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Moving to La Fayette, Georgia

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LaFayette was incorporated as county seat of Walker County on September 30, 1885. The city was named in honor of the French nobleman, the marquis Marie Joseph Yves Gilbert Du Motier LaFayette, who assisted America during the American Revolution.

The courthouse in Walker County was constructed between 1917 and 1918 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first courthouse in Walker County was a “double-log house” at Crawfish Springs (now Chickamauga) that had been used by the Cherokees as a council house. In 1835, the county seat was moved to LaFayette and a second courthouse was completed three years later on the town square. This two-story stuccoed brick structure survived a bloody Civil War battle only to be lost to fire in 1883, taking with it 50 years of county records.

About five miles west of the city is Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Managed by the Department of Natural Resources, the area features several thousand acres of hunting, horseback riding, hiking and caving opportunities. An especially interesting feature is a series of old tunnels left over from early 20th century mining operations.

Population: 6,702. Estimated population in July 2024: 6,753 (+0.8% change)
Males: 3,050 (45.5%), Females: 3,652 (54.5%)

Zip code: 30728

Demographics

Median resident age: 37.9 years
Median household income: $23,093
Median house value: $58,500

Population by Race

Races in La Fayette:

  • White Non-Hispanic (90.0%)
  • Black (7.1%)
  • Hispanic (1.1%)
  • Two or more races (0.9%)
  • Other race (0.8%)

Ancestries: United States (21.0%), Irish (9.4%), English (7.3%), German (5.8%), Dutch (1.8%), Scottish (1.1%).

Land area: 8.1 square miles

Map of La Fayette, GA

Population by Education

For population 25 years and over in La Fayette

  • High school or higher: 58.7%
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher: 10.4%
  • Graduate or professional degree: 3.9%
  • Unemployed: 4.8%
  • Mean travel time to work: 20.2 minutes

For population 15 years and over in La Fayette city

  • Never married: 17.0%
  • Now married: 51.1%
  • Separated: 0.6%
  • Widowed: 15.0%
  • Divorced: 16.4%

1.5% Foreign born

Population change in the 1990s: -547 (-7.5%).

Hospitals

Hospitals/medical centers near La Fayette:

Airports

Airports certified for carrier operations nearest to La Fayette:

  • LOVELL FIELD (about 23 miles; CHATTANOOGA, TN; Abbreviation: CHA)
  • RICHARD B RUSSELL (about 27 miles; ROME, GA; Abbreviation: RMG)
  • DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE (about 78 miles; MARIETTA, GA; Abbreviation: MGE)

Other public-use airports nearest to La Fayette:

  • BARWICK LAFAYETTE (about 2 miles; LAFAYETTE, GA; Abbreviation: 9A5)
  • DALTON MUNI (about 29 miles; DALTON, GA; Abbreviation: DNN)
  • COLLEGEDALE MUNI (about 29 miles; COLLEGEDALE, TN; Abbreviation: 3M3)

Colleges and Universities

Colleges/universities with over 2000 students nearest to La Fayette:

  • THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA (about 24 miles; CHATTANOOGA, TN; Full-time enrollment: 6,914)
  • CHATTANOOGA STATE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 25 miles; CHATTANOOGA, TN; Full-time enrollment: 4,821)
  • LEE UNIVERSITY (about 44 miles; CLEVELAND, TN; Full-time enrollment: 3,171)
  • CLEVELAND STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 44 miles; CLEVELAND, TN; Full-time enrollment: 2,022)
  • GADSDEN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (about 62 miles; GADSDEN, AL; Full-time enrollment: 3,360)
  • KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY (about 67 miles; KENNESAW, GA; Full-time enrollment: 9,589)
  • JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY (about 70 miles; JACKSONVILLE, AL; Full-time enrollment: 6,418)

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