Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Lafayette, Indiana
A $158,000 home here costs
$1,329per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $812. The real number is $517 higher every month — 64% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Lafayette against Tippecanoe County and Indiana
| Measure | Lafayette | Tippecanoe County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $157,600 | $217,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,038 | $1,355 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.659% | 0.623% |
| Median gross rent | $1,039 | $1,088 |
| Population | 70,650 | 187,399 |
The weather behind that power bill
Lafayette sits in Tippecanoe County, which averages a high of 83.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 18.2°F in its coldest, with 37" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 884 cooling and 5,824 heating degree days, which is what sets the $163 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Tippecanoe County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tippecanoe County
Full Tippecanoe County cost breakdown · Every county in Indiana
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Lafayette?
A $158,000 home in Lafayette, Indiana costs approximately $1,329 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $812 principal and interest, $87 property tax, $67 homeowners insurance, $231 utilities and $132 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Lafayette?
Lafayette has an effective property tax rate of 0.659%, based on a median home value of $157,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,038. That is higher than the Tippecanoe County average of 0.623%.
What is the average home price in Lafayette?
The median owner-occupied home value in Lafayette, Indiana is $157,600, against $217,600 across Tippecanoe County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Lafayette?
Median gross rent in Lafayette is $1,039 a month, against $1,329 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Lafayette — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Indiana.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.