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 counties 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 using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Indiana For 2024
Hamilton County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Indiana. And you should avoid Grant County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Indiana. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Indiana and the cheapest places to live in Indiana.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Indiana For 2024
1. Hamilton County
Biggest Place: Carmel
Population: 349,527
Median Income: $114,866 (best)
Median Home Price: $422,154 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (11th best)
More on Hamilton County: Data
2. Hendricks County
Biggest Place: Plainfield
Population: 175,639
Median Income: $95,261 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $319,372 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (7th best)
More on Hendricks County: Data
3. Boone County
Biggest Place: Zionsville
Population: 71,235
Median Income: $103,038 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $383,671 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (18th best)
More on Boone County: Data
4. Warrick County
Biggest Place: Boonville
Population: 64,065
Median Income: $91,105 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $258,345 (16th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.3% (28th best)
More on Warrick County: Data
5. Hancock County
Biggest Place: Greenfield
Population: 80,170
Median Income: $85,262 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $297,767 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (9th best)
More on Hancock County: Data
6. Dearborn County
Biggest Place: Bright
Population: 50,709
Median Income: $80,352 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $286,436 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (6th best)
More on Dearborn County: Data
7. Johnson County
Biggest Place: Greenwood
Population: 161,952
Median Income: $82,730 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $290,367 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (33rd best)
More on Johnson County: Data
8. Posey County
Biggest Place: Mount Vernon
Population: 25,226
Median Income: $75,594 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $213,809 (37th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (14th best)
More on Posey County: Data
9. Porter County
Biggest Place: Portage
Population: 173,355
Median Income: $82,915 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $305,233 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (55th best)
More on Porter County: Data
10. Jasper County
Biggest Place: Rensselaer
Population: 33,045
Median Income: $77,777 (11th best)
Median Home Price: $257,089 (18th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (52nd best)
More on Jasper County: 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 made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent 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, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Hoosier State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Indiana.
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 2024
Living in Indiana can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Indiana are Hamilton County, Hendricks County, Boone County, Warrick County, Hancock County, Dearborn County, Johnson County, Posey County, Porter County, and Jasper County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Indiana according to the data:
- Grant County
- Wayne County
- Fayette County
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Best Places To Retire In Indiana
- Richest Cities In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Indiana
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County | 349,527 | $114,866 | $422,154 |
| 2 | Hendricks County | 175,639 | $95,261 | $319,372 |
| 3 | Boone County | 71,235 | $103,038 | $383,671 |
| 4 | Warrick County | 64,065 | $91,105 | $258,345 |
| 5 | Hancock County | 80,170 | $85,262 | $297,767 |
| 6 | Dearborn County | 50,709 | $80,352 | $286,436 |
| 7 | Johnson County | 161,952 | $82,730 | $290,367 |
| 8 | Posey County | 25,226 | $75,594 | $213,809 |
| 9 | Porter County | 173,355 | $82,915 | $305,233 |
| 10 | Jasper County | 33,045 | $77,777 | $257,089 |
| 11 | Putnam County | 36,942 | $70,609 | $236,769 |
| 12 | Wells County | 28,167 | $68,074 | $213,358 |
| 13 | Franklin County | 22,850 | $75,985 | $270,838 |
| 14 | Floyd County | 80,191 | $75,686 | $256,464 |
| 15 | Morgan County | 71,757 | $79,134 | $273,332 |
| 16 | Dubois County | 43,584 | $68,945 | $229,405 |
| 17 | Spencer County | 19,935 | $66,168 | $212,466 |
| 18 | Ohio County | 5,974 | $66,333 | $263,628 |
| 19 | Brown County | 15,513 | $73,933 | $336,101 |
| 20 | Decatur County | 26,432 | $71,566 | $219,147 |
| 21 | Harrison County | 39,684 | $71,302 | $240,136 |
| 22 | Warren County | 8,454 | $72,833 | $212,168 |
| 23 | Steuben County | 34,507 | $68,837 | $291,736 |
| 24 | Bartholomew County | 82,371 | $76,912 | $246,447 |
| 25 | Ripley County | 28,990 | $70,285 | $248,686 |
| 26 | Clark County | 121,484 | $69,005 | $240,603 |
| 27 | Gibson County | 33,006 | $64,153 | $184,103 |
| 28 | Whitley County | 34,259 | $73,636 | $251,089 |
| 29 | Shelby County | 44,940 | $66,449 | $220,069 |
| 30 | Lagrange County | 40,364 | $81,658 | $288,568 |
| 31 | Kosciusko County | 80,442 | $70,945 | $261,934 |
| 32 | Clay County | 26,396 | $68,364 | $163,165 |
| 33 | Dekalb County | 43,312 | $68,110 | $197,600 |
| 34 | Wabash County | 31,032 | $66,194 | $163,598 |
| 35 | Huntington County | 36,699 | $59,894 | $179,111 |
| 36 | Pike County | 12,227 | $64,182 | $158,690 |
| 37 | Tipton County | 15,328 | $71,947 | $207,332 |
| 38 | Carroll County | 20,397 | $61,464 | $205,868 |
| 39 | Lawrence County | 45,113 | $64,210 | $188,008 |
| 40 | Noble County | 47,431 | $70,286 | $220,139 |
| 41 | Tippecanoe County | 186,955 | $55,728 | $257,797 |
| 42 | Monroe County | 140,065 | $60,308 | $289,096 |
| 43 | Allen County | 385,456 | $66,222 | $224,392 |
| 44 | White County | 24,630 | $65,345 | $194,536 |
| 45 | Jackson County | 46,212 | $65,609 | $207,296 |
| 46 | Union County | 7,041 | $68,514 | $196,241 |
| 47 | Marshall County | 46,208 | $66,016 | $230,730 |
| 48 | Laporte County | 112,215 | $66,854 | $208,250 |
| 49 | Daviess County | 33,337 | $64,113 | $207,716 |
| 50 | Martin County | 9,863 | $65,489 | $179,388 |
| 51 | Perry County | 19,186 | $58,936 | $166,929 |
| 52 | Lake County | 497,682 | $66,375 | $225,087 |
| 53 | St. Joseph County | 272,388 | $61,877 | $207,624 |
| 54 | Jefferson County | 33,057 | $57,801 | $205,137 |
| 55 | Clinton County | 33,020 | $59,515 | $183,815 |
| 56 | Adams County | 35,827 | $61,731 | $208,930 |
| 57 | Howard County | 83,452 | $62,014 | $161,298 |
| 58 | Montgomery County | 38,018 | $62,937 | $195,941 |
| 59 | Knox County | 36,148 | $58,173 | $134,976 |
| 60 | Elkhart County | 206,841 | $63,978 | $233,264 |
| 61 | Benton County | 8,709 | $58,620 | $166,851 |
| 62 | Newton County | 13,829 | $63,673 | $202,147 |
| 63 | Vermillion County | 15,488 | $59,567 | $115,545 |
| 64 | Henry County | 48,913 | $57,632 | $161,360 |
| 65 | Starke County | 23,308 | $59,916 | $191,247 |
| 66 | Jennings County | 27,610 | $66,892 | $197,760 |
| 67 | Rush County | 16,716 | $62,386 | $184,998 |
| 68 | Orange County | 19,768 | $60,775 | $167,296 |
| 69 | Vanderburgh County | 179,900 | $58,839 | $178,886 |
| 70 | Washington County | 28,133 | $60,695 | $196,663 |
| 71 | Pulaski County | 12,498 | $56,823 | $167,799 |
| 72 | Owen County | 21,361 | $57,947 | $214,515 |
| 73 | Fountain County | 16,468 | $60,559 | $162,531 |
| 74 | Switzerland County | 9,896 | $66,525 | $214,288 |
| 75 | Randolph County | 24,586 | $59,674 | $132,164 |
| 76 | Madison County | 130,545 | $60,060 | $165,244 |
| 77 | Delaware County | 112,156 | $53,377 | $142,727 |
| 78 | Marion County | 971,737 | $59,504 | $218,968 |
| 79 | Scott County | 24,403 | $49,343 | $183,329 |
| 80 | Cass County | 37,820 | $55,862 | $142,225 |
| 81 | Greene County | 30,900 | $57,771 | $175,497 |
| 82 | Crawford County | 10,511 | $46,706 | $151,348 |
| 83 | Sullivan County | 20,791 | $54,556 | $138,345 |
| 84 | Parke County | 16,327 | $63,393 | $184,123 |
| 85 | Blackford County | 12,074 | $51,108 | $119,643 |
| 86 | Fulton County | 20,420 | $62,644 | $176,133 |
| 87 | Jay County | 20,451 | $52,231 | $138,941 |
| 88 | Miami County | 35,952 | $59,551 | $135,919 |
| 89 | Vigo County | 106,355 | $52,789 | $142,165 |
| 90 | Fayette County | 23,391 | $52,219 | $136,127 |
| 91 | Wayne County | 66,522 | $54,854 | $147,463 |
| 92 | Grant County | 66,560 | $53,033 | $127,979 |
