Lafayette, LA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

Add Comparison

Population

489,364

0.446% 1-year decline

US Senator

Bill Cassidy

Republican Party

US Senator

John Kennedy

Republican Party

Median Age

36.2

Poverty Rate

18.5%

Median Household Income

$50,825

6.22% 1-year growth

Median Property Value

$163,500

1.74% 1-year growth

Number of Employees

217,999

0.997% 1-year growth

About

In 2018, Lafayette, LA had a population of 489k people with a median age of 36.2 and a median household income of $50,825. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Lafayette, LA declined from 491,558 to 489,364, a -0.446% decrease and its median household income grew from $47,848 to $50,825, a 6.22% increase.

N/A NaNk% of the people in Lafayette, LA speak a non-English language, and 98% are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lafayette, LA are University of Louisiana at Lafayette (3,540 degrees awarded in 2017), South Louisiana Community College (1,479 degrees), and Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette (330 degrees).

The median property value in Lafayette, LA is $163,500, and the homeownership rate is 68.7%. Most people in Lafayette, LA commute by Drove Alone, and the average commute time is 26.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Lafayette, LA is 2 cars per household.

Lafayette, LA borders Baton Rouge, LA, Jennings, LA, Lake Charles, LA, Morgan City, LA, and Opelousas, LA.

About the photo: Photo taken at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus.

Photo by Abbie Judice

United States Louisiana

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Showing data at the state level for Louisiana. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Louisiana, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

View Full Dashboard

Impact on Employment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Louisiana (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

View Full Dashboard

Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Louisiana across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

View Full Dashboard

Civics

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (38.4%), followed by Gary Johnson (1.87%). The most partisan county was LaSalle Parish, LA with 88.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing the state of Louisiana. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Lafayette, LA is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results not available for Lafayette, LA. Showing the available data for Louisiana.

2016 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.1%)
Republican Party
Hillary Rodham Clinton (38.4%)
Democratic Party
Gary Johnson (1.87%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2016 presidential election, the popular vote in Louisiana went to Donald J. Trump with 58.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Hillary Rodham Clinton (38.4%), followed by Gary Johnson (1.87%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Louisiana for each registered party from 1976 to 2016.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Presidential voting results are only available at the county level. Showing data for the counties inside of Louisiana.

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for Louisiana

58.1% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in Louisiana

LaSalle Parish, LA
88.8% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Cameron Parish, LA
88.2% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Livingston Parish, LA
84.6% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2016 presidential election, the most partisan county in Louisiana was LaSalle Parish, LA with 88.8% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Louisiana colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from Louisiana

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

Bill Cassidy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Kennedy

Senator from Louisiana

Assumed office on January 3, 2017

Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy are the senators currently representing Louisiana.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Louisiana over time, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from Louisiana

Louisiana is currently represented by 6 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Lafayette, LA have changed over time starting in 2008.

Diversity

Lafayette, LA is home to a population of 489k people, from which 98% are citizens. As of 2018, 3.34% of Lafayette, LA residents were born outside of the country (16.3k people).

In N/A, there were N/A times more N/A residents (N/A people) in Lafayette, LA than any other race or ethnicity. There were N/A N/A and N/A N/A residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

N/A%

Hispanic Population

N/A people

N/A% of the people in Lafayette, LA are hispanic (N/A people).

The following chart shows the N/A races represented in Lafayette, LA as a share of the total population.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

3.34%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

16.3k people

3.3%

2017 Foreign-Born Population

16.2k people

As of 2018, 3.34% of Lafayette, LA residents (16.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2017, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lafayette, LA was 3.3%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lafayette, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.4

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 4

In 2018, the median age of all people in Lafayette, LA was 36.2. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 36, were generally younger than than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 40. But people in Lafayette, LA are getting getting older. In 2017, the average age of all Lafayette, LA residents was 36.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
30,501 ± 4,274 people
Honduras
28,358 ± 4,122 people
Vietnam
18,763 ± 3,356 people

In 2018, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Louisiana was Mexico, the natal country of 30,501 Louisiana residents, followed by Honduras with 28,358 and Vietnam with 18,763.

Citizenship

98%

2018 Citizenship

97.6%

2017 Citizenship

As of 2018, 98% of Lafayette, LA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2017, the percentage of US citizens in Lafayette, LA was 97.6%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lafayette, LA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
7,797 ± 1,487
Gulf War (1990s)
5,367 ± 1,426
Gulf War (2001-)
4,213 ± 1,391

Lafayette, LA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.45 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

Median household income in Lafayette, LA is $50,825. In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Lafayette, LA was Ascension Parish, LA with a value of $79,495, followed by St. Tammany Parish, LA and Livingston Parish, LA, with respective values of $65,392 and $64,067.

Males in Louisiana have an average income that is 1.56 times higher than the average income of females, which is $41,815. The income inequality in Louisiana (measured using the Gini index) is 0.466, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Lafayette, LA employs 218k people. The largest industries in Lafayette, LA are Health Care & Social Assistance (29,847 people), Retail Trade (24,903 people), and Educational Services (23,488 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($59,795), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($56,763), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,110).

Wages

Median Household Income

$50,825

2018 value

± $2,469

6.22%

1 Year Growth

± 6.66%

Households in Lafayette, LA have a median annual income of $50,825, which is less than the median annual income of $61,937 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $47,848 in 2017, which represents a 6.22% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Lafayette, LA compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Gender in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

$65,054

Average Male Salary in Louisiana

± $1,713

$41,815

Average Female Salary in Louisiana

± $1,033

In 2018, full-time male employees in Louisiana made 1.56 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the gender-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Louisiana by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Louisiana.

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Louisiana

White
$54,325 ± $1,279
Two or More Races
$46,528 ± $8,199
Asian
$42,224 ± $6,418

In 2018 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Louisiana workers was White. These workers were paid 1.17 times more than Two or More Races workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Louisiana.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Louisiana by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lafayette, LA is from Louisiana.

0.466

2018 Wage GINI in Louisiana

0.468

2017 Wage GINI in Louisiana

In 2018, the income inequality in Louisiana was 0.466 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.46% decline from 2017 to 2018, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Louisiana was lower than than the national average of 0.479. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Louisiana in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Louisiana across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2018, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lafayette, LA was Ascension Parish, LA with a value of $79,495, followed by St. Tammany Parish, LA and Livingston Parish, LA, with respective values of $65,392 and $64,067.

The following map shows all of the counties in Lafayette, LA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Gender

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

18.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lafayette, LA (88.7k out of 480k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 13.1%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
43,071 ± 1,754
Black
39,963 ± 1,632
Hispanic
4,447 ± 645

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lafayette, LA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

218k

2018 Value

± 8,837

0.997%

1 Year growth

± 5.76%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Lafayette, LA grew at a rate of 0.997%, from 216k employees to 218k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lafayette, LA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (25,140 people), Sales & Related Occupations (24,272 people), and Management Occupations (20,842 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lafayette, LA.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Lafayette, LA, by number of employees, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (25,140 people), Sales & Related Occupations (24,272 people), and Management Occupations (20,842 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other MSAs, Lafayette, LA has an unusually high number of residents working as Construction & Extraction Occupations (1.52 times higher than expected), Healthcare Support Occupations (1.39 times), and Health Technologists & Technicians (1.23 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Lafayette, LA, by median earnings, are Business & Financial Operations Occupations ($74,946), Architecture & Engineering Occupations ($72,170), and Legal Occupations ($70,935).

Industries

Employment by Industries

218k

2018 Value

± 8,837

0.997%

1 Year growth

± 5.76%

From 2017 to 2018, employment in Lafayette, LA grew at a rate of 0.997%, from 216k employees to 218k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lafayette, LA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (29,847 people), Retail Trade (24,903 people), and Educational Services (23,488 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lafayette, LA, though some of these residents may live in Lafayette, LA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in Lafayette, LA, by number of employees, are Health Care & Social Assistance (29,847 people), Retail Trade (24,903 people), and Educational Services (23,488 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other MSAs, Lafayette, LA has an unusually high number of Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (15 times higher than expected), Utilities (1.29 times), and Accommodation & Food Services (1.26 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Lafayette, LA, by median earnings, are Finance & Insurance ($59,795), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($56,763), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($52,110).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Louisiana to other states, or from other states to Louisiana.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2015, the top outbound Louisiana product (by dollars) was Gasoline with $81.6B, followed by Coal-n.e.c. ($69.1B) and Basic chemicals ($38B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Louisiana products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Louisiana.

$365B

2015 Value in Louisiana

$476B

Projected 2045 Value in Louisiana

30.3% growth

In 2015, total outbound Louisiana trade was $365B. This is expected to increase 30.3% to $476B by 2045.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Louisiana trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Louisiana to other states, or from other states to Louisiana.

Most Common Trade Partners

Texas
$38.9B
Mississippi
$36B
Florida
$14.4B

In 2015, the top outbound Louisiana domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $38.9B, followed by Mississippi with $36B and Florida and $14.4B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Louisiana shares with each state (excluding itself).

Education

In 2017, universities in Lafayette, LA awarded 6,425 degrees. The student population of Lafayette, LA is skewed towards women, with 11,255 male students and 17,101 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lafayette, LA are White (3,876 and 62%), followed by Black or African American (1,751 and 28%), Unknown (233 and 3.73%), and Hispanic or Latino (200 and 3.2%).

The largest universities in Lafayette, LA by number of degrees awarded are University of Louisiana at Lafayette (3,540 and 55.1%), South Louisiana Community College (1,479 and 23%), and Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette (330 and 5.14%).

The most popular majors in Lafayette, LA are General Studies (805 and 12.5%), Registered Nursing (725 and 11.3%), and General Business Administration & Management (265 and 4.12%).

The median tuition costs in Lafayette, LA are $N/A for private four year colleges, and $5,407 and $19,135 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
156 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
597 degree-majorss awarded
General Studies
293 degree-majorss awarded

In 2015, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Lafayette, LA was General Business Administration & Management with 156 degree-majorss awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Lafayette, LA according to their major.

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Louisiana at Lafayette
3,540 degrees awarded
South Louisiana Community College
1,479 degrees awarded
Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette
330 degrees awarded

$5,407

Median In-State Public

$N/A

Median Private

In 2017, the Lafayette, LA institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Louisiana at Lafayette with 3,540 degrees awarded.

Student Gender for Common Institutions

2,450

Degrees Awarded to Men

3,975

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2017, 2,450 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lafayette, LA, which is 0.616 times less than the 3,975 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 institutions in Lafayette, LA by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
3,876 degrees awarded
Black or African American
1,751 degrees awarded
Unknown
233 degrees awarded

In 2017 the majority of degrees awarded at institutions in Lafayette, LA were to White students. These 3,876 degrees mean that there were 2.21 times more White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 1,751 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lafayette, LA was $163,500 in 2018, which is 0.712 times smaller than the national average of $229,700. Between 2017 and 2018 the median property value increased from $160,700 to $163,500, a 1.74% increase. The homeownership rate in Lafayette, LA is 68.7%, which is higher than the national average of 63.9%. People in Lafayette, LA have an average commute time of 26.6 minutes, and they commute by Drove Alone. Car ownership in Lafayette, LA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$163,500

2018 Median

± $5,614

$160,700

2017 Median

± $5,054

In 2018, the median property value in Lafayette, LA grew to to $163,500 from the previous year's value of $160,700.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Lafayette, LA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lafayette, LA the largest share of households have a property value in the $200k - $250k range.

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$50,825

Median Household Income

± $2,469

184k

Number of Households

± 7,831

In 2018, the median household income of the 184k households in Lafayette, LA grew to $50,825 from the previous year's value of $47,848.

The following chart displays the households in Lafayette, LA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Lafayette, LA distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lafayette, LA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

Rent vs Own

68.7%

2018 Homeownership

68.7%

2017 Homeownership

In 2018, 68.7% of the housing units in Lafayette, LA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 68.7%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 63.9%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Lafayette, LA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

26.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lafayette, LA have a longer commute time (26.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (25.7 minutes). Additionally, 4.86% of the workforce in Lafayette, LA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lafayette, LA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Method of Travel

Drove Alone
85.8%
Carpooled
7.78%
Worked At Home
3.22%

In 2018, the most common method of travel for workers in Lafayette, LA was Drove Alone (85.8%), followed by those who Carpooled (7.78%) and those who Worked At Home (3.22%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lafayette, LA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lafayette, LA have 2 cars, followed by 3 cars.

Health

90.2% of the population of Lafayette, LA has health coverage, with 42.3% on employee plans, 24.2% on Medicaid, 9.85% on Medicare, 12.6% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Louisiana was $7,815 in 2014. This is a 4.38% increase from the previous year ($7,487).

Primary care physicians in Louisiana see 1527 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1543 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1881 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 422 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Tensas Parish has the highest prevalence of diabetes (17.2%). Additionally, Assumption Parish has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (42%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

1,527 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Louisiana

Primary care physicians in Louisiana see an average of 1,527 patients per year. This represents a 1.04% decrease from the previous year (1,543 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Louisiana in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Louisiana.

$7,815

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Louisiana

$4,420

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,281

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$11,811

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Louisiana (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 4.38%, from $7,487 to $7,815.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

Health Care Coverage

9.82%

Uninsured

42.3%

Employer Coverage

24.2%

Medicaid

9.85%

Medicare

12.6%

Non-Group

1.2%

Military or VA

Between N/A and 2017, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lafayette, LA N/A by N/A from N/A% to 9.82%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lafayette, LA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.