Westfield receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Westfield
Lawrence
Opportunity
86 · Top 2%
vs72 · Top 20%
Growth
88 · Top 1%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
68 · Bottom 39%
vs68 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
76 · Top 29%
vs67 · Top 41%
Housing affordability
95 · Top 20%
vs96 · Top 16%
Schools
79 · Top 15%
vs12 · Bottom 3%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs92 · Top 49%
Economic stability
82 · Top 4%
vs73 · Top 23%
Measured values
| Metric | Westfield | Lawrence | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,677 | 49,517 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $122,789 | $74,022 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $61,257 | $36,079 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,675/sq mi | 2,457/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $425,700 | $230,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,667 | $1,178 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 66.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% | 3.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 59.8% | 35.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.6% | 8.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 2,157 | 58 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 39.4 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 54.3% | -35.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 21°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 40.7" | 40.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 23 mi | 19 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 26.7 min | 26.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.9 | 34.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.13 | 19.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 60.6% | 22.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 59.4% | 25.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 18.9% | 53.5% | 2024-25 school 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
Westfield
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, earthquake.
Lawrence
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Westfield, IN · Lawrence, IN · How this is calculated: methodology