The Town FilesLafayette, Colorado
City in Boulder County · population 30,411 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $686,500
- Household income
- $119,040
- Jan low / Jul high
- 19° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 65 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 23
- Median age
- 39.1
Lafayette is a city of 30,411 people in Boulder County, Colorado. The median home is worth $686,500, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). It ranks better for cycling than 88% of Colorado towns, better transit than 88% of Colorado towns, better for first-time buyers than 87% of Colorado towns.
How Lafayette ranks
Percentile among Colorado towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Colorado towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Lafayette is worth $686,500, above the typical Colorado town ($471,100). Homes cost about 5.8 times the median household income of $119,040, which is more affordable than 33% of Colorado towns. Median rent is $2,121 a month. 65.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Lafayette | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $686,500 | $471,100 |
| Median rent | $2,121 | $1,582 |
| Median household income | $119,040 | $86,246 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.8× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 65.7% | 72.7% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1982 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.1% | — |
Who lives in Lafayette
| People | Lafayette | Typical Colorado town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.1 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.1% | 16.9% |
| Under 18 | 21.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 63.5% | 37.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 8.8% |
| Veterans | 3.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.8% | — |
| Work from home | 30.1% | 15.3% |
| Average commute | 23.6 min | 24.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.4% | 92.9% |
Weather in Lafayette
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 19.0°F. About 14.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 65.0 inches of snow (typical Colorado town: 47.4 in). Expect about 53 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 149 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1950, compared with 11 for the typical Colorado town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 5, 1988 about 6.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 3, 2013.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 247 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 18, 2018.
Severe weather in Boulder County since 1996
Boulder County has been included in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 31, 2024 | Fire | FM-5525: Stone Mountain Fire |
| December 31, 2021 | Fire | DR-4634: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| December 30, 2021 | Fire | FM-5423: Marshall Fire |
| October 17, 2020 | Fire | FM-5379: Calwood Fire |
| March 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4498: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Boulder County
Boulder County had 193,920 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $96,397 a year. Unemployment was 2.8% in 2023; in Lafayette itself the ACS puts it at 3.8%.
Public schools in Lafayette
8 public schools with 5,471 students, about 17.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centaurus High School | 9-12 | 1,561 | 20.3 |
| Peak to Peak Charter School (charter) | K-12 | 1,452 | 18.6 |
| Angevine Middle School | 6-8 | 609 | 14.2 |
| Pioneer Bilingual Elementary School | PK-5 | 488 | 16.3 |
| Lafayette Elementary School | PK-5 | 480 | 18.5 |
| Ryan Elementary School | PK-5 | 458 | 15.8 |
| Alicia Sanchez International School | PK-5 | 320 | 12.3 |
| Justice High Charter School (charter) | 6-12 | 103 | 20.6 |
Towns near Lafayette
- Louisville, CO2.9 mi · 21,226 people · home $883,900
- Broomfield, CO3.8 mi · 74,112 people · home $664,500
- Erie, CO4.5 mi · 30,038 people · home $736,500
- Superior, CO5.4 mi · 13,094 people · home $903,900
- Gunbarrel, CO6.1 mi · 9,554 people · home $821,000
- Niwot, CO7.7 mi · 4,306 people · home $995,700
- Westminster, CO8.2 mi · 116,317 people · home $532,400
- Boulder, CO8.3 mi · 108,250 people · home $1,039,500
Lafayette questions
Is Lafayette, Colorado a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lafayette scores better for retirees than 43% of Colorado towns and quieter than 17%. 16.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.1).
How much does a house cost in Lafayette?
The median owner-occupied home in Lafayette is valued at $686,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $119,040, so homes cost about 5.8 times income. Median rent is $2,121 a month.
What is the weather like in Lafayette?
July highs average 91.1°F and January lows 19.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 14.5 inches of precipitation a year and 65.0 inches of snow.
Does Lafayette get tornadoes?
23 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 5, 1988. The typical Colorado town has had 11.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)