Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
Located in Louisiana, Lafayette Parish has a population of 247,997 residents and a median age of 36.5 years, making it the #290 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 17.1%. The median home value is $242,900, and the median household income is $67,451, which is 10% below the national median.
Demographics
Lafayette Parish has a population of 247,997, making it the #290 most populous county in the US. The median age is 36.5 years, which is 6.2% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Lafayette Parish is $67,451, ranking #1,388 out of 3,222 counties — 10.2% below the national median. The poverty rate is 17.1% and unemployment stands at 5.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Lafayette Parish is $242,900 (-13.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,057/mo and the homeownership rate is 65.5%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Lafayette Parish, 35.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 4.6% above the national average, ranking #453 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Lafayette Parish is 75.8 years. 19.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
17.5% of adults in Lafayette Parish smoke , 34.7% are obese , and 22.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 45.8 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Lafayette Parish is 10.8 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.3 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
21.3% of children in Lafayette Parish live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 23.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Lafayette Parish is 63.5%. The mean commute time is 24.9 min, which is 9.9% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Lafayette Parish voted Republican with a margin of 31.3%. The vote was 33.5% Dem / 64.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.7 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
Lafayette Parish, Louisiana has a total population of 247,997, making it the 290th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Lafayette Parish is 36.5 years, which is 6.2% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Lafayette Parish is $67,451, which ranks #1,388 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.2% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 17.1%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.1%.
The median home value in Lafayette Parish is $242,900, 13.8% below the national median. Renters in Lafayette Parish pay a median gross rent of $1,057 per month. The homeownership rate is 65.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Lafayette Parish, 35.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4.6% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.9 min.
Lafayette Parish is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 61.7% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (25.4%) and Hispanic or Latino (6.7%).
All data for Lafayette Parish, Louisiana comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.