Lafayette, IN Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Lafayette, IN Crime

Is Lafayette, IN safe?

Lafayette earns an overall crime grade of B at the city level, while its neighborhood-level safety rating climbs to Very Safe (A) when the 55 analyzed neighborhoods are examined individually. That distinction matters: 80% of Lafayette neighborhoods hold a Grade A, and another 18.2% hold a Grade B, meaning a combined 98% of neighborhoods are classified as safe. Not a single neighborhood in the city received a D or F grade. Standout communities like Canterbury Farms (A+), Seasons Four (A+), and Sherwood (A+) exemplify the high safety floor that most Lafayette residents enjoy. By comparison, the areas with the most room for improvement — Historic Jefferson (B-) and Glen Acres (B) — still sit within the broadly safe range.

What is the crime rate in Lafayette compared to other Indiana cities?

Lafayette's crime profile is notably positive relative to similarly sized Midwestern cities. Across all 55 neighborhoods studied, 44 neighborhoods (80%) earned an A grade and 10 neighborhoods (18.2%) earned a B grade. Only 1 neighborhood (1.8%) landed at a C grade, and zero neighborhoods received a D or F. The city's population of roughly 168,164 and a population density of 953 people per square mile are moderate, which tends to correlate with more manageable crime concentrations. The unemployment rate of 5% and a poverty rate of 16.8% are economic factors worth watching, but the overwhelmingly high share of A-graded neighborhoods suggests that community safety infrastructure is functioning well across most of the city.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Lafayette, IN?

Of the 55 neighborhoods analyzed, the following earned the highest safety grades for 2026:

• Canterbury Farms — A+: A small community of about 202 residents with a median household income of $83,060 — one of the highest in the city.
• Seasons Four — A+: Home to roughly 692 residents and a median income of $82,484, consistently among Lafayette's safest.
• Sherwood — A+: A larger neighborhood of 1,306 residents with a median income of $82,499 and an excellent safety record.
• Greenbrier — A+: A small enclave of 26 residents boasting the highest median income in this group at $116,353.
• Vinton Highlands — A: 321 residents, median income of $89,511, and a strong A grade.
• Vinton Woods — A: Nearly 1,000 residents with a median income of $82,899.
• Highland Park — A: 417 residents and a median income of $63,303.
• Southlea — A: One of the larger safe neighborhoods with 1,303 residents and a median income of $72,485.
• Commanche — A: 1,366 residents and a median income of $71,318.
• Edgelea — A: 1,699 residents with a median income of $47,766 — proof that safety grades are not exclusively tied to high incomes.

Notably, Edgelea's A grade at a median income close to the city-wide median of $46,925 demonstrates that safe neighborhoods exist across Lafayette's full economic spectrum.

Which Lafayette neighborhoods have higher crime levels?

Even the neighborhoods with the highest relative crime in Lafayette remain within the broadly safe range. The five areas with elevated crime grades compared to the city norm are:

• Historic Jefferson — B-: The lowest-graded neighborhood in the dataset, though still a B-minus rather than a D or F.
• Glen Acres — B
• Hanna — B
• Centennial — B
• Lincoln — B

A B or B- grade means these neighborhoods have above-average crime relative to the rest of Lafayette, not that they are objectively dangerous. For context, zero of the 55 neighborhoods analyzed received a D or F, which is a meaningful data point when evaluating risk. Residents in these areas benefit from staying aware of local incident patterns and engaging with neighborhood watch programs.

Is Lafayette a good place to live in 2026?

The data points toward yes for most households. Consider the key figures: 98% of Lafayette neighborhoods are rated A or B, the city-wide safety rating is Very Safe (A), and the overall crime grade is B. The median home value of $118,763 and median rent of $853 make Lafayette substantially more affordable than national averages, lowering the financial barrier to living in higher-graded neighborhoods. The median household income of $46,925 and an unemployment rate of 5% reflect a functioning local economy, though the 16.8% poverty rate is a reminder that economic pressures exist for a meaningful share of residents. Families drawn to safety will find that neighborhoods like Sherwood, Southlea, and Commanche — all Grade A with populations above 1,300 — offer both community scale and excellent safety records.

How does income correlate with neighborhood safety in Lafayette?

The relationship is present but not absolute. The top A+ neighborhoods — Canterbury Farms ($83,060), Seasons Four ($82,484), Sherwood ($82,499), and Greenbrier ($116,353) — all carry incomes well above the city median of $46,925. However, Edgelea earned a Grade A with a median income of just $47,766, nearly identical to the city-wide median, showing that strong community safety is achievable across income levels. The five neighborhoods with B or B- grades include areas across a range of incomes, suggesting that factors beyond household earnings — such as housing density, proximity to commercial corridors, and community engagement — also shape local crime patterns. 80% of all analyzed neighborhoods achieved an A grade, which means high safety is the norm in Lafayette regardless of which part of the income spectrum a neighborhood occupies.