Cost of living in West Lafayette research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means West Lafayette is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Indiana, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in West Lafayette is 99, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in West Lafayette is 1.0x lower than the national average.
West Lafayette ranks as the #104 cheapest in Indiana out of 124.
West Lafayette ranks as the #3,027 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in West Lafayette is $248,100.
The median income in West Lafayette is $28,744.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, West Lafayette has an overall cost of living index of 99, which is 1.0x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to Indiana, West Lafayette has a cost of living index that's 1.1x higher than Indiana's index of 91.
The standard of living in West Lafayette ranks as #104 most affordable out of the 124 places we measured in Indiana. By definition, that implies West Lafayette ranks as the #20 most expensive place in the Hoosier State.
For more reading on life in West Lafayette, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in West Lafayette. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in West Lafayette is 100.
The Groceries index in West Lafayette is 94.
The Health index in West Lafayette is 86.
The Housing index in West Lafayette is 101.
The Transportation index in West Lafayette is 104.
The Utilities index in West Lafayette is 96.
Living Expense | West Lafayette | Indiana | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 99 | 91 | 100 | |
Services | 100 | 94 | 100 | |
Groceries | 94 | 96 | 100 | |
Health | 86 | 101 | 100 | |
Housing | 101 | 77 | 100 | |
Transportation | 104 | 95 | 100 | |
Utilities | 96 | 106 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Indiana, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in West Lafayette is $248,100.
The Median Rent in West Lafayette is $955.
The Median Income in West Lafayette is $28,744.
The Home Value To Income in West Lafayette is 8.6x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in West Lafayette is 0.4x.
Statistic | West Lafayette | Indiana | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $248,100 | $158,500 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $955 | $891 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $28,744 | $61,944 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 8.6x | 2.6x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.4x | 0.17x | 0.2x |
Item | West Lafayette | Indiana |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.05 | $1.06 |
Movie | $10.49 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $12.55 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $15.94 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $35.16 | $39.05 |
Item | West Lafayette | Indiana |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.89 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.17 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.66 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.89 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $10.01 | $10.62 |
Beer | $8.2 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.56 | $2.34 |
Item | West Lafayette | Indiana |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $87.5 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $85.0 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $85.0 | $99.13 |
Item | West Lafayette | Indiana |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.15 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $56.36 | $50.07 |
Item | West Lafayette | Indiana |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $152.62 | $167.67 |
Phone | $184.27 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around West Lafayette. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Lafayette, IN has a cost of living index of 88, 0.9x West Lafayette.
Kokomo, IN has a cost of living index of 77, 0.8x West Lafayette.
Westfield, IN has a cost of living index of 103, 1.0x West Lafayette.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. West Lafayette |
---|---|---|---|
Lafayette, IN | 70,928 | 88 | 0.9x |
Kokomo, IN | 59,263 | 77 | 0.8x |
Westfield, IN | 45,695 | 103 | 1.0x |
Zionsville, IN | 30,258 | 118 | 1.2x |
Logansport, IN | 18,471 | 77 | 0.8x |
Crawfordsville, IN | 16,279 | 86 | 0.9x |
Frankfort, IN | 16,134 | 85 | 0.9x |
Monticello, IN | 5,508 | 85 | 0.9x |