City safety & data profile

West LafayetteIN

West Lafayette, IN is a 46K-resident city in Tippecanoe County with a median household income of $34,891.

Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for West Lafayette, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. West Lafayette has a population larger than 77% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $350,000, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

46K
Population
Top 23%
By size
$34,891
Median income
$350,000
Median home
37.3%
Poverty rate

The read on West Lafayette

West Lafayette posts a median household income higher than 1% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the West Lafayette area.

Top 99%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near West Lafayette

Where West Lafayette income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$34,891 Bottom 1% higher than 1% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. IN $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading West Lafayette, IN beyond the headline numbers

West Lafayette sits inside Tippecanoe County, Indiana, at roughly 40.43°N, -86.91°W. Population 45,550, $34,891 median household income. Median home value $350,000, median rent $1,225. Poverty rate 37.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: West Lafayette's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 38.3%, then obesity at 25.5%. 1 hospital in/around West Lafayette, 0 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for West Lafayette from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
45,550
West Lafayette
Median Income
$34,891
-49% vs avg
Median Home Value
$350,000
+54% vs avg
Median Age
21.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Tippecanoe County) - West Lafayette's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
189K+8%
Median Income
$60,636+37%
Median Home Value
$239,300+83%
Poverty Rate
19.2%-11%
Unemployment
3.2%-62%

Economics

Economics indicators for West Lafayette, IN
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,225/mo
Poverty Rate
37.3% +163% vs avg
Unemployment 4.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 73.3%
Work From Home 15.1%
Public Transit 4.8%

Population

White 67.6%
African American 3.7%
Asian 21.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
38.3%
Obesity
25.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
24%
Physical Inactivity
23%
High Blood Pressure
22.2%
Binge Drinking
17%
Current Smoking
12.7%
Current Asthma
11.5%
Frequent Physical Distress
11.5%
Lack of Health Insurance
10.2%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 51.7%
Annual Checkup 73.8%

Other Measures

Diabetes
6.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
3.3%
Stroke
1.7%

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of West Lafayette, IN? ▼
West Lafayette, IN has a population of 45,550 people, located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana.
What is the median household income in West Lafayette? ▼
The median household income in West Lafayette, IN is $34,891 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 37.3%.
What is the median home value in West Lafayette? ▼
The median home value in West Lafayette, IN is $350,000. Median rent is $1,225/month.
What are the top health concerns in West Lafayette? ▼
The top health indicators in West Lafayette include Short Sleep Duration (38.3%), Obesity (25.5%), Frequent Mental Distress (24%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in West Lafayette? ▼
West Lafayette has 1 hospital. 0 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in West Lafayette? ▼
The median age in West Lafayette, IN is 21.4 years. 73.3% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

West Lafayette, IN is located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. With a population of 46K and a $34,891 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital. Safety alerts for the West Lafayette area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Indiana

Real-time AQI for every monitored Indiana location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Lafayette, IN 71K Crawfordsville, IN 16K Frankfort, IN 16K Lebanon, IN 16K Logansport, IN 18K Brownsburg, IN 25K Kokomo, IN 58K Danville, IL 32K
All cities in Indiana → Compare West Lafayette vs Lafayette → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using West Lafayette's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the West Lafayette area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare West Lafayette against Indiana peers on any ranking lens. Explore Indiana

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Tippecanoe County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.