Lafayette, Louisiana Population 2023

121,322

Lafayette is a city located in Lafayette Parish Louisiana. It is also the county seat of Lafayette Parish. With a 2023 population of 121,322, it is the 4th largest city in Louisiana and the 235th largest city in the United States.Lafayette is currently declining at a rate of -0.18% annually and its population has decreased by -0.55% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 121,996 in 2020. Spanning over 56 miles, Lafayette has a population density of 2,186 people per square mile.

The average household income in Lafayette is $78,055 with a poverty rate of 21.43%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to - per month, and the median house value is -. The median age in Lafayette is 36.4 years, 34.9 years for males, and 37.9 years for females.

Louisiana is located in the southwestern region of the state and is the principal city of the Lafayette Metropolitan area.

Lafayette Population andn Economy Statistics

About 11.5% of the population speaks French or Creole French, while over 84% speak English.

Manufacturing and fabrication are essential industries in Lafayette, with employers including Frank’s Casing Crew and CIS Hammers. There is also a thriving IT community which includes businesses such as the Center for Business and Information Technologies and CGI.

Lafayette Population Growth

Lafayette’s population has only gone up since the census taken in 1860. A community that was under 500 people in 1860 had grown to over 14,000 by 1930. The population only continued to grow larger, reaching 40,000 in 1960 and nearing 70,000 at the time of the next census. In 2000, the city had over 100,000 residents. This number has since gone up considerably. Recent estimates show that the population has grown by almost 6% since the 2010 census. Based on this data, it seems as though this Louisiana city is quickly on its way to a population of 150,000.

The area that is now Lafayette was originally inhabited by Atakapa Indians. The area at the time was known as the Atakapa and Opelousas districts. Things began to change with the arrival of the Europeans in the 1760s. Acadians were also being settled in the area.

In the early 1800s, the area was split into St. Martin and St. Mary parishes. Lafayette was planned in 1821 and was initially called St. Jean du Vermilionville, which was shortened to simply Vermilionville. A charter in 1836 outlined the boundaries of the village, although these borders were expanded in 1869.

In 1823, the St. Martin parish was divided, and the Lafayette parish was born. The city name remained as Verminionville because an area already took the name Lafayette outside of New Orleans. The suburb was later incorporated by New Orleans, which is when Vermilionville’s name was changed.

Agriculture was a primary driver of the economy during the city’s earliest days, but petroleum and national gas industries grew in importance during the 1940s.

Today, the city’s economy revolves around manufacturing and fabrication. In recent years, the IT industry has also grown significantly. The city is also very culturally diverse and is considered to be the center of Cajun and Creole culture.

Lafayette Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Lafayette was:

  • White: 62.77%
  • Black or African American: 30.53%
  • Two or more races: 3.38%
  • Asian: 2.29%
  • Other race: 0.67%
  • Native American: 0.22%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.13%
The current population of Lafayette, Louisiana is 121,322 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates.The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 121,996.

Lafayette, Louisiana Population 2023

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Lafayette Metro Area Population by Year

Population by Race

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White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Asian

Other race

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Lafayette Population by Race

Lafayette Population Pyramid 2023

Lafayette Median Age

36.4

Total

34.9

Male

37.9

Female

Lafayette Adults

There are 100,373 adults, (19,736 of whom are seniors) in Lafayette.

Lafayette Age Dependency

57.1

Age Dependency Ratio

24.5

Old Age Dependency Ratio

32.6

Child Dependency Ratio

Lafayette Sex Ratio

Female65,68551.85%
Male60,98948.15%

Lafayette Population by Age

Lafayette Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

3.09

Average Family Size

2.43

Average Household Size

58.4%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Lafayette Households and Families

Male

Female

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Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Lafayette Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Lafayette Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

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The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 80.78%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 48.24%.

Lafayette Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

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$37,593

Average Earnings

$49,296

Average Male

$31,208

Average Female

Lafayette Earnings by Educational Attainment

Lafayette Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Lafayette Language

91.56% of Lafayette residents speak only English, while 8.44% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Other Indo-European, which is spoken by 4.15% of the population.

Lafayette Language

Lafayette Poverty by Race

rate

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21.43%

Overall Poverty Rate

16.43%

Male Poverty Rate

20.29%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Lafayette

The race most likely to be in poverty in Lafayette is Black, with 41.4% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Lafayette is White, with 12.42% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 4.97%. Among those working part-time, it was 23.3%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 27.5%.

Lafayette Poverty

rate

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Lafayette Poverty Rate by Education

rate

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Lafayette Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Lafayette Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

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mean

median

Income by Household Type

Lafayette Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

40.4%

Overall Marriage Rate

43.0%

Male Marriage Rate

37.9%

Female Marriage Rate

Lafayette Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Lafayette Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is Over 65, while the female age group most likely to be married is 45-54.

Lafayette Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Lafayette Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

5,920

Number of Veterans

5,332

Male Veterans

588

Female Veterans

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Lafayette Veterans by War

count

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Lafayette Veterans by Age

count

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Lafayette Veterans by Race

Lafayette Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

8.38%

Veteran Poverty Rate

29.12%

Veteran Disability Rate

Lafayette Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

63.4%

Labor Force Participation

60%

Employment Rate

5.3%

Unemployment Rate

Lafayette Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Lafayette Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Lafayette Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

82.4%

Born in Lafayette

99.04%

Native Born

4.79%

Foreign Born

3.01%

Non Citizen

1.79%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

99.04% of Lafayette residents were born in the United States, with 82.4% having been born in Louisiana. 3.01% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Asia.

Lafayette Place of Birth

Note: data after 2021 is projected based on recent change
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Lafayette Population by Year