City in Indiana, United States

West Lafayette

$355kMedian Home
289Sunny Days/yr
63°FAvg High Temp
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View on MapPopulation46kCenter elevation610 ft
Quick Read

Four real seasons, with rain spread fairly evenly through the year. Spring and fall feel like real transition seasons. Noticeable daylight swing. Snow is a real part of winter.

About West Lafayette

West Lafayette is a city in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 44,595 at the 2020 census. West Lafayette sits across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette, and is a college town, home to Purdue University. It is the most densely populated city in Indiana, located 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Indianapolis and 113 miles (182 km) southeast of Chicago.Wikipedia

Four seasonsEven rainfallNoticeable daylight swing
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Place

Where It Is

Location Context
West Lafayette, Indiana
Latitude40.43°
Longitude-86.91°
Population46k
Center elevation610 ft

State Context

IndianaU.S. state

Indiana is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west. Nicknamed "the Hoosier State", Indiana is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 states. The state's capital and largest city is Indianapolis.Wikipedia

Income tax: Flat 3.00%Avg sales tax: 7.00%Property tax: 0.72%Official school data available

About the Region

Great Lakes Midwest

The Great Lakes Midwest is undergoing a quiet, steady reassessment. Cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo — long associated with industrial decline — have seen genuine neighborhood revivals driven by very low housing costs and incoming professional and creative workers. Chicago remains the undisputed anchor: a world-class city that, particularly in its residential neighborhoods, is underpriced relative to coastal equivalents. Minneapolis consistently ranks among the best-governed large cities in the country, with a walkable downtown and access to 10,000 lakes.

Winters are genuinely cold — lake-effect snow shapes life along the Great Lakes shores, and Minneapolis regularly logs the coldest temperatures of any major American city — but summers compensate with warmth and greenness that surprises transplants from the coasts. The economic base has diversified significantly: advanced manufacturing, major healthcare systems, agriculture tech, and financial services anchor the broader region, while university towns like Ann Arbor, Madison, and Bloomington punch well above their weight culturally.

Outdoors

Nature Access

Nature & Park Feeds

Closest protected landscapes, reserves, and big park systems surfaced from the same nearby feeds used in compare.

Distances in miles
National Park Service feed

Federal Park Sites

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OpenStreetMap feed

Local Nature & Reserves

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Sources: National Park Service and OpenStreetMap
People

City Profile

Median Age21 yrs
College Educated71%bachelor's or higher
Work From Home11%of workforce
Poverty Rate39%
Practical

Cost of Living

Housing
$2k/mo
Median rent
$355k
Median home price
Rent burden69% of income
Household Income
$30k
Median annual
Daily life

Livability

Transit Score
58
School Rating
8.2/10
Internet
Fiber
84%
Cable
88%
address availability
The year

Climate

Sunshine
289
sunny days per year
79% of the year
Avg High Temp
63°F
annual average
Humidity Pattern
Steady humidity
68% warm season / 72% cool season
Comfort Score
56/100
Mixed
Temp Swing
47°F
seasonal high-temp spread
Annual precipitation
38"
inches per year
Annual snowfall
18"
inches per year
Typical Air Quality
40
Good · 2024 modeled average
How To Read Comfort

Comfort combines temperature band fit, humidity fit, seasonal swing, and penalties for long stretches of extreme heat or cold. Higher scores mean the yearly pattern stays closer to an easier day-to-day climate band.

Monthly Temperature
Daylight Span (Sunrise to Sunset)
Precipitation Distribution
38" of precipitation per year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Humidity Through The Year
Hover any month for the exact RH value. This is measuring monthly relative humidity, not dew point or current weather.
fairly steady humidity
Summer 68% · Winter 72% · Jun-Dec 61-73%
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Hover a month for exact RH and seasonal context.
Right now

Current Conditions

Culture

Sports Footprint

League Snapshot

A quick read on how big the sports footprint is here, without making you squint through tiny chips.

College Programs
Purdue Boilermakers
Local directory

Local Next Steps

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