Lafayette is a good place to raise a family. Home ownership and rentals alike are both affordable, with a diverse housing selection throughout the city and the greater metropolitan area. In addition, Lafayette County’s public school system is highly lauded, and there are plenty of parochial schools as well. Add into that an excellent public library, a high number of youth-oriented sports and recreation programs, a growing economy, and a low-ish crime rate, and you have all of the charms of a rural midwestern community combined with amenities of bigger cities that you typically get with college cities and you have a great spot for a young family.

Here's a pov from a local about raising a family in Lafayette:
*I have lived in Lafayette my entire life (35) and have two children (5 and 3). It is a generally great area to live in. We live on the East side and while some of the crime stuff is true I think a lot of it is blown out of proportion by social media/instant news. The ease of access to literally anything you need while maintaining a somewhat small town feel is what keeps me here. The general cost of living is low even though the housing market has exploded like anywhere else. Imo there are far worse places to raise a family.*


In A Family Way

The Best Thing About Lafayette?

The divide between Lafayette’s lifelong residents and its student population, which is mostly in West Lafayette, is fairly severe. While this is true of many college towns, and it is felt keenly in Lafayette due to the political divide between its more conservative native population and the more liberal and more ethnically diverse population of Purdue University. This in turn leads to arguments over the perception of town, with the student population often describing the crime rate as being greater than it is, and the lifelong residents greeting students with hostility. Please be aware of this before you make your move. 

Here'a a pov on the pros/cons of Lafayette from a local: *Crime isn't noticeably high and there are no areas that I feel unsafe driving through. The area is growing very fast and crime is a side effect, though. The growth rate also means housing is expensive, so give yourself time to look: lots of houses sell in 24 hours or less, and even rentals go quickly. Plenty of good parks and trails, though for bike/walking trails there is a lot more in W Lafayette than in Lafayette. It is true that this area is kind of flat and boring, but Lake Michigan isn't that far away and there are neat hidden gems like Turkey Run.*

*The only real downside I've found so far is that affordable acreage is hard to find. You pretty much have to settle about 30 minutes outside of town if you 1+ acres at less than $200K.*

Rivalry

 The Worst Thing About Lafayette? 

Lafayette is, in many ways, a sleepy countryside town. Outdoor activities are the primary pastime, with canoeing, cycling, hunting, fishing, and gardening especially popular. Combined with the local love of Purdue’s athletics programs, you have a town that gathers together eagerly in spite of its differences for a basketball or football game. That being said, for those whom these activities hold no interest, there are more artistic options such as the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra. And for those desiring bigger city options, Indianapolis and Chicago are within driving distance.

Check out the Lafayette calendar of events for a flavor of what goes on during the year: https://www.homeofpurdue.com/events/


Lifestyle of Lafayette

Lafayette is home to a diverse and growing economy. In addition to Purdue University and the Ivy Tech Community College providing work for academics, administrators, and facilities workers, numerous manufacturing operations, such as Arconic, Caterpillar Large Engine Division, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive employ thousands of workers. This in addition to Purdue’s esteemed engineering program and legacy of having produced multiple astronauts makes Lafayette an excellent home for scientists and engineers. 


Worklife of Lafayette

If you are a student, a scientist, a young family, or simply want a quaint farm town with bigger city amenities, Lafayette may prove an excellent option for you. In Lafayette you get the benefits of a college town without the prices of the pricier spots like Columbus or Ann Arbor.  


College Amenities / Small Town Prices

Why You Should Move Here Now

Downtown is the place to live for young professionals looking to walk to work or walk to play at night. It's the heart of the entertainment district with a combination of cafes, bars, restaurants, live music, art galleries and theaters making weekends simple without a car. Living options include renovated loft spaces and modern apartment/condo buildings at much lower prices than other midwest college towns. 

The architecture of downtown is historic 19th/early 20th century brick and stone but the food and drink culture is thoroughly modern. The neighborhood plays host to events throughout the year. These include outdoor festivals, farmers' markets, and holiday parties. They've also done a good job building public parks and green spaces so you can grab a java from a local cafe and relax in the sun if you prefer. 

Young Professionals

Downtown

The Ninth Street Hill neighborhood is an historic district on the east side of Lafayette. The city's original wealthy families lived here and built large beautiful homes in Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Victorian and Craftsman styles. The blocks are tree-lined  and the sidewalks are wide so the kiddos have plenty of room to run and bike. The neighborhood association is active and a steady pace of local events throughout the year creates a strong community vibe. 

Families

Ninth Street Hill

Located just south of downtown is the Ellsworth-Romig neighborhood. The area is a mix of older historic homes in the Ellsworth District, smaller cottage and craftsmen homes, and split level homes and apartment building options for those seeking rentals. In addition to plenty of housing options the area also is centered around Triangle Park. A popular place for kiddo and community play throughout the year. Additional neighborhood attractions include the Red Crown Mini-Museum, the Tippecanoe County Public Library and the headquarters of the John Phillips Sousa Foundation. 

Ellsworth-Romig

Highland Park is another Historic District neighborhood catering to families. The area's high-style Victorian and Craftsmen homes date from the 1890's to the 1920's and are on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The neighborhood was built around a triangular park (hence the name) and it still serves as the primary meeting place for community gatherings and events, in addition to being a great place for the kids to play. The blocks are long and beautiful with tall trees and wide sidewalks. Highland Park has a strong neighborhood association that runs events throughout the year and represents the area to the mayor and city government. 

Calendar of events: highlandparklafayette.com/event/

Highland Park 

Lafayette

**I might be moving to West Lafayette -- what should I know?**

I wouldn’t find a house/apt near campus just to stay away from the parties, etc. Aside from that, there is no “bad” area in West Lafayette. For lower cost housing, Lafayette has plenty of options but a few places I wouldn’t care to live. Feel free to ask for guidance there, if needed. You will only be about an hour or so from Indianapolis and two hours from Chicago for more of the typical big-city entertainment. Got a handful of state parks in the area for hiking. Of course, if you are into sporting events, Purdue has plenty and there is a local baseball team in Lafayette in the warmer weather. Also when it warms up, canoe or float trips down the Tippecanoe Eiver or Wildcat Creek are a nice break. Overall, it is pretty quiet around here with a couple of events mixed in here and there.

For areas near downtown Lafayette, the neighborhoods made up of stand-alone houses are probably not the best places. If you can get an apartment in actual downtown, that would probably be best. I can’t speak to who you should or should not rent with (management issues, apartment conditions, etc). If I was to move into apartment life again, I would probably find one in the heart of downtown. There really is not a “downtown” West Lafayette. It is spread out quite a bit and, as mentioned previously, the densest area is probably a bit too much of a student life area. Downtown Lafayette is just a quick walk across the bridge to the Levee shopping plaza and just a few more minutes to Purdue. One word of warning, public transit in Indiana is not very good. Lafayette and West Lafayette does have busses to get you around town, but being from the UK and Tokyo, you are probably used to a quality far greater than you will find in this city. I don’t think we have a rail service to Indianapolis or Chicago anymore - but I could be wrong. There is a bus depot in downtown Lafayette that you can research to go to those cities if you don’t plan on having a car. You can also check out Lafayette Limo and Reindeer Shuttle for services to and from the Indianapolis and Chicago airports, then you can just snag an uber, etc into the city if you want. Feel free to message me if you have any questions, etc. Winter is coming: bring warm clothes

**I might be moving to West Lafayette -- what should I know?**

West Lafayette is very safe and nice. Between Lafayette/West Lafayette there is a decent restaurant scene and If you want more variety Indianapolis and Chicago are both easy drives. There are nice parks and even a small zoo in Lafayette. Lafayette has a small but nice downtown right on the Wabash river across from west Lafayette. If you don’t mind the small city vibe, it’s a great place to live. If you have any more specific questions I’d be happy to help. My wife (who is also an Asian immigrant for what it’s worth) and I have lived here for a few years now.

**Thoughts on Lafayette/West Lafayette for a family relocating to the area?
Relocating
Hi all, we are a young (early 30s) family of four (two boys, ages 4 & 6) thinking of making the move to the Lafayette area later this year. My wife and I have lived in various locations in the midwest for most of our lives. Currently we live near Indy but are thinking of assisting with a church plant in the Lafayette area (hence the move). My wife home-schools our boys so she would be looking for home-school communities/resources. I work remotely so we can, in theory, live anywhere with decent internet.

We drove through the area last night actually and thought the downtown(s) looked pretty nice considering the smaller city size of Lafayette/West Lafayette. Granted everything always looks more "depressing" during winter in the midwest lol.

I'd be interested to hear people's genuine thoughts about the town (for a family), especially regarding crime since I've seen many remarks that crime has been on the rise for years now. I'm aware that West Lafayette is all about Purdue and very centered about the college/students, but is the area growing beyond the influx of college students year-round? Curious.**

I have lived in Lafayette my entire life (35) and have two children (5 and 3). It is a generally great area to live in. We live on the East side and while some of the crime stuff is true I think a lot of it is blown out of proportion by social media/instant news. The ease of access to literally anything you need while maintaining a somewhat small town feel is what keeps me here. The general cost of living is low even though the housing market has exploded like anywhere else. Imo there are far worse places to raise a family.

**Any advice on living at lafayette
I am an incoming graduate at Purdue. I found an apartment at 1001 fannon driveway Evergreen rentals. Many people have told me that Lafayette is riskier than West Lafayette. So, could somebody kindly advise me on safety and which areas to avoid, as well as whether it is prudent to stay in this apartment or hunt for another? Thanks**

I live right downtown, I travel for work so its only been 3 months. But it's very quiet, my neighbors are pleasant. I've never had a single issue or felt unsafe. Any city will have some crime, but I've had no problems.

Most of Lafayette is pretty mixed. The Lincoln neighborhood is a little run down in places, but there are some really nice homes there as well. And it is close to campus even though it is on the other side of the river.Just because you might see some unhoused* or addicts on the street does not necessarily mean that it is a particularly dangerous part of town. Most people keep to themselves and don't bother anyone.

*That is mostly because the shelters are near there. But that also mean increased police presence.

**Touring Lafayette/West Lafayette**

In today’s video, I headed northwest from central Illinois across corn and bean fields into western Indiana to the city of Lafayette. The region had been snowed on a few days prior, but today was rare winter day when it was clear, with temps in the mid 40s. 
 
It was Saturday December 21st, 2019 at 10 am. 
 
The greater Lafayette area is a somewhat charming region. It's separated by two sides, Lafayette, on the east and West Lafayette in the west. The two communities are separated by the Wabash River. The entire region is anchored by Purdue university in West Lafayette. That's where we'll start, and then we'll drive through campus, over the Wabash River and into downtown Lafayette. 
 
We’ll pick things up on West State Street in West Lafayette, which goes through the heart of the Purdue campus. We’ll take State Street east through campus and into the part of town where most of West Lafayette’s retail and entertainment is located. AKA the bar scene.
 
I spent a number of years living here, and grew to really like the place. It’s a charming place, Lafayette is, filled with friendly people where you make new friends quite easily. A lot of people are involved in the community, and crime and the cost of living are actually not all that bad. The only downside to living here, really, is the lack of things to do OUTSIDE of the greater Tippecanoe County area. For some real fun, you have to drive an hour southeast to Indianapolis, which isn’t really all that exciting, or two hours north to Chicago.

The area off in the distance at the bottom of the hill near the Wabash River is practically brand new. It’s full of fancy new apartments for Purdue students.

We’re now making our way towards downtown Lafayette. To the left is a region called Wabash Landing. It’s also full of new retail and restaurants. 

And I accidentally took the roundabout twice.

We’re now crossing over the Wabash River into downtown Lafayette. 

Off to the right you can see the Tippecanoe County Courthouse.

Downtown Lafayette has more bars and restaurants per capita than any other city in Indiana. Up and down Main Street are several dozen options for dining and drinking. I spent a number of years here, and I can attest to the sheer number of drinkin holes. There’s actually not a lot to do in the greater Lafayette area for fun except belly up to a bar, especially in the long winter months. 

On the left is the famous Lafayette theater, where apparently Lloyd Ave, Latin night and PAULY SHORE are coming?? Big time. 

Lafayette, Indiana

Boilermakers

Looklyloo Score: 75

We're on it!