Lafayette County · Louisiana · South · 122k residents
Lafayette, LA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Lafayette: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the Louisiana median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
The acs median home value in Lafayette is $257,000, 18% above the Louisiana median. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,097/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 85 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $61,915 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findings- Housing value: The ACS median home value in Lafayette is $257,000, 18.3% above the median for ACS-covered places in Louisiana.
- Household income: Median household income is $61,915, 10.9% above the median for ACS-covered places in Louisiana.
- Adult education: 41.1% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 44.2% above the median for ACS-covered places in Louisiana.
- Home value to income: The ACS median home value is about 4.2 times median household income. This is a comparison measure, not a mortgage qualification or affordability promise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
The heart of Cajun country, where music, food, dance, and bayou landscapes define daily life.
Known for: Cajun culture, zydeco, boudin, bayous, and Acadiana hospitality.
Calendar note: Festivals Acadiens et Créoles is the signature annual celebration.
Story source: Lafayette Travel
- Scale: A mid-sized city with a population between 50,000 and 250,000 in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Lafayette about 33 miles from the nearest tracked ocean.
- Climate signal: The profile records 215 sunny days.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 38 and an average commute of 26 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Lafayette side by side
Cost of living index
85
ACS median home value
$257,000
2-bedroom rent
$1,097/mo
Median household income
$61,915
Housing momentum
How fast Lafayette's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
45/100
Steady
Ranks Lafayette's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Lafayette's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| ACS median home value | $257,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $140 |
| Property tax rate | 0.55% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $924/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,097/mo |
| State & local income tax | 3.01% |
| Sales tax | 9.55% |
| Cost of living index | 85 |
| Groceries index | 97 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $45/mo |
| Gas price | $2.95/gal |
| Healthcare index | 94 |
| Childcare (per child) | $800/mo |
| Median household income | $61,915 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% |
| Population | 122k |
| Crime index | 75/100 |
| School rating | 4.2/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 95/100 |
| Avg. commute | 26 min |
| Sunny days / year | 215 days |
| July high | 92°F |
| January low | 44°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +2.0% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +0.7% |
| Rent MoM | -0.2% |
| Ocean coast | 33 mi |
| Big lake | 114 mi |
| Mountains | 323 mi |
| Major airport | 55 mi |
| Ski resort | 578 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Youngsville, LA · 17k
- New Iberia, LA · 28k
- Opelousas, LA · 15k
- Baton Rouge, LA · 223k
- Zachary, LA · 20k
Similar size
- Metairie, LA · 140k
- Lake Charles, LA · 81k
- Kenner, LA · 65k
- Bossier City, LA · 63k
- Shreveport, LA · 181k
Real listings in Lafayette
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Lafayette, LA?
- Lafayette indexes at 85 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,097/mo and a acs median home value of $257,000.
- How much does a house cost in Lafayette?
- The acs median home value in Lafayette is $257,000, 18% above the Louisiana median (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Lafayette?
- A two-bedroom in Lafayette rents for about $1,097/mo.