West Lafayette, IN

Census Place

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2020 Population

49,668

2.3% 1-year growth

US Senator

Todd Young

Republican Party

US Senator

Mike Braun

Republican Party

2018 Median Age

21.8

0.461% 1-year increase

2020 Poverty Rate

35.5%

7.9% 1-year decrease

2020 Median Household Income

$31,460

9.21% 1-year decline

2020 Median Property Value

$235,300

5.04% 1-year growth

2020 Employed Population

21,411

2.77% 1-year decline

About

In 2020, West Lafayette, IN had a population of 49.7k people with a median age of 21.8 and a median household income of $31,460. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of West Lafayette, IN grew from 48,551 to 49,668, a 2.3% increase and its median household income declined from $34,650 to $31,460, a −9.21% decrease.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in West Lafayette, IN are White (Non-Hispanic) (66.1%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (21.9%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (3.82%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.74%), and White (Hispanic) (2.6%).

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.

83% of the residents in West Lafayette, IN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in West Lafayette, IN are Purdue University-Main Campus (12,213 degrees awarded in 2020).

In 2020, the median property value in West Lafayette, IN was $235,300, and the homeownership rate was 34.6%.

Most people in West Lafayette, IN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.6 minutes. The average car ownership in West Lafayette, IN was 2 cars per household.

Population & Diversity

West Lafayette, IN is home to a population of 49.7k people, from which 83% are citizens. As of 2020, 22.6% of West Lafayette, IN residents were born outside of the country (11.2k people).

In 2020, there were 3.02 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (32.8k people) in West Lafayette, IN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.9k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 1.9k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

83%

2020 Citizenship

80.5%

2019 Citizenship

As of 2020, 83% of West Lafayette, IN residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in West Lafayette, IN was 80.5%, 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)
32.8k ± 831
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
10.9k ± 670
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
1.9k ± 434

4.44%

Hispanic Population

2.21k people

4.44% of the people in West Lafayette, IN are hispanic (2.21k people).

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

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Indiana.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
102,901 ± 7,815 people
India
33,655 ± 4,493 people
China
21,706 ± 3,611 people

In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Indiana was Mexico, the natal country of 102,901 Indiana residents, followed by India with 33,655 and China with 21,706.

Foreign-Born Population

22.6%

2020 Foreign-Born Population

11.2k people

24.3%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

11.8k people

As of 2020, 22.6% of West Lafayette, IN residents (11.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in West Lafayette, IN was 24.3%, 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

Vietnam
226 ± 94
World War II
174 ± 147
Korea
108 ± 73

West Lafayette, IN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of West Lafayette, IN employs 21.4k people. The largest industries in West Lafayette, IN are Educational Services (8,482 people), Accommodation & Food Services (2,678 people), and Manufacturing (1,902 people), and the highest paying industries are Transportation & Warehousing ($46,875), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($45,208), and Public Administration ($38,304).

Males in Indiana have an average income that is 1.38 times higher than the average income of females, which is $46,739. The income inequality in Indiana (measured using the Gini index) is 0.451, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

21.4k

2020 Value

± 1,225

−2.77%

1 Year decline

± 8.01%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in West Lafayette, IN declined at a rate of −2.77%, from 22k employees to 21.4k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in West Lafayette, IN, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (4,743 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,067 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,951 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 Indiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Indiana (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

21.4k

2020 Value

± 1,225

−2.77%

1 Year decline

± 8.01%

From 2019 to 2020, employment in West Lafayette, IN declined at a rate of −2.77%, from 22k employees to 21.4k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in West Lafayette, IN, are Educational Services (8,482 people), Accommodation & Food Services (2,678 people), and Manufacturing (1,902 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

$19,428

Median earning men ± $1,848

$10,471

Median earning women ± $3,242

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Public Administration ($70,034), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,319), and Manufacturing ($36,705).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($38,457), Public Administration ($37,386), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($27,714).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Indiana. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Indiana.

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Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Indiana to other states, or from other states to Indiana.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Indiana product (by dollars) was Motorized vehicles with $78.4B, followed by Mixed freight ($44.4B) and Base metals ($39.6B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Indiana products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Indiana.

$486B

2020 Value in Indiana

$897B

Projected 2050 Value in Indiana

84.5% growth

In 2020, total outbound Indiana trade was $486B. This is expected to increase 84.5% to $897B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Indiana trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Indiana to other states, or from other states to Indiana.

Most Common Trade Partners

Illinois
$41.4B
Michigan
$40.6B
Ohio
$40B

In 2020, the top outbound Indiana domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Illinois with $41.4B, followed by Michigan with $40.6B and Ohio and $40B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Indiana shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

Todd Young and Mike Braun are the senators currently representing the state of Indiana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Indiana is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senators Elections

US Senators from Indiana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Indiana.

Todd Young

Senator from Indiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Mike Braun

Senator from Indiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Todd Young and Mike Braun are the senators currently representing Indiana.

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 Indiana over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives Elections

US Representatives from Indiana

Indiana is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Indiana have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2020, universities in West Lafayette, IN awarded 12,213 degrees. The student population of West Lafayette, IN in 2020 is skewed towards men, with 26,714 male students and 19,941 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in West Lafayette, IN are White (7,030 and 74.3%), followed by Asian (842 and 8.9%), Hispanic or Latino (574 and 6.07%), and Black or African American (371 and 3.92%).

The largest universities in West Lafayette, IN by number of degrees awarded are Purdue University-Main Campus (12,213 and 100%).

The most popular majors in West Lafayette, IN are General Business Administration & Management (773 and 6.33%), Mechanical Engineering (559 and 4.58%), and Computer Science (555 and 4.54%).

The median tuition cost in West Lafayette, IN for a public four year colleges is $9,208 for in-state students and $28,010 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2020 in West Lafayette, IN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 67.2%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 23.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2020 was 46,655 (57.3% men and 42.7% 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 2020 there were 46,655 students enrolled in West Lafayette, IN, 57.3% men and 42.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 27,571 records, of which 45.4% were women and 54.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Computer Science
469 degree-majors awarded
Mechanical Engineering
376 degree-majors awarded
Industrial Engineering
276 degree-majors awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in West Lafayette, IN was Computer Science with 469 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

12,213 degrees awarded

In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Purdue University-Main Campus with 12,213 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2020, 6,793 men were awarded degrees from institutions in West Lafayette, IN, which is 1.25 times more than the 5,420 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 7,030 degrees mean that there were 8.35 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 842 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 ($9,208) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($784) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2020.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,190) 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 2020, 0.655% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.645% 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 2020 were High School or Equivalent (1.72M), Some college (1.14M), and Bachelors Degree (831k).

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 $235,300 in 2020, which is 1.02 times larger than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $224,000 to $235,300, a 5.04% increase. The homeownership rate in West Lafayette, IN is 34.6%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.

People in West Lafayette, IN have an average commute time of 15.6 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 $31,460. In 2020, the place with the highest median household income in West Lafayette, IN was Census Tract 51.02 with a value of $96,786, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 52, with respective values of $90,094 and $69,703.

Housing

Property

$235,300

Median Property Value 2020

±$15,385

$5,020

Median Property Taxes

±$555

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 $2k - $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

34.6%

Homeownership

2020

65.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2020

In 2020, 34.6% of the housing units in West Lafayette, IN were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 35.2%.

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 2020, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in West Lafayette, IN was Census Tract 51.02 with a value of $96,786, followed by Census Tract 106 and Census Tract 52, with respective values of $90,094 and $69,703.

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.

$31,460

Median Household Income

± $4,500

14.5k

Number of Households

± 1,172

In 2020, the median household income of the 14.5k households in West Lafayette, IN declined from $31,460 from the previous year's value of $34,650.

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 Indiana.

0.451

2020 Wage GINI in Indiana

0.455

2019 Wage GINI in Indiana

In 2020, the income inequality in Indiana was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.725% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Indiana was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Indiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Indiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2020

Drove Alone (56.1%)
Walked (22%)
Public Transit (6.14%)

In 2020, 56.1% of workers in West Lafayette, IN drove alone to work, followed by those who walked to work (22%) and those who used public transit to get to work (6.14%).

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

15.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in West Lafayette, IN have a shorter commute time (15.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 0.802% 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

35.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in West Lafayette, IN (12.2k out of 34.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. 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 Black.

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

96.3% of the population of West Lafayette, IN has health coverage, with 64.7% on employee plans, 4.23% on Medicaid, 4.95% on Medicare, 21.7% on non-group plans, and 0.671% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Indiana was $8,300 in 2014. This is a 4.76% increase from the previous year ($7,923).

Primary care physicians in Tippecanoe County, IN see 1451 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.26% increase from the previous year (1433 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2105 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 680 patients per year.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Indiana. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Indiana, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Tippecanoe County, IN.

1,451 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Tippecanoe County, IN

Primary care physicians in Tippecanoe County, IN see an average of 1,451 patients per year. This represents a 1.26% increase from the previous year (1,433 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Tippecanoe County, IN in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Community Mobility

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

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Indiana across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.3% under 18 years, 58.5% between 18 and 34 years, 15.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 6.92% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.3% were men and 45.7% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.73%

Uninsured

64.7%

Employer Coverage

4.23%

Medicaid

4.95%

Medicare

21.7%

Non-Group

0.671%

Military or VA

Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in West Lafayette, IN declined by 24.9% from 4.97% to 3.73%.

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.