Lafayette was founded in 1825 on the southeast bank of the Wabash and became Tippecanoe County's seat. Its farmers market has operated on and around the courthouse square since 1839, alongside a city that grew through river, canal and industrial activity.
Lafayette's market in context
The Census figures describe Lafayette, while the July sales figures cover Fairfield Township. Read the two as background for a property-specific decision, rather than as a valuation of an individual home.
The employers
Lafayette's economy is unusual for a city its size in how many large employers it holds. Subaru of Indiana Automotive employs more than 6,500 people at the only Subaru assembly plant outside Japan. Wabash National, the trailer manufacturer, is headquartered here and employs about 5,700 people worldwide.
Caterpillar's Large Engine Center employs about 1,900 and is in a $725 million expansion. IU Health Arnett and Franciscan Health run the region's hospitals from Lafayette. Across the river, Purdue and the Research Park add the university economy. Few cities of 71,000 have that list.
Who lives in Lafayette?
Related reading: Lafayette; the nine towns I cover.
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates.
Lafayette's mean commute is 16.4 minutes in the cited Census record, ten minutes under the national average. The citywide mean does not establish the drive from a particular home to a particular workplace.
What did Lafayette homes sell for in July 2026?
In Fairfield Township, the July 2026 median sale price was $240,000, up 16.5 percent year over year, with 15 days from list to under contract and sellers receiving 97.3 percent of asking. The 16.5 percent change is in the median of the homes that sold, which does not establish the appreciation of an individual property.
What it means
For a seller, the July report provides context for evaluating recent comparable sales. The home's condition, layout and location still need their own review before a price or presentation plan is chosen.
Sources: Greater Lafayette, Lafayette Farmers Market history; Visit Indiana; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Lafayette city, Indiana, and American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 five-year estimates; Subaru of Indiana Automotive; Wabash National; Caterpillar, Lafayette expansion, 2024; Indiana Association of REALTORS Housing Hub, Fairfield Township, July 2026. All read at source, 2026.