West Lafayette also has one of the higher rates of people living in poverty in the nation, with 39.18% of its population below the federal poverty line.

West Lafayette is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call West Lafayette home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of West Lafayette residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in West Lafayette include German, Irish, English, Italian, and Polish.

West Lafayette also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 22.50%.

The most common language spoken in West Lafayette is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Langs. of India.