The Town FilesWest Lafayette, Indiana
City in Tippecanoe County · population 44,595 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $350,000
- Household income
- $34,891
- Jan low / Jul high
- 18° / 84°
- Snow a year
- 19 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 41
- Median age
- 21.4
West Lafayette is a city of 44,595 people in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. The median home is worth $350,000, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). It ranks more vibrant than 100% of Indiana towns, better transit than 100% of Indiana towns, better for young professionals than 99% of Indiana towns.
How West Lafayette ranks
Percentile among Indiana towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Indiana towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in West Lafayette is worth $350,000, above the typical Indiana town ($150,400). Homes cost about 10.0 times the median household income of $34,891, which is more affordable than 0% of Indiana towns. Median rent is $1,225 a month. 29.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | West Lafayette | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $350,000 | $150,400 |
| Median rent | $1,225 | $888 |
| Median household income | $34,891 | $61,953 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.0× | 2.5× |
| Homeownership | 29.4% | 73.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1966 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in West Lafayette
| People | West Lafayette | Typical Indiana town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.4 | 38.9 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.4% | 17.1% |
| Under 18 | 8.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73.3% | 17.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 37.3% | 11.6% |
| Veterans | 1.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 20.5% | — |
| Work from home | 15.1% | 6.2% |
| Average commute | 16.1 min | 24.7 min |
| Homes with broadband | 89.8% | 89.2% |
Weather in West Lafayette
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 18.2°F. About 37.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 18.9 inches of snow (typical Indiana town: 21.1 in). Expect about 20 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 116 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
41 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of West Lafayette since 1950, compared with 23 for the typical Indiana town. 12 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 20, 1976 about 3.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 18, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 56 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 27, 2019.
Severe weather in Tippecanoe County since 1996
Tippecanoe County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641: Severe Winter Storm |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456: Covid-19 |
| June 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1766: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes |
| January 30, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1740: Severe Storms And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Tippecanoe County
Tippecanoe County had 92,794 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,152 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in West Lafayette itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Public schools in West Lafayette
7 public schools with 6,662 students, about 16.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Henry Harrison High School | 9-12 | 2,169 | 17.5 |
| West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School | 7-12 | 1,110 | 14.2 |
| Klondike Elementary School | K-5 | 932 | 17.6 |
| Burnett Creek Elementary School | K-5 | 775 | 19.4 |
| West Lafayette Elementary School | K-3 | 687 | 14.0 |
| West Lafayette Intermediate School | 4-6 | 546 | 15.6 |
| Klondike Middle School | 6-8 | 443 | 17.0 |
Towns near West Lafayette
- Lafayette, IN4.4 mi · 70,783 people · home $172,800
- Delphi, IN16.6 mi · 2,961 people · home $141,300
- Attica, IN20.1 mi · 3,036 people · home $118,000
- Monticello, IN22.4 mi · 5,508 people · home $149,600
- Frankfort, IN23.3 mi · 16,715 people · home $138,600
- Crawfordsville, IN27.9 mi · 16,306 people · home $134,000
West Lafayette questions
Is West Lafayette, Indiana a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, West Lafayette scores better for retirees than 5% of Indiana towns and quieter than 1%. 7.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 21.4).
How much does a house cost in West Lafayette?
The median owner-occupied home in West Lafayette is valued at $350,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $34,891, so homes cost about 10.0 times income. Median rent is $1,225 a month.
What is the weather like in West Lafayette?
July highs average 83.8°F and January lows 18.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.0 inches of precipitation a year and 18.9 inches of snow.
Does West Lafayette get tornadoes?
41 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of West Lafayette since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 20, 1976. The typical Indiana town has had 23.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)