Tippecanoe County · Indiana · Midwest · 45k residents
West Lafayette, IN: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on West Lafayette: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Indiana 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.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,194/wk. Indiana's corporate income tax rate is 4.9%. Commercial electricity averages 12.4¢/kWh.
Compare West Lafayette side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,194/wk
Corporate income tax
4.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
73.3%
Commercial electricity
12.4¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast West Lafayette's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
16/100
Cooling
Ranks West Lafayette's jobs 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. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $350,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $150 |
| Property tax rate | 0.83% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,136/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,259/mo |
| State & local income tax | 4.75% |
| Sales tax | 7% |
| Corporate income tax | 4.9% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,194/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73.3% |
| Commercial electricity | 12.4¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 22.8/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $99,750 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $80,790 |
| Wage: General manager | $100,600 |
| Wage: Customer service | $41,090 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $33,840 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $58,360 |
| Wage: Electrician | $78,540 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $30,670 |
| Cost of living index | 92 |
| Groceries index | 95 |
| Utilities | $165/mo |
| Transit pass | $60/mo |
| Gas price | $3.20/gal |
| Healthcare index | 95 |
| Childcare (per child) | $900/mo |
| Median household income | $34,891 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% |
| Population | 45k |
| Crime index | 45/100 |
| School rating | 5.8/10 |
| Walkability | 30/100 |
| Disaster risk | 82/100 |
| Avg. commute | 24 min |
| Sunny days / year | 190 days |
| July high | 84°F |
| January low | 18°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | +0.8% |
| Home price MoM | 0.0% |
| Rent YoY | +3.8% |
| Rent MoM | +0.5% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.9% |
| Building permits YoY | — |
| Ocean coast | 640 mi |
| Big lake | 84 mi |
| Mountains | 285 mi |
| Major airport | 60 mi |
| Ski resort | 140 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Lafayette, IN · 71k
- Frankfort, IN · 16k
- Crawfordsville, IN · 16k
- Lebanon, IN · 18k
- Logansport, IN · 18k
Similar size
- Lawrence, IN · 50k
- Mishawaka, IN · 51k
- Jeffersonville, IN · 51k
- Columbus, IN · 52k
- Portage, IN · 38k
Real listings in West Lafayette
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is West Lafayette a good place to run a business?
- Indiana's corporate income tax rate is 4.9%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,194/wk; commercial electricity averages 12.4¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in West Lafayette, IN?
- West Lafayette indexes at 92 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $1,259/mo and a acs median home value of $350,000.
- How much does a house cost in West Lafayette?
- The acs median home value in West Lafayette is $350,000 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in West Lafayette?
- A two-bedroom in West Lafayette rents for about $1,259/mo.