City comparison
Lafayette, IN is about 70 miles (125 km) from Terre Haute, IN in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 90 miles, or about 1 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Lafayette, IN to Terre Haute, IN takes about 8 min, covering roughly 70 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Lafayette has a population of 70,828, vs 58,599 in Terre Haute — about 1.2× larger by population. By land area, Terre Haute covers about 35 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Lafayette.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Lafayette | Terre Haute | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $976/mo | $847/mo | 15.2% higher in Lafayette |
| Median home value | $145,200 | $99,600 | 45.8% higher in Lafayette |
| Median household income | $50,674 | $41,230 | 22.9% higher in Lafayette |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 86.9 | 87.0 | ≈ equal (Terre Haute slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 98.9 | 98.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.1 | 99.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Lafayette, you'd need $88,795 in Terre Haute to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Terre Haute, IN is about 11.2% cheaper overall than Lafayette, IN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 44% higher in Lafayette than in Terre Haute. If you earn $80,000 in Lafayette, you'd need about $71,036 in Terre Haute to keep the same standard of living.