The Town FilesLafayette, Minnesota
Township in Nicollet County · population 700 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $330,600
- Household income
- $116,250
- Jan low / Jul high
- 4° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 38 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 23
- Median age
- 34.9
Lafayette is a township of 700 people in Nicollet County, Minnesota. The median home is worth $330,600, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). It ranks better for families than 92% of Minnesota towns, quieter than 77% of Minnesota towns.
How Lafayette ranks
Percentile among Minnesota towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Minnesota towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lafayette is worth $330,600, above the typical Minnesota town ($301,800). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $116,250, which is more affordable than 77% of Minnesota towns. Median rent is $814 a month. 89.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lafayette | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $330,600 | $301,800 |
| Median rent | $814 | $991 |
| Median household income | $116,250 | $87,375 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.8× | 3.4× |
| Homeownership | 89.1% | 88.6% |
| Median year built | 1966 | 1979 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.6% | — |
Who lives in Lafayette
| People | Lafayette | Typical Minnesota town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.9 | 42.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.9% | 20.0% |
| Under 18 | 26.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 26.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.8% | 6.9% |
| Veterans | 9.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 0.7% | — |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 11.1% |
| Average commute | 21.6 min | 24.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.7% | 90.2% |
Weather in Lafayette
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 3.6°F. About 32.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 38.3 inches of snow (typical Minnesota town: 47.0 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 166 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1950, compared with 14 for the typical Minnesota town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 25, 2010 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 4, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 57 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on March 29, 1998.
Severe weather in Nicollet County since 1996
Nicollet County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, tornado.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| June 28, 2024 | Flood | DR-4797: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 7, 2020 | Biological | DR-4531: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3453: Covid-19 |
| June 12, 2019 | Flood | DR-4442: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| September 5, 2018 | Flood | DR-4390: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Jobs and pay in Nicollet County
Nicollet County had 14,609 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,235 a year. Unemployment was 2.2% in 2023; in Lafayette itself the ACS puts it at 0.3%.
Towns near Lafayette
- New Ulm, MN5.1 mi · 14,120 people · home $204,200
- Milford, MN7.5 mi · 691 people · home $292,800
- Courtland, MN8.6 mi · 734 people · home $275,600
- Courtland, MN8.6 mi · 572 people · home $318,000
- Cottonwood, MN9.9 mi · 856 people · home $246,500
- Gibbon, MN11.4 mi · 784 people · home $102,700
- Winthrop, MN11.7 mi · 1,332 people · home $169,600
- Nicollet, MN14.2 mi · 1,143 people · home $239,700
Lafayette questions
Is Lafayette, Minnesota a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lafayette scores better for retirees than 69% of Minnesota towns and quieter than 77%. 18.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.9).
How much does a house cost in Lafayette?
The median owner-occupied home in Lafayette is valued at $330,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $116,250, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $814 a month.
What is the weather like in Lafayette?
July highs average 81.4°F and January lows 3.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.8 inches of precipitation a year and 38.3 inches of snow.
Does Lafayette get tornadoes?
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 25, 2010. The typical Minnesota town has had 14.
- 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)