You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Indiana. Best suburbs in Indiana. Best counties in Indiana.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Hoosier State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Indiana based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Indiana ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
$74,940 median income · 0.9% unemployment
$75,135 median income · 2.1% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$211,528 median income · 3.6% unemployment
$93,906 median income · 1.5% unemployment
$113,265 median income · 1.4% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$116,375 median income · 2.3% unemployment
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$121,827 median income · 2.6% unemployment
$87,770 median income · 1.8% unemployment
$66,563 median income · 2.5% unemployment
$165,972 median income · 1.3% unemployment
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Indiana’s statewide median.
Indiana statewide median: $71,957
Indiana statewide median: $254,122
Indiana statewide median: 4.3%
On the map
Where Indiana’s best small towns are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Indiana
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Indiana possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 206 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 206, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Indiana. Top of that list — Haubstadt.
This is our eleventh time ranking the best small places to live in Indiana.
The full plate
Best Small Towns In Indiana
Click any column to sort. Search by town name.
| Rank | Town | Population | Median Income | Median Home Value | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haubstadt | 1,905 | $74,940 | $288,258 | 0.9% |
| 2 | Newburgh | 3,395 | $75,135 | $317,777 | 2.1% |
| 3 | Meridian Hills | 1,767 | $211,528 | $770,635 | 3.6% |
| 4 | Melody Hill | 3,243 | $93,906 | $234,789 | 1.5% |
| 5 | Georg | 3,800 | $113,265 | $352,067 | 1.4% |
| 6 | Leo-Cedarville | 3,695 | $116,375 | $378,065 | 2.3% |
| 7 | Long Beach | 1,111 | $121,827 | $746,314 | 2.6% |
| 8 | Edgewood | 2,121 | $87,770 | $220,148 | 1.8% |
| 9 | Grabill | 1,108 | $66,563 | $363,088 | 2.5% |
| 10 | Shorewood Forest | 3,263 | $165,972 | $557,974 | 1.3% |
| 11 | Ogden Dunes | 1,140 | $117,000 | $478,165 | 2.6% |
| 12 | Tri-Lakes | 1,025 | $115,250 | $376,757 | 0.0% |
| 13 | Kouts | 2,372 | $77,607 | $313,627 | 0.5% |
| 14 | Aberdeen | 1,490 | $94,926 | $427,535 | 1.6% |
| 15 | Pittsboro | 4,156 | $126,023 | $365,626 | 4.1% |
| 16 | Battle Ground | 1,969 | $110,568 | $322,987 | 4.2% |
| 17 | Darmstadt | 1,508 | $107,188 | $344,667 | 0.9% |
| 18 | Simonton Lake | 4,248 | $75,673 | $310,723 | 1.7% |
| 19 | Syracuse | 3,233 | $71,833 | $360,359 | 1.8% |
| 20 | Clermont | 1,468 | $82,083 | $225,938 | 1.9% |
| 21 | Montgomery | 1,111 | $83,500 | $179,404 | 0.6% |
| 22 | Thor | 1,212 | $73,750 | $225,705 | 1.4% |
| 23 | Bristol | 2,128 | $77,188 | $333,962 | 1.8% |
| 24 | Howe | 1,092 | $60,238 | $249,099 | 0.0% |
| 25 | New Palestine | 3,227 | $96,923 | $379,271 | 4.1% |
| 26 | Burns Harbor | 2,155 | $98,500 | $317,695 | 0.0% |
| 27 | Santa Claus | 2,793 | $89,659 | $296,245 | 1.8% |
| 28 | Galena | 1,549 | $127,738 | $327,494 | 4.8% |
| 29 | Churubusco | 1,757 | $65,086 | $293,485 | 1.8% |
| 30 | Russiaville | 1,445 | $84,457 | $260,866 | 3.0% |
| 31 | Bourbon | 1,760 | $73,510 | $237,596 | 4.3% |
| 32 | Cordry Sweetwater Lakes | 1,190 | $94,583 | $397,022 | 1.4% |
| 33 | Utica | 1,028 | $84,886 | $233,199 | 2.7% |
| 34 | Smithville-Sanders | 3,299 | $74,750 | $301,755 | 4.4% |
| 35 | Dayton | 1,168 | $78,289 | $228,727 | 2.2% |
| 36 | Nashville | 1,386 | $51,638 | $342,237 | 1.7% |
| 37 | Greenville | 1,575 | $134,934 | $338,314 | 4.1% |
| 38 | New Carlisle | 1,998 | $66,824 | $272,514 | 1.9% |
| 39 | Upland | 3,918 | $83,839 | $229,290 | 2.2% |
| 40 | Trail Creek | 2,351 | $77,635 | $243,539 | 6.8% |
| 41 | Ferdinand | 2,351 | $70,000 | $278,709 | 0.5% |
| 42 | North Manchester | 4,819 | $61,296 | $195,651 | 1.8% |
| 43 | Southport | 1,975 | $71,058 | $228,344 | 3.0% |
| 44 | Avilla | 2,878 | $78,880 | $277,901 | 2.9% |
| 45 | Remington | 1,623 | $75,875 | $216,894 | 1.6% |
| 46 | Brown | 3,040 | $62,756 | $170,735 | 1.6% |
| 47 | Berne | 3,965 | $62,159 | $249,587 | 4.0% |
| 48 | Brookston | 1,530 | $63,182 | $241,211 | 0.6% |
| 49 | Lake Dalecarlia | 1,169 | $118,472 | $380,950 | 4.6% |
| 50 | Hudson Lake | 1,347 | $98,253 | $280,908 | 0.0% |
| 51 | Salt Creek Commons | 1,843 | $94,167 | $230,946 | 5.8% |
| 52 | Monrovia | 2,055 | $92,344 | $303,667 | 2.4% |
| 53 | North Liberty | 1,775 | $75,047 | $260,756 | 6.4% |
| 54 | Ossian | 3,384 | $71,563 | $256,933 | 4.8% |
| 55 | Fortville | 4,976 | $84,000 | $307,862 | 3.8% |
| 56 | Roanoke | 1,940 | $71,488 | $358,721 | 3.9% |
| 57 | Shadeland | 1,921 | $82,708 | $408,506 | 2.2% |
| 58 | Rossville | 1,565 | $71,473 | $288,767 | 6.2% |
| 59 | Arcadia | 1,556 | $66,901 | $311,016 | 3.1% |
| 60 | Hamilton | 1,939 | $69,761 | $360,135 | 3.5% |
| 61 | Hope | 2,029 | $76,188 | $248,719 | 1.9% |
| 62 | Sunman | 1,247 | $73,413 | $346,971 | 2.8% |
| 63 | Gree | 2,094 | $60,521 | $143,715 | 2.3% |
| 64 | Fort Branch | 3,021 | $58,707 | $227,180 | 2.5% |
| 65 | New Paris | 1,549 | $74,663 | $301,338 | 0.0% |
| 66 | Bremen | 4,642 | $68,429 | $274,646 | 0.5% |
| 67 | Osceola | 2,593 | $66,503 | $284,142 | 3.0% |
| 68 | Middlebury | 3,700 | $75,236 | $375,465 | 4.0% |
| 69 | Corydon | 3,157 | $56,513 | $268,106 | 2.3% |
| 70 | Owensville | 1,156 | $56,635 | $229,463 | 5.2% |
| 71 | Oolitic | 1,522 | $59,018 | $178,751 | 4.0% |
| 72 | Wolcott | 1,033 | $66,875 | $217,586 | 2.4% |
| 73 | Fremont | 2,112 | $66,304 | $355,559 | 11.4% |
| 74 | Brookville | 2,643 | $55,938 | $258,858 | 0.0% |
| 75 | Greendale | 3,986 | $74,980 | $274,422 | 0.4% |
| 76 | Sweetser | 1,061 | $80,625 | $178,068 | 0.7% |
| 77 | Trafalgar | 1,469 | $77,885 | $367,589 | 4.3% |
| 78 | Pierceton | 1,451 | $80,625 | $249,879 | 1.0% |
| 79 | Rising Sun | 2,474 | $58,843 | $278,156 | 2.2% |
| 80 | Woodburn | 1,263 | $65,938 | $276,689 | 4.1% |
| 81 | Lapel | 2,668 | $79,778 | $225,232 | 6.3% |
| 82 | Millersburg | 1,077 | $65,833 | $413,414 | 3.8% |
| 83 | Heritage Lake | 3,227 | $87,568 | $306,181 | 3.5% |
| 84 | Otterbein | 1,576 | $63,698 | $214,551 | 3.3% |
| 85 | Sheridan | 3,205 | $66,534 | $384,675 | 5.9% |
| 86 | North Terre Haute | 4,534 | $54,640 | $178,072 | 2.1% |
| 87 | Walkerton | 2,115 | $65,340 | $229,255 | 2.5% |
| 88 | Rome City | 1,182 | $71,016 | $300,001 | 4.9% |
| 89 | Henryville | 1,691 | $71,667 | $324,334 | 1.7% |
| 90 | Wanatah | 1,178 | $68,409 | $277,869 | 2.3% |
| 91 | Covington | 3,069 | $52,466 | $223,953 | 4.3% |
| 92 | French Lick | 1,828 | $54,519 | $189,539 | 0.5% |
| 93 | Williamsport | 1,867 | $65,550 | $215,884 | 1.9% |
| 94 | Flora | 2,114 | $51,429 | $201,313 | 4.7% |
| 95 | Monroeville | 1,122 | $56,302 | $255,316 | 2.7% |
| 96 | Spencer | 2,481 | $48,378 | $246,625 | 4.3% |
| 97 | Jame | 1,107 | $71,048 | $205,324 | 4.1% |
| 98 | Warren | 1,274 | $67,885 | $224,237 | 5.6% |
| 99 | Harlan | 1,254 | $75,313 | $291,790 | 5.9% |
| 100 | Hebron | 3,976 | $73,812 | $324,945 | 5.8% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024 via Saturday Night Science. 206 Indiana towns between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these small towns in Indiana are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
The best small towns in Indiana are Haubstadt, Newburgh, Meridian Hills, Melody Hill, Georg, Leo-Cedarville, Long Beach, Edgewood, Grabill, and Shorewood Forest. Not sold on Indiana? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Small Towns In Indiana FAQs
What is the best small town to live in Indiana?
Haubstadt is the best small town in Indiana for 2026. The median household income there is $74,940 and the median home costs $288,258. Newburgh and Meridian Hills round out the top three.
What are the best small towns in Indiana?
The best small towns in Indiana are Haubstadt, Newburgh, Meridian Hills, Melody Hill, Georg, Leo-Cedarville, Long Beach, Edgewood, Grabill, and Shorewood Forest. We ranked all 206 Indiana towns with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents.
What counts as a small town?
For this ranking, a small town is any Indiana place with between 1,000 and 5,000 residents. 206 towns fit that window this year.
How do you rank the best small towns in Indiana?
Each town is scored on density, unemployment, housing costs, income, education, insurance coverage, and commute times, using Census American Community Survey data. The town with the best average across all of it, Haubstadt, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Haubstadt?
The median home in Haubstadt runs $288,258, against $254,122 across Indiana as a whole. Pair that with a $74,940 median household income, and you can see why it ranks so well.
