CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

32.90° N · 85.40° W · GEOID 0140672

La Fayette

Chambers County, Alabama · part of the LaGrange, GA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

AlabamaLa Fayette, ALLa FayetteLa Fayette

The short answer

La Fayette is home to 2,633 people. Median household income is $32,601 a year and median rent is $645 a month, 23.7% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $85,900, about 2.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$645
53% below the median place
Median household income
$32,601
59% below the median place
Median home value
$85,900
73% below the median place
Unemployment
5.1%
5% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about La Fayette

  • The median household earns $32,601 a year, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 120 Alabama places.
  • 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 120 Alabama places.
  • The median home is valued at $85,900, less than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 120 Alabama places.
  • 33.4% of residents live below the poverty line, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the highest of 116 Alabama places.
  • Median rent is $645 a month, lower than in 98% of places its size.
01

Moving to La Fayette

Chambers County loses about 4.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in1,508
Moved out1,611
Net−103

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Lee County, AL424559−135
Russell County, AL47

Within Alabama, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within AlabamaOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$46K
Leavers$41K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Chambers County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.6% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Chambers County report $45,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $41,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$25,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $645 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $965 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $85,900.
Getting to work
25 minutes each way on average; 4.4% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Newport, TN matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$41,424
41% below the median place
Income of households moving in7
$45,566
35% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.6%
20% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.6%20% below
Moved from another state1County figure2.0%2% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-4.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$45,56635% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$41,42441% below
02

What it costs to live here

Property tax paid (median) is $361, 89% below the median place.

La Fayette23.7%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$25,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.7%
16% above the median place
Home price to income
2.6x
31% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$25,300
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in La Fayette, $645 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like La Fayette, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Antigo, WI18.0% vs 23.7%n/aCompare
Louisville, MS20.0% vs 23.7%n/aCompare
Vandalia, IL20.5% vs 23.7%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in La Fayette.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to La Fayette? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax paid (median)1
$361
89% below the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$965
48% below the median place
Median home value1
$85,900
73% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$64553% below
Rent to income123.7%16% above
Property tax rate10.4%54% below
Home price to income12.6x31% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,09132% below
HUD area median income3County figure$66,70038% below
Property tax paid (median)1$36189% below
Median home value1$85,90073% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure2.3%29% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure48.6%6% below
Homeownership157.8%13% below
Renters paying 30%+157.3%13% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$96548% below
Vacant homes113.3%89% above
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$32,601
59% below the median place
Poverty rate1
33.4%
210% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$32,60159% below
Income per person1$21,65746% below
Unemployment1County figure5.1%5% above
Average annual pay5County figure$52,41421% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure0.5%86% below
Jobs5County figure9,35894% below
Poverty rate133.4%210% above
Mean commute125 min1% above
Works from home1County figure4.4%64% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 74.4%, 19% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
74.4%
19% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
8.5%
73% below the median place
Household size1
2.0
20% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher74.2% −20%
No health insurance15.3% 2.4×
Median age44.1 +13%
All 9 people measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,6336646th largest
Population change since 20206-2.3%below (median 1.1%)
Median age144.113% above
Bachelor's or higher18.5%73% below
High school or higher174.2%20% below
Household size12.020% below
Born abroad1County figure2.1%77% below
No health insurance115.3%139% above
Homes with broadband174.4%19% below
05

Life in La Fayette

10 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents11.4 +12%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k7.6 3.6×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k3.8 4.4×
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars14.6 −30%
Shops33.3 +10%
Arts, recreation and fitness0.9 −78%
Doctors' offices and clinics7.9 −61%
Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
0.9
78% below the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
7.9
61% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
14.6
30% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure1344% above
Public school students12County figure4,17415% below
Students per teacher12County figure17.816% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure14.630% below
Shops per 10k8County figure33.310% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure0.978% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure7.961% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.30% above
Parks per 10k911.412% above
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k97.6258% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k90.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k93.8337% above
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure1023% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 541, 182% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
541
182% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,436
101% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

Natural hazard risk14
47.2
49% below the median place
Annual precipitation13
53.7 in
23% above the median place
Average temperature13
62°F
13% above the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureLa FayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure90°F4% above
January average low13County figure33°F29% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure53.7 in23% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure47.249% below
Hurricane risk14County figure70.21% below
Tornado risk14County figure67.317% below
Wildfire risk14County figure51.616% below
Heat wave risk14County figure82.88% below
08

La Fayette in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 24% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$645/mo (2024)$820/mo$670 to $1,000/mo+4.1%
Median household income$32,601 (2024)$40,500$34,500 to $48,000+3.8%
Median home value$85,900 (2024)$110,000$80,000 to $151,000+4.1%
Population2,621 (2025)2,6202,510 to 2,730−0.0%

The median home would be worth 2.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like La Fayette

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Newport, TN$720$31,250Compare
Opp, AL$720$41,347Compare
Atmore, AL$777$38,862Compare
Richlands, VA$804$37,154Compare
Richlands, VAAtmore, ALOpp, ALNewport, TNLa Fayette, ALLa FayetteNewportOppAtmoreRichlandsLa FayetteNewportOppAtmoreRichlands

Common questions

Is La Fayette a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median household earns $32,601 a year, less than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 120 Alabama places. 9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 120 Alabama places. On cost, space and class size it scores 11 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is La Fayette expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.7% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $85,900.

What salary do you need to live in La Fayette?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $25,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is La Fayette safe?

There were 541 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to La Fayette?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Newport, TN, Opp, AL, Atmore, AL and Richlands, VA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares La Fayette with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for La Fayette itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/la-fayette-alabama

Citytistics. “La Fayette, Alabama.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/la-fayette-alabama/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.