Population

Joplin

52,218

Lafayette

70,650

Median Income

Joplin

$51,154

Lafayette

$52,946

Home Value

Joplin

$159,700

Lafayette

$157,600

Rent

Joplin

$889

Lafayette

$1,039

Crime Rate

Joplin

5.60

Lafayette

6.00

Cost of Living

Joplin

86.0

Lafayette

90.4

Avg Temp

Joplin

N/A

Lafayette

N/A

Unemployment

Joplin

5.7%

Lafayette

3.3%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Joplin & Lafayette?

Lafayette is Joplin's #13 most similar city

6/10

6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Joplin

52,218

vs

Lafayette

70,650

Different · 26% difference

Lafayette has a 26% larger population than Joplin.

Violent Crime

Joplin

5.60

vs

Lafayette

6.00

Match · 7% difference
🚨

Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 7% difference.

Property Crime

🔒

Joplin

41.21

vs

Lafayette

20.43

Different · 50% difference

Joplin has a 50% higher property crime than Lafayette.

Political Leaning

Joplin

72.7%

vs

Lafayette

49.1%

Different · 32% difference
🗳️

Joplin leans Republican while Lafayette leans Democratic.

Unemployment

💼

Joplin

5.7%

vs

Lafayette

3.3%

Different · 42% difference

Joplin has a 42% higher unemployment than Lafayette.

Median Income

Joplin

$51,154

vs

Lafayette

$52,946

Match · 3% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 3% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Joplin

$159,700

vs

Lafayette

$157,600

Match · 1% difference

Both cities have similar home values — just a 1% difference.

Education

Joplin

17.8%

vs

Lafayette

18.4%

Match · 3% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 3% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Joplin

83.8%

vs

Lafayette

76.5%

Match · 9% difference

Both cities have similar demographics — just a 9% difference.

Cost of Living

Joplin

86.0

vs

Lafayette

90.4

Match · 5% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 5% difference.

6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Joplin and Lafayette share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Joplin

vsof 8

0

Lafayette

Lafayette leads in 4 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — Joplin leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

Joplin has a fair market rent (1br) of $765 vs $1,032 in Lafayette (26% lower). Joplin has a fair market rent (2br) of $947 vs $1,242 in Lafayette (24% lower). Joplin scores 88.4 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 96.9 in Lafayette.

Overall Cost Index

Joplin86.0
Lafayette90.4

Housing Index

Joplin88.4
Lafayette96.9

Food Index

Joplin89.1
Lafayette90.5

Transportation Index

Joplin78.2
Lafayette80.9

Healthcare Index

Joplin91.3
Lafayette92.4

Utilities Index

Joplin91.1
Lafayette93.7

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Joplin$37,840
Lafayette$39,761

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Joplin$89,439
Lafayette$93,980

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Joplin$765
Lafayette$1,032

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Joplin$947
Lafayette$1,242

Housing Market — Joplin leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a vacancy rate of 5.5% compared to 11.3% in Joplin. Joplin has a single-family homes of 74.2% compared to 60.6% in Lafayette. Joplin has a owner-occupied of 55.9% compared to 47.6% in Lafayette.

Median Home Value

Joplin$159,700
Lafayette$157,600

Median Rent

Joplin$889
Lafayette$1,039

Median Property Tax

Joplin$1,144
Lafayette$1,038

Owner-Occupied

Joplin55.9%
Lafayette47.6%

Vacancy Rate

Joplin11.3%
Lafayette5.5%

Single-Family Homes

Joplin74.2%
Lafayette60.6%

Jobs & Economy — Lafayette leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a unemployment rate of 3.3% compared to 5.7% in Joplin. Lafayette: 37,160 vs Joplin: 26,297 for labor force. Joplin has a work from home of 8.5% compared to 7.5% in Lafayette.

Median Household Income

Joplin$51,154
Lafayette$52,946

Per Capita Income

Joplin$30,344
Lafayette$30,181

Poverty Rate

Joplin17.9%
Lafayette17.1%

Unemployment Rate

Joplin5.7%
Lafayette3.3%

Labor Force

Joplin26,297
Lafayette37,160

Mean Commute

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Work from Home

Joplin8.5%
Lafayette7.5%

Private Sector

Joplin93.5%
Lafayette94.3%

Government Sector

Joplin45.6%
Lafayette44.3%

Crime & Safety — Lafayette leads

Source: FBI UCR

Lafayette has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.53 compared to 4.17 in Joplin. Lafayette has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 20.43 compared to 41.21 in Joplin. Lafayette has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 16.42 compared to 32.99 in Joplin.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Joplin5.60
Lafayette6.00

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Joplin41.21
Lafayette20.43

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Joplin0.00
Lafayette0.07

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Joplin0.52
Lafayette0.45

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Joplin4.18
Lafayette4.25

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Joplin4.17
Lafayette1.53

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Joplin32.99
Lafayette16.42

Violent Crime Clearance

Joplin23.7%
Lafayette37.1%

Property Crime Clearance

Joplin7.8%
Lafayette20.2%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Avg Annual High

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Avg Annual Low

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Sunny Days per Year

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Annual Rainfall

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Annual Snowfall

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Avg Humidity

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Schools & Education — Lafayette leads

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Lafayette has a bachelor's degree or higher of 18.4% compared to 17.8% in Joplin. Lafayette has a high school diploma or higher of 40.6% compared to 39.4% in Joplin.

Public Schools

Joplin0
Lafayette0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Colleges & Universities

Joplin0
Lafayette0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Joplin17.8%
Lafayette18.4%

High School Diploma or Higher

Joplin39.4%
Lafayette40.6%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a population of 70,650, about 1.4x the size of Joplin (52,218). Lafayette skews younger with a median age of 33.7 vs 37.5.

Population

Joplin52,218
Lafayette70,650

Median Age

Joplin38
Lafayette34

Avg Household Size

Joplin2.3
Lafayette2.2

Married Population

Joplin35.6%
Lafayette34.2%

Foreign Born

Joplin4.0%
Lafayette9.9%

White

Joplin83.8%
Lafayette76.5%

Black

Joplin2.9%
Lafayette9.0%

Hispanic

Joplin6.4%
Lafayette13.8%

Asian

Joplin2.1%
Lafayette2.5%

Joplin

Lafayette

Healthcare

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Lafayette: 3.5 vs Joplin: 1.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5). Joplin: 4 vs Lafayette: 3 for with emergency services.

Nearby Hospitals

Joplin5
Lafayette5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Joplin1.5
Lafayette3.5

With Emergency Services

Joplin4
Lafayette3

Transportation & Commute — Lafayette leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a public transit of 2.5% compared to 0.2% in Joplin. Lafayette has a bicycle of 0.2% compared to 0.1% in Joplin. Joplin has a work from home of 8.5% compared to 7.5% in Lafayette.

Mean Commute Time

JoplinN/A
LafayetteN/A

Drive Alone

Joplin78.4%
Lafayette79.9%

Public Transit

Joplin0.2%
Lafayette2.5%

Bicycle

Joplin0.1%
Lafayette0.2%

Work from Home

Joplin8.5%
Lafayette7.5%

Airports

Joplin0
Lafayette0

Cities Similar to Joplin, MO

Compare Joplin against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.

🧬

City Comparison

8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.

PopulationIncomeHome ValueSafetyEducationMedian AgeClimateCost of Living

Explore These Cities

Compare Different Cities