West Lafayette, IN

Census Place

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2022 Population

44,861

0.777% 1-year growth

2022 Median Age

21.4

0.465% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

39.2%

4.43% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$30,317

5.47% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$303,300

22.2% 1-year growth

2022 Employed Population

19,825

0.627% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, West Lafayette, IN had a population of 44.9k people with a median age of 21.4 and a median household income of $30,317. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of West Lafayette, IN grew from 44,515 to 44,861, a 0.777% increase and its median household income grew from $28,744 to $30,317, a 5.47% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in West Lafayette, IN are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.5%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (21%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.62%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (3.28%), and White (Hispanic) (2.14%).

None of the households in West Lafayette, IN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

84.6% of the residents in West Lafayette, IN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in West Lafayette, IN are Purdue University-Main Campus (13,356 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in West Lafayette, IN was $303,300, and the homeownership rate was 29.5%.

Most people in West Lafayette, IN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.3 minutes. The average car ownership in West Lafayette, IN was 2 cars per household.

United States

Population & Diversity

West Lafayette, IN is home to a population of 44.9k people, from which 84.6% are citizens. As of 2022, 22.4% of West Lafayette, IN residents were born outside of the country (10.1k people).

In 2022, there were 3.16 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29.9k people) in West Lafayette, IN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 9.44k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 1.62k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

84.6%

2022 Citizenship

83.3%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 84.6% of West Lafayette, IN residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in West Lafayette, IN was 83.3%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in West Lafayette, IN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in West Lafayette, IN

White (Non-Hispanic)
29.9k ± 841
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
9.44k ± 719
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.62k ± 393

4.86%

Hispanic Population

2.18k people

4.86% of the people in West Lafayette, IN are hispanic (2.18k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in West Lafayette, IN as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

22.4%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

10.1k people

22.8%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

10.1k people

As of 2022, 22.4% of West Lafayette, IN residents (10.1k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in West Lafayette, IN was 22.8%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in West Lafayette, IN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Korea
189 ± 189
Vietnam
181 ± 82
Gulf War (2001-)
140 ± 94

West Lafayette, IN has a large population of military personnel who served in Korea, 1.04 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of West Lafayette, IN employs 19.8k people. The largest industries in West Lafayette, IN are Educational Services (7,800 people), Accommodation & Food Services (2,497 people), and Retail Trade (1,715 people), and the highest paying industries are Public Administration ($44,441), Construction ($35,399), and Manufacturing ($34,101).

Employment

Occupations

19.8k

2022 Value

± 1,206

−0.627%

1 Year decline

± 8.35%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in West Lafayette, IN declined at a rate of −0.627%, from 20k employees to 19.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Lafayette, IN, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (4,448 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,123 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,752 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of West Lafayette, IN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in the United States (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

19.8k

2022 Value

± 1,206

−0.627%

1 Year decline

± 8.35%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in West Lafayette, IN declined at a rate of −0.627%, from 20k employees to 19.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Lafayette, IN, are Educational Services (7,800 people), Accommodation & Food Services (2,497 people), and Retail Trade (1,715 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of West Lafayette, IN, though some of these residents may live in West Lafayette, IN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$20,991

Median earning men ± $1,757

$11,294

Median earning women ± $1,363

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Public Administration ($81,198), Other Services Except Public Administration ($40,098), and Wholesale Trade ($38,889).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Public Administration ($42,697), Manufacturing ($33,203), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($19,779).

Civics

are the senators currently representing the state of the United States. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming is currently represented by 435 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senator Elections

US Senators from the United States

Senator from N/AN/A

N/AN/A
N/A
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N/A

are the senators currently representing the United States.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in the United States over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in West Lafayette, IN awarded 13,356 degrees. The student population of West Lafayette, IN in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 29,790 male students and 21,738 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in West Lafayette, IN are White (8,031 and 72.5%), followed by Asian (1,296 and 11.7%), Hispanic or Latino (708 and 6.39%), and Two or More Races (481 and 4.34%).

The largest universities in West Lafayette, IN by number of degrees awarded are Purdue University-Main Campus (13,356 and 100%).

The most popular majors in West Lafayette, IN are General Business Administration & Management (728 and 5.45%), Mechanical Engineering (648 and 4.85%), and Aerospace, Aeronautical, & Astronautical Engineering (539 and 4.04%).

The median tuition cost in West Lafayette, IN for a public four year colleges is $9,718 for in-state students and $28,520 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in West Lafayette, IN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 52.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 26.1%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 51,528 (57.8% men and 42.2% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 51,528 students enrolled in West Lafayette, IN, 57.8% men and 42.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 28,700 records, of which 45.2% were women and 54.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
439 degrees awarded
Mechanical Engineering
430 degrees awarded
Aerospace, Aeronautical, & Astronautical Engineering
298 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in West Lafayette, IN was Computer Science with 439 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in West Lafayette, IN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Purdue University-Main Campus

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

13,356 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Purdue University-Main Campus with 13,356 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 7,336 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Lafayette, IN, which is 1.22 times more than the 6,020 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 8,031 degrees mean that there were 6.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 1,296 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($9,718) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($274) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,010) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

Measure

In 2022, 0.799% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.781% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.75M), Some college (1.13M), and Bachelors Degree (879k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in West Lafayette, IN was $303,300 in 2022, which is 1.08 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $248,100 to $303,300, a 22.2% increase. The homeownership rate in West Lafayette, IN is 29.5%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in West Lafayette, IN have an average commute time of 15.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in West Lafayette, IN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in West Lafayette, IN is $30,317. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in West Lafayette, IN was Census Tract 51.02 with a value of $103,750, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 52, with respective values of $103,199 and $79,643.

Housing

Property

$303,300

Median Property Value 2022

±$19,856

$4,154

Median Property Taxes

±$460

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In West Lafayette, IN the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in West Lafayette, IN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

29.5%

Homeownership

2022

64.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 29.5% of the housing units in West Lafayette, IN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 30.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in West Lafayette, IN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 51.02
Census Tract 106
Census Tract 52

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in West Lafayette, IN was Census Tract 51.02 with a value of $103,750, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 52, with respective values of $103,199 and $79,643.

The following map shows all of the places in West Lafayette, IN colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$30,317

Median Household Income

± $3,359

14.1k

Number of Households

± 1,040

In 2022, the median household income of the 14.1k households in West Lafayette, IN grew to $30,317 from the previous year's value of $28,744.

The following chart displays the households in West Lafayette, IN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for West Lafayette, IN is from West Lafayette, IN.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in West Lafayette, IN across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (52.6%)
Walked (22.2%)
Worked At Home (10.9%)

In 2022, 52.6% of workers in West Lafayette, IN drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (22.2%) and those who worked at home (10.9%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

15.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Lafayette, IN have a shorter commute time (15.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 0.326% of the workforce in West Lafayette, IN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in West Lafayette, IN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in West Lafayette, IN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in West Lafayette, IN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

39.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Lafayette, IN (12k out of 30.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in West Lafayette, IN is White, followed by Asian and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.1% of the population of West Lafayette, IN has health coverage, with 66.3% on employee plans, 3.95% on Medicaid, 5.35% on Medicare, 20.6% on non-group plans, and 0.861% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.2% under 18 years, 60.3% between 18 and 34 years, 13.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 6.81% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.7% were men and 45.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

2.93%

Uninsured

66.3%

Employer Coverage

3.95%

Medicaid

5.35%

Medicare

20.6%

Non-Group

0.861%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Lafayette, IN declined by 16.4% from 3.5% to 2.93%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in West Lafayette, IN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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