Population
West Lafayette
44,802
East Lansing
45,394
Median Income
West Lafayette
$33,497
East Lansing
$43,547
Home Value
West Lafayette
$318,100
East Lansing
$251,600
Rent
West Lafayette
$1,152
East Lansing
$1,122
Crime Rate
West Lafayette
0.94
East Lansing
2.20
Cost of Living
West Lafayette
92.9
East Lansing
100.1
Avg Temp
West Lafayette
N/A
East Lansing
N/A
Unemployment
West Lafayette
3.6%
East Lansing
6.9%
How Similar Are West Lafayette & East Lansing?
East Lansing is West Lafayette's #1 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
West Lafayette
44,802
East Lansing
45,394
Both cities have similar populations — West Lafayette at 44,802 and East Lansing at 45,394.
Violent Crime
West Lafayette
0.94
East Lansing
2.20
East Lansing's violent crime is significantly higher than West Lafayette's — 57% difference.
Property Crime
West Lafayette
12.05
East Lansing
12.20
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 1% difference.
Political Leaning
West Lafayette
49.1%
East Lansing
53.5%
West Lafayette leans Democratic while East Lansing leans Republican.
Unemployment
West Lafayette
3.6%
East Lansing
6.9%
East Lansing has a 47% higher unemployment than West Lafayette.
Median Income
West Lafayette
$33,497
East Lansing
$43,547
East Lansing has a 23% higher median income than West Lafayette.
Home Values
West Lafayette
$318,100
East Lansing
$251,600
West Lafayette has a 21% higher home values than East Lansing.
Education
West Lafayette
21.7%
East Lansing
21.5%
Both cities have similar education — just a 1% difference.
Demographics
West Lafayette
68.7%
East Lansing
73.8%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 7% difference.
Cost of Living
West Lafayette
92.9
East Lansing
100.1
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 7% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. West Lafayette and East Lansing share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
West Lafayette
0
East Lansing
Cost of Living & Affordability — West Lafayette leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDWest Lafayette scores 51.2 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 63.4 in East Lansing. West Lafayette scores 75.6 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 83.3 in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a living wage (family of 4) of $96,653 vs $104,144 in East Lansing (7% lower).
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 ACSWest Lafayette has a median property tax of $2,728 vs $5,540 in East Lansing (51% lower). West Lafayette has a median home value of $318,100 vs $251,600 in East Lansing (26% higher). East Lansing has a owner-occupied of 38.9% compared to 30.5% in West Lafayette.
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — East Lansing leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSWest Lafayette has a unemployment rate of 3.6% compared to 6.9% in East Lansing. East Lansing has a work from home of 18.9% compared to 12.5% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a median household income of $43,547 vs $33,497 in West Lafayette (23% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — West Lafayette leads
Source: FBI UCRWest Lafayette has a property crime clearance of 27.7% compared to 3.2% in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a violent crime clearance of 54.8% compared to 23.4% in East Lansing. West Lafayette has a murder rate (per 1k) of 0.00 compared to 0.04 in East Lansing.
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
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauEast Lansing has a high school diploma or higher of 25.4% compared to 24.8% in West Lafayette.
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 ACSEast Lansing has a population of 45,394, about 1x the size of West Lafayette (44,802).
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
West Lafayette
East Lansing
Healthcare
Source: CMS Hospital CompareWest Lafayette: 3.5 vs East Lansing: 2.5 for avg cms rating (out of 5). East Lansing: 4 vs West Lafayette: 3 for with emergency services.
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — East Lansing leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSEast Lansing has a work from home of 18.9% compared to 12.5% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a bicycle of 3.8% compared to 3.4% in West Lafayette. East Lansing has a public transit of 5.9% compared to 5.6% in West Lafayette.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to West Lafayette, IN
Compare West 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.