West Lafayette receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
West Lafayette
Kiryas Joel
Opportunity
75 · Top 14%
vs51 · Bottom 38%
Growth
59 · Top 33%
vs75 · Top 10%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs61 · Bottom 18%
Physical resilience
85 · Top 17%
vs75 · Top 31%
Housing affordability
5 · Bottom 1%
vs12 · Bottom 1%
Access
66 · Bottom 10%
vs98 · Top 15%
Economic stability
23 · Bottom 2%
vs27 · Bottom 4%
Measured values
| Metric | West Lafayette | Kiryas Joel | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,159 | 38,916 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $34,891 | $50,032 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,882 | $14,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,331/sq mi | 26,618/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $350,000 | $758,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,225 | $1,604 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 29.4% | 33.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 2.6% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 73.3% | 5.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 37.3% | 37.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 464 | 366 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 10.3 | 9.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -75.8% | -19.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.0" | 41.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 60 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 18.0 min | 20.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 21.4 | 15.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
West Lafayette
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Kiryas Joel
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
West Lafayette
57
Your Score
62
Area Score
Kiryas Joel
57
Your Score
56
Area Score
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Full profiles: West Lafayette, IN · Kiryas Joel, NY · How this is calculated: methodology