Population
Lafayette
70,650
Waterloo
66,947
Median Income
Lafayette
$52,946
Waterloo
$56,344
Home Value
Lafayette
$157,600
Waterloo
$150,200
Rent
Lafayette
$1,039
Waterloo
$896
Crime Rate
Lafayette
6.00
Waterloo
4.76
Cost of Living
Lafayette
90.4
Waterloo
91.8
Avg Temp
Lafayette
N/A
Waterloo
N/A
Unemployment
Lafayette
3.3%
Waterloo
6.4%
How Similar Are Lafayette & Waterloo?
Waterloo is Lafayette's #3 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Lafayette
70,650
Waterloo
66,947
Both cities have similar populations — Lafayette at 70,650 and Waterloo at 66,947.
Violent Crime
Lafayette
6.00
Waterloo
4.76
Lafayette has a 21% higher violent crime than Waterloo.
Property Crime
Lafayette
20.43
Waterloo
24.45
Waterloo has a 16% higher property crime than Lafayette.
Political Leaning
Lafayette
49.1%
Waterloo
48.8%
Both cities lean Democratic with similar vote shares — 1% difference.
Unemployment
Lafayette
3.3%
Waterloo
6.4%
Waterloo has a 48% higher unemployment than Lafayette.
Median Income
Lafayette
$52,946
Waterloo
$56,344
Both cities have similar median income — just a 6% difference.
Home Values
Lafayette
$157,600
Waterloo
$150,200
Both cities have similar home values — just a 5% difference.
Education
Lafayette
18.4%
Waterloo
14.9%
Lafayette has a 19% higher education than Waterloo.
Demographics
Lafayette
76.5%
Waterloo
69.1%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 10% difference.
Cost of Living
Lafayette
90.4
Waterloo
91.8
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 2% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Lafayette and Waterloo share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Lafayette
0
Waterloo
Lafayette leads in 4 of 8 categories
Cost of Living & Affordability — Lafayette leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWaterloo has a fair market rent (1br) of $801 vs $1,032 in Lafayette (29% lower). Waterloo has a fair market rent (2br) of $1,051 vs $1,242 in Lafayette (18% lower). Lafayette scores 80.9 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 86.1 in Waterloo.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLafayette has a median property tax of $1,038 vs $2,498 in Waterloo (58% lower). Lafayette has a vacancy rate of 5.5% compared to 10.0% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a owner-occupied of 61.1% compared to 47.6% in Lafayette.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Lafayette leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLafayette has a unemployment rate of 3.3% compared to 6.4% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a per capita income of $33,372 vs $30,181 in Lafayette (10% higher). Lafayette: 37,160 vs Waterloo: 34,480 for labor force.
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — Waterloo leads
Source: FBI UCRLafayette has a burglary rate (per 1k) of 1.53 compared to 5.86 in Waterloo. Waterloo has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.05 compared to 0.07 in Lafayette. Waterloo has a violent crime clearance of 58.2% compared to 37.1% in Lafayette.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education — Lafayette leads
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauLafayette has a bachelor's degree or higher of 18.4% compared to 14.9% in Waterloo. Lafayette has a high school diploma or higher of 40.6% compared to 38.3% in Waterloo.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLafayette has a population of 70,650, about 1.1x the size of Waterloo (66,947). Lafayette skews younger with a median age of 33.7 vs 36.6.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Lafayette
Waterloo
Healthcare — Waterloo leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareWaterloo: 5 vs Lafayette: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Lafayette leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLafayette has a public transit of 2.5% compared to 0.4% in Waterloo. Waterloo has a bicycle of 0.4% compared to 0.2% in Lafayette. Lafayette has a work from home of 7.5% compared to 7.1% in Waterloo.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
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.