Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Indiana a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Indiana.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Hoosier State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Indiana, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 92 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Hoosier State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Indiana For 2022
Hamilton County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Indiana. And you might want to avoid Grant County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Indiana, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Indiana and the cheapest places to live in Indiana.
The Best Counties To Live In Indiana For 2022
1. Hamilton County
Biggest Place: Carmel
Population: 330,455
Median Income: $98,880.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $282,700.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (11th best)
More on Hamilton County: Photos | Data
2. Boone County
Biggest Place: Zionsville
Population: 66,875
Median Income: $89,444.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $245,200.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (23rd best)
More on Boone County: Photos | Data
3. Hendricks County
Biggest Place: Plainfield
Population: 166,806
Median Income: $84,754.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $205,300.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (34th best)
More on Hendricks County: Photos | Data
4. Dubois County
Biggest Place: Jasper
Population: 42,534
Median Income: $62,846.0 (20th best)
Median Home Price: $162,400.0 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2% (3rd best)
More on Dubois County: Photos | Data
5. Warrick County
Biggest Place: Boonville
Population: 62,608
Median Income: $79,079.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $173,900.0 (12th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (29th best)
More on Warrick County: Photos | Data
6. Hancock County
Biggest Place: Greenfield
Population: 76,614
Median Income: $75,647.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $179,300.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (9th best)
More on Hancock County: Photos | Data
7. Dearborn County
Biggest Place: Bright
Population: 49,612
Median Income: $70,779.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $174,500.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (26th best)
More on Dearborn County: Photos | Data
8. Johnson County
Biggest Place: Greenwood
Population: 156,148
Median Income: $72,928.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $178,500.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (37th best)
More on Johnson County: Photos | Data
9. Porter County
Biggest Place: Portage
Population: 169,482
Median Income: $72,255.0 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $193,500.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (6best)
More on Porter County: Photos | Data
10. Franklin County
Biggest Place: Batesville
Population: 22,750
Median Income: $68,180.0 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $167,200.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (5th best)
More on Franklin County: Photos | Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Indiana county is the best?
To give you the best county in Indiana, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Indiana across each of the criteria from one to 92, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Indiana”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Hoosier State.
Read on to see why Hamilton County is the best county, while Grant County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Indiana.
Summary: The Best Counties In Indiana To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Indiana can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Indiana according to the data:
- Grant County
- Fayette County
- Wayne County
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Richest Cities In Indiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
