CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.23° N · 80.20° W · GEOID 5143224

Lafayette

Montgomery County, Virginia · part of the Blacksburg, VA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent, median_home_value

VirginiaLafayette, VALafayetteLafayette

The short answer

Lafayette is home to 628 people. Median household income is $34,596 a year and median rent is $1,240 a month, 43.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $304,600, about 8.8x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,240
9% below the median place
Median household income
$34,596
57% below the median place
Median home value
$304,600
5% below the median place
Unemployment
2.9%
40% below 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 Lafayette

  • The median rent takes 43.0% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 195 Virginia places.
  • The median household earns $34,596 a year, less than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 195 Virginia places.
  • The median home is worth 8.8 years of the median household's income, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 195 Virginia places.
  • 93% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • Household income has grown 0.6% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 92% of places its size.
01

Moving to Lafayette

Montgomery County loses about 8.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,514
Moved out5,020
Net−506

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Radford city, VA262314−52
Roanoke city, VA142156−14
Floyd County, VA117166−49
Giles County, VA126141−15

Within Virginia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within VirginiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$60K
Leavers$61K

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

Who moves here
0.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Montgomery County report $59,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $60,700.
Income you would need
$49,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,240 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,690 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $304,600.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 14.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Brattleboro, VT matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
0.0%
below the median place (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6
-8.3
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year10.0%below (median 5.7%)
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-8.3below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$59,88015% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$60,65014% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 43.0%, 111% above the median place.

Lafayette43.0%
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
$49,600
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
43.0%
111% above the median place
Home price to income
8.8x
132% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
43%
well over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$20,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lafayette, $1,240 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lafayette? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
92.9%
40% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.7%
19% below the median place
Median year built1
1974
0% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,2409% below
Rent to income143.0%111% above
Property tax rate10.7%19% below
Home price to income18.8x132% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.78% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,34017% below
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$2,24931% below
Median home value1County figure$304,6005% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.3%3% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure46.3%10% below
Homeownership192.9%40% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure52.2%3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1County figure$1,69010% below
Vacant homes1County figure13.6%93% above
Median year built119740% below
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
$34,596
57% below the median place
Income per person1
$21,985
45% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$34,59657% below
Income per person1$21,98545% below
Unemployment1County figure2.9%40% below
Average annual pay5County figure$62,0856% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure2.1%43% below
Jobs5County figure43,87471% below
Poverty rate1County figure23.9%122% above
Mean commute1County figure18 min27% below
Works from home1County figure14.0%12% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 97.5%, 6% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
97.5%
6% above the median place
Household size1
2.2
10% below the median place
Median age1
42.7
9% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population16286646th largest
Median age142.79% above
Bachelor's or higher1County figure48.8%52% above
High school or higher1County figure95.8%4% above
Household size12.210% below
Born abroad1County figure9.5%8% above
No health insurance1County figure4.8%25% below
Homes with broadband197.5%6% above
05

Life in Lafayette

1 site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Lafayette Historic District listed 1991

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars19.2 −8%
Shops30.8 +2%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.4 −4%
Child care centers2.2 −4%

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

Students per teacher9
12.8
17% below the median place
Public schools9
23
156% above the median place
Public school students9
9,461
93% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure23156% above
Public school students9County figure9,46193% above
Students per teacher9County figure12.817% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure19.28% below
Shops per 10k7County figure30.82% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure19.44% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.24% below
National Register listings8192% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 2.4, 97% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lafayette. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk11
2.4
97% below the median place
Good air days12
94.4%
38% above the median place
Natural hazard risk11
47.5
49% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureLafayetteAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure84°F4% below
January average low10County figure25°F2% below
Average temperature10County figure54°F2% below
Annual precipitation10County figure42.6 in3% below
Natural hazard risk11County figure47.549% below
Hurricane risk11County figure57.119% below
Tornado risk11County figure23.771% below
Wildfire risk11County figure37.040% below
Heat wave risk11County figure2.497% below
Median air quality index12Metro figure3714% below
Good air days12Metro figure94.4%38% above
08

Places like Lafayette

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

PlaceRentIncome
Brattleboro, VT$1,113$52,734Compare
Hudson, NY$1,343$54,139Compare
Pewaukee, WI$1,260$62,139Compare
Greenfield, MA$1,107$55,614Compare
Greenfield, MAPewaukee, WIHudson, NYBrattleboro, VTLafayette, VALafayetteBrattleboroHudsonPewaukeeLafayetteHudsonPewaukeeGreenfield

Common questions

Is Lafayette a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median rent takes 43.0% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 195 Virginia places. The median household earns $34,596 a year, less than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 195 Virginia places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lafayette expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 43.0% 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 $304,600.

What salary do you need to live in Lafayette?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $49,600 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lafayette?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Brattleboro, VT, Hudson, NY, Pewaukee, WI and Greenfield, MA.

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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  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. 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.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 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
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

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 Lafayette with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lafayette itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lafayette-virginia

Citytistics. “Lafayette, Virginia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lafayette-virginia/

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