City comparison
Terre Haute, IN is about 70 miles (125 km) from West Lafayette, 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 Terre Haute, IN to West Lafayette, IN takes about 9 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.
Terre Haute has a population of 58,599, vs 44,861 in West Lafayette — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, Terre Haute covers about 35 sq mi vs 14 sq mi for West 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 | Terre Haute | West Lafayette | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $847/mo | $1,056/mo | 24.7% higher in West Lafayette |
| Median home value | $99,600 | $303,300 | 204.5% higher in West Lafayette |
| Median household income | $41,230 | $30,317 | 36.0% higher in Terre Haute |
| Groceries index | 94.5 | 94.5 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 87.0 | 86.9 | ≈ 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 Terre Haute, you'd need $112,927 in West Lafayette to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Terre Haute, IN is about 11.4% cheaper overall than West Lafayette, IN, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% higher in West Lafayette than in Terre Haute. If you earn $80,000 in Terre Haute, you'd need about $90,342 in West Lafayette to keep the same standard of living.