Side-by-side comparison of Lafayette, IN and Columbus, IN — cap rates, rent, prices, and investment metrics.
Cash flow: Lafayette has the edge with an estimated cap rate of 4.06% compared to Columbus's 4.03%. Neither city passes the 1% rule outright, so deal sourcing and value-add strategies become more important. Median home prices are $275,000 in Lafayette vs $270,000 in Columbus, while rents come in at $1,390/mo and $1,350/mo respectively. For context, the national average cap rate is 3.81% and average price is $333K.
Growth & appreciation: Columbus is growing faster at 0.9% annually vs Lafayette's 0.6%. Columbus leads on home value appreciation at 2.6% per year.
Costs & risk: Property taxes are 0.85% in Lafayette vs 0.84% in Columbus. Vacancy rates of 5.8% and 5.5% are both healthy, suggesting strong tenant demand in both markets.
Entry point: Columbus offers a lower entry at $270K vs Lafayette's $275K — a difference of $5K. With a 20% down payment, that's $54K vs $55K. Lafayette's higher price may be justified by better market fundamentals.
Bottom line: Columbus edges out Lafayette on most key metrics. While cap rates are moderate at 4.03%, Columbus's overall profile is stronger. Use our free calculators to model specific deals in Lafayette or Columbus.