Lafayette, IN — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Indiana·Lafayette

Tippecanoe County · Lafayette-West Lafayette · population 71,757

First-time buyers
Lafayette, IN
Image: Wikipedia · Lafayette, Indiana
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
71
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lafayette stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $266,175
1-year +2.3%
5-yr CAGR +6.9%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population +0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$266k$117k$170k$224k$277k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
40/100
Car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
85/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,199/mo$811$1,041$1,271202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent140139100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 18.5
Lean buy

At a 18.5 price-to-rent ratio, Lafayette is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
62 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
74 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
52 · w16%
Rent YoY
70 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
80 · w10%
Long thesis

Lafayette is a Rust Belt market with +0.3% population growth — a rare combination. You're buying real housing for less than the cost of a coastal studio in a city the data says is finally turning.

Short thesis

Lafayette's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Lafayette

Lafayette is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, with an estimated population of 71,757. It anchors the Lafayette-West Lafayette metro area. The median home value in Lafayette is $266,175 as of 2026-04, up 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.9% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Lafayette average $1,199 per month, up 3.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 71 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.9% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +2.3% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Lafayette (Wikipedia)

Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 70,783 at the 2020 census. It sits across the Wabash River from West Lafayette, home to Purdue University, which plays a major role in both communities. Together, Lafayette and West Lafayette make up the core of the Lafayette metropolitan area, home to 235,066 people in 2020.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTony Roswarski
Elevation663 ft
Platted1825
Nickname"Star City"
Density2409.39/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Tippecanoe County right now.

NWS active alerts (IN)Indiana Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Tippecanoe County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Lafayette

22 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Highland Park$361,609+6.1%
2Downtown$327,911+7.9%
3Potter Hollow$304,429+2.1%
4Orchard Heights$299,607+0.3%
5Jesco Hills$278,945+3.9%
6Historic Centennial$258,869-5.5%
7Vinton Highlands$248,500+2.6%
8Tecumseh$217,245+1.4%
9Perrin$215,681+3.2%
10Center$207,323+4.2%
11Oakland Triangle$205,034+3.7%
12Columbian Park$200,817+2.9%
13Hedgewood$197,711+6.1%
14Glen Acres$193,188+2.8%
15Ellsworth Romig$192,617+7.0%
16Brady Lane$181,600+2.8%
17Vinton$176,669+1.6%
18Hanna$174,589+6.4%
19Monon$169,810+0.3%
20Saint Lawrence-McCallister$169,795+3.2%
21Lincoln$166,406+9.3%
22Wabash$158,550-7.6%

Cities like Lafayette

Muncie, IN72 · RisingFranklin, IN71 · RisingColumbus, IN71 · RisingMishawaka, IN71 · Rising

Run the numbers for Lafayette

ToolCan I afford Lafayette?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lafayette rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lafayette to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLafayette cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 19°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
186
~51% of year
Annual precip
42″ rain
20″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lafayette listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Lafayette-West Lafayette area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$67,200
Indiana state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareLogistics

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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