Population

Lafayette

70,650

South Bend

102,866

Median Income

Lafayette

$52,946

South Bend

$52,512

Home Value

Lafayette

$157,600

South Bend

$124,500

Rent

Lafayette

$1,039

South Bend

$1,000

Crime Rate

Lafayette

6.00

South Bend

9.65

Cost of Living

Lafayette

90.4

South Bend

87.5

Avg Temp

Lafayette

N/A

South Bend

N/A

Unemployment

Lafayette

3.3%

South Bend

6.0%

Loading map…

How Similar Are Lafayette & South Bend?

South Bend is Lafayette's #22 most similar city

5/10

5 of 10 key metrics match within 10%

Population

👥

Lafayette

70,650

vs

South Bend

102,866

Different · 31% difference

South Bend has a 31% larger population than Lafayette.

Violent Crime

Lafayette

6.00

vs

South Bend

9.65

Different · 38% difference
🚨

South Bend has a 38% higher violent crime than Lafayette.

Property Crime

🔒

Lafayette

20.43

vs

South Bend

20.44

Match · 0% difference

Both cities have similar property crime — just a 0% difference.

Political Leaning

Lafayette

49.1%

vs

South Bend

48.5%

Match · 1% difference
🗳️

Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 1% difference.

Unemployment

💼

Lafayette

3.3%

vs

South Bend

6.0%

Different · 45% difference

South Bend has a 45% higher unemployment than Lafayette.

Median Income

Lafayette

$52,946

vs

South Bend

$52,512

Match · 1% difference
💰

Both cities have similar median income — just a 1% difference.

Home Values

🏠

Lafayette

$157,600

vs

South Bend

$124,500

Different · 21% difference

Lafayette has a 21% higher home values than South Bend.

Education

Lafayette

18.4%

vs

South Bend

18.9%

Match · 2% difference
🎓

Both cities have similar education — just a 2% difference.

Demographics

🌍

Lafayette

76.5%

vs

South Bend

54.1%

Different · 29% difference

Lafayette has a 29% higher demographics than South Bend.

Cost of Living

Lafayette

90.4

vs

South Bend

87.5

Match · 3% difference
💵

Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 3% difference.

5 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Lafayette and South Bend share several key characteristics.

At a Glance

0

Lafayette

vsof 8

0

South Bend

Lafayette leads in 3 of 8 categories

Cost of Living & Affordability — South Bend leads

Source: City Stats Index / HUD

South Bend scores 90.0 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 96.9 in Lafayette. Lafayette has a fair market rent (1br) of $1,032 vs $1,105 in South Bend (7% lower). Lafayette has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,242 vs $1,292 in South Bend.

Overall Cost Index

Lafayette90.4
South Bend87.5

Housing Index

Lafayette96.9
South Bend90.0

Food Index

Lafayette90.5
South Bend90.1

Transportation Index

Lafayette80.9
South Bend80.3

Healthcare Index

Lafayette92.4
South Bend92.1

Utilities Index

Lafayette93.7
South Bend92.1

Living Wage (1 Adult)

Lafayette$39,761
South Bend$38,515

Living Wage (Family of 4)

Lafayette$93,980
South Bend$91,036

Fair Market Rent (1BR)

Lafayette$1,032
South Bend$1,105

Fair Market Rent (2BR)

Lafayette$1,242
South Bend$1,292

Housing Market

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a vacancy rate of 5.5% compared to 13.5% in South Bend. Lafayette has a median home value of $157,600 vs $124,500 in South Bend (27% higher). South Bend has a single-family homes of 75.0% compared to 60.6% in Lafayette.

Median Home Value

Lafayette$157,600
South Bend$124,500

Median Rent

Lafayette$1,039
South Bend$1,000

Median Property Tax

Lafayette$1,038
South Bend$1,235

Owner-Occupied

Lafayette47.6%
South Bend58.8%

Vacancy Rate

Lafayette5.5%
South Bend13.5%

Single-Family Homes

Lafayette60.6%
South Bend75.0%

Jobs & Economy — Lafayette leads

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

Lafayette has a unemployment rate of 3.3% compared to 6.0% in South Bend. South Bend: 49,983 vs Lafayette: 37,160 for labor force. South Bend has a work from home of 10.0% compared to 7.5% in Lafayette.

Median Household Income

Lafayette$52,946
South Bend$52,512

Per Capita Income

Lafayette$30,181
South Bend$29,511

Poverty Rate

Lafayette17.1%
South Bend22.6%

Unemployment Rate

Lafayette3.3%
South Bend6.0%

Labor Force

Lafayette37,160
South Bend49,983

Mean Commute

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Work from Home

Lafayette7.5%
South Bend10.0%

Private Sector

Lafayette94.3%
South Bend86.7%

Government Sector

Lafayette44.3%
South Bend43.6%

Crime & Safety — Lafayette leads

Source: FBI UCR

Lafayette has a property crime clearance of 20.2% compared to 4.4% in South Bend. South Bend has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.03 compared to 0.07 in Lafayette. Lafayette has a violent crime clearance of 37.1% compared to 23.2% in South Bend.

Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette6.00
South Bend9.65

Property Crime Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette20.43
South Bend20.44

Murder Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette0.07
South Bend0.03

Robbery Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette0.45
South Bend0.68

Assault Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette4.25
South Bend8.37

Burglary Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette1.53
South Bend2.30

Larceny Rate (per 1K)

Lafayette16.42
South Bend13.80

Violent Crime Clearance

Lafayette37.1%
South Bend23.2%

Property Crime Clearance

Lafayette20.2%
South Bend4.4%

Weather & Climate

Source: NOAA / Open-Meteo

Avg Annual Temperature

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Avg Annual High

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Avg Annual Low

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Sunny Days per Year

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Annual Rainfall

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Annual Snowfall

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Avg Humidity

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Schools & Education

Source: NCES / U.S. Census Bureau

Lafayette has a high school diploma or higher of 40.6% compared to 37.9% in South Bend. South Bend has a bachelor's degree or higher of 18.9% compared to 18.4% in Lafayette.

Public Schools

Lafayette0
South Bend0

Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Colleges & Universities

Lafayette0
South Bend0

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

Lafayette18.4%
South Bend18.9%

High School Diploma or Higher

Lafayette40.6%
South Bend37.9%

Demographics & Community

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

South Bend has a population of 102,866, about 1.5x the size of Lafayette (70,650).

Population

Lafayette70,650
South Bend102,866

Median Age

Lafayette34
South Bend34

Avg Household Size

Lafayette2.2
South Bend2.4

Married Population

Lafayette34.2%
South Bend29.4%

Foreign Born

Lafayette9.9%
South Bend8.9%

White

Lafayette76.5%
South Bend54.1%

Black

Lafayette9.0%
South Bend24.4%

Hispanic

Lafayette13.8%
South Bend17.3%

Asian

Lafayette2.5%
South Bend1.7%

Lafayette

South Bend

Healthcare — Lafayette leads

Source: CMS Hospital Compare

Lafayette: 3.5 vs South Bend: 3.0 for avg cms rating (out of 5).

Nearby Hospitals

Lafayette5
South Bend5

Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)

Lafayette3.5
South Bend3.0

With Emergency Services

Lafayette3
South Bend3

Transportation & Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS

South Bend has a bicycle of 1.1% compared to 0.2% in Lafayette. Lafayette has a public transit of 2.5% compared to 1.7% in South Bend. South Bend has a work from home of 10.0% compared to 7.5% in Lafayette.

Mean Commute Time

LafayetteN/A
South BendN/A

Drive Alone

Lafayette79.9%
South Bend71.4%

Public Transit

Lafayette2.5%
South Bend1.7%

Bicycle

Lafayette0.2%
South Bend1.1%

Work from Home

Lafayette7.5%
South Bend10.0%

Airports

Lafayette0
South Bend0

Cities Similar to Lafayette, IN

Compare Lafayette 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