The 10 Best Small Towns In Indiana For 2024


The best small towns in Indiana are Haubstadt and Melody Hill for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: January 12, 2024

You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Indiana. Best sururbs 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.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Indiana For 2024

  1. Haubstadt
  2. Melody Hill
  3. Meridian Hills
  4. Leo-Cedarville
  5. Aberdeen
  6. Pittsboro
  7. Shorewood Forest
  8. Ogden Dunes
  9. Georg
  10. Ferdinand
  11. Battle Ground
  12. Bristol
  13. Kouts
  14. Newburgh
  15. Tri-Lakes

Best Small Towns To Live In Indiana Map

What’s the best small town in Indiana? Haubstadt is the best small town in Indiana based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Haubstadt, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.

But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.

For more reading on the Hoosier State check out:

The 15 Best Small Towns In Indiana For 2024

1. Haubstadt

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,891
Median Income: $78,033 (34th Best)
Median Home Value: $265,980 (48th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.3%

2. Melody Hill

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,448
Median Income: $87,727 (20th Best)
Median Home Value: $225,166 (82nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%

3. Meridian Hills

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,745
Median Income: $198,889 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $812,453 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7%

4. Leo-Cedarville

Leo-Cedarville, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,649
Median Income: $101,042 (15th Best)
Median Home Value: $316,431 (22nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%

5. Aberdeen

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,756
Median Income: $129,792 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $429,282 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.6%

6. Pittsboro

Pittsboro, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,814
Median Income: $118,750 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $340,031 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%

7. Shorewood Forest

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,215
Median Income: $166,563 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $552,453 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.4%

8. Ogden Dunes

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 1,219
Median Income: $129,375 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $491,618 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%

9. Georg

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,749
Median Income: $105,368 (14th Best)
Median Home Value: $296,337 (34th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%

10. Ferdinand

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,428
Median Income: $71,453 (48th Best)
Median Home Value: $246,169 (63rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%

11. Battle Ground

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,073
Median Income: $94,205 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $293,835 (36th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8%

12. Bristol

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,862
Median Income: $75,046 (43rd Best)
Median Home Value: $300,066 (31st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.3%

13. Kouts

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,219
Median Income: $74,609 (44th Best)
Median Home Value: $286,814 (39th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.0%

14. Newburgh

Newburgh, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,350
Median Income: $67,772 (63rd Best)
Median Home Value: $285,612 (40th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 7.0%

15. Tri-Lakes

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,258
Median Income: $126,667 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $372,144 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

Best States In America

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 2018-2022 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 – 212 to be exact.

We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 212, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Indiana. Top of that list — Haubstadt.

This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Indiana.

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 15 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, Melody Hill, Meridian Hills, Leo-Cedarville, Aberdeen, Pittsboro, Shorewood Forest, Ogden Dunes, Georg, and Ferdinand.

If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Indiana:

  1. Jasonville
  2. Montpelier
  3. Country Squire Lakes

For more Indiana reading, check out:

Best Small Towns In Indiana

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Value Unemployment Rate
1 Haubstadt, IN 1,891 $78,033 1.3%
2 Melody Hill, IN 3,448 $87,727 2.3%
3 Meridian Hills, IN 1,745 $198,889 3.7%
4 Leo-Cedarville, IN 3,649 $101,042 2.8%
5 Aberdeen, IN 1,756 $129,792 1.6%
6 Pittsboro, IN 3,814 $118,750 2.3%
7 Shorewood Forest, IN 3,215 $166,563 1.4%
8 Ogden Dunes, IN 1,219 $129,375 2.4%
9 Georg, IN 3,749 $105,368 1.2%
10 Ferdinand, IN 2,428 $71,453 1.1%
11 Battle Ground, IN 2,073 $94,205 4.8%
12 Bristol, IN 1,862 $75,046 0.3%
13 Kouts, IN 2,219 $74,609 1.0%
14 Newburgh, IN 3,350 $67,772 7.0%
15 Tri-Lakes, IN 1,258 $126,667 0.0%
16 New Palestine, IN 2,831 $86,082 5.0%
17 Edgewood, IN 1,969 $77,273 1.9%
18 Greenville, IN 1,484 $124,073 1.5%
19 Long Beach, IN 1,184 $112,813 2.6%
20 Berne, IN 3,926 $55,223 4.4%
21 Santa Claus, IN 2,746 $107,083 0.8%
22 Russiaville, IN 1,349 $84,032 2.6%
23 Darmstadt, IN 1,261 $89,167 2.5%
24 Roanoke, IN 1,852 $70,583 2.5%
25 Clermont, IN 1,624 $81,818 3.0%
26 Galena, IN 1,526 $105,379 4.9%
27 Corydon, IN 3,153 $54,125 1.6%
28 Lake Dalecarlia, IN 1,448 $107,214 3.7%
29 Ossian, IN 3,339 $56,326 1.3%
30 Bremen, IN 4,667 $63,179 0.0%
31 De Motte, IN 4,182 $64,415 1.1%
32 Thor, IN 1,119 $65,114 1.2%
33 Smithville-Sanders, IN 3,099 $67,091 4.2%
34 Burns Harbor, IN 2,409 $96,382 0.7%
35 Bourbon, IN 1,747 $59,531 2.7%
36 Warren, IN 1,291 $73,942 2.5%
37 Fort Branch, IN 3,561 $64,034 2.5%
38 New Carlisle, IN 2,162 $66,371 1.4%
39 Syracuse, IN 3,081 $66,027 3.4%
40 Grabill, IN 1,268 $57,222 2.8%
41 New Paris, IN 1,600 $76,118 1.2%
42 Brookville, IN 2,619 $54,537 0.6%
43 Montgomery, IN 1,063 $81,364 0.4%
44 Remington, IN 1,486 $67,604 1.2%
45 Lake Holiday, IN 1,290 $106,131 4.8%
46 Simonton Lake, IN 4,527 $66,852 3.6%
47 Clayton, IN 1,027 $87,639 3.4%
48 Pendleton, IN 4,937 $81,413 3.2%
49 Dayton, IN 1,099 $69,550 2.6%
50 Trail Creek, IN 2,018 $64,135 3.7%
51 Avilla, IN 2,702 $77,583 2.6%
52 Upland, IN 3,963 $67,813 2.5%
53 Flora, IN 2,128 $58,295 3.5%
54 Owensville, IN 1,135 $58,125 5.0%
55 Lapel, IN 2,517 $69,028 3.2%
56 Brookston, IN 1,641 $60,370 1.3%
57 Covington, IN 3,039 $56,136 3.0%
58 Wolcott, IN 1,085 $70,625 3.2%
59 Middlebury, IN 3,677 $78,056 5.8%
60 Monrovia, IN 1,574 $84,688 2.2%
61 St. Leon, IN 1,079 $77,917 0.4%
62 Whiteland, IN 4,278 $85,351 5.4%
63 Henryville, IN 1,837 $72,768 1.2%
64 Shadeland, IN 2,092 $76,250 2.1%
65 Warren Park, IN 1,475 $38,944 3.3%
66 Rossville, IN 1,749 $60,156 5.1%
67 Gree, IN 2,035 $57,083 1.9%
68 Southport, IN 2,088 $68,182 4.6%
69 Brown, IN 3,015 $60,393 1.9%
70 Osceola, IN 2,589 $60,597 1.6%
71 North Liberty, IN 1,726 $58,125 4.2%
72 Cordry Sweetwater Lakes, IN 1,328 $105,673 1.9%
73 Hope, IN 1,902 $60,268 2.2%
74 Mexico, IN 1,128 $78,125 1.0%
75 Williamsport, IN 1,847 $62,868 1.2%
76 Hamilton, IN 1,693 $64,547 4.0%
77 Ladoga, IN 1,149 $63,750 1.1%
78 Otterbein, IN 1,195 $58,864 2.5%
79 Heritage Lake, IN 2,770 $76,573 4.5%
80 Farmersburg, IN 1,224 $64,167 1.7%
81 Jame, IN 1,062 $67,821 3.8%
82 Salt Creek Commons, IN 1,854 $78,155 2.7%
83 Sunman, IN 1,465 $69,493 2.4%
84 Culver, IN 1,230 $40,556 6.9%
85 Arcadia, IN 1,517 $63,750 4.7%
86 Churubusco, IN 1,829 $52,009 3.0%
87 Greendale, IN 3,967 $70,668 0.0%
88 Hebron, IN 3,573 $70,500 4.2%
89 Oolitic, IN 1,494 $58,750 4.3%
90 Hanover, IN 3,665 $55,313 3.4%
91 Milford, IN 1,762 $46,650 1.0%
92 Harlan, IN 1,613 $76,750 7.9%
93 Rising Sun, IN 2,420 $46,214 1.4%
94 Fowler, IN 2,207 $49,495 2.4%
95 Sweetser, IN 1,107 $74,417 5.0%
96 Markle, IN 1,305 $59,500 2.8%
97 Ligonier, IN 4,397 $54,701 4.0%
98 Nashville, IN 1,528 $51,042 4.4%
99 Trafalgar, IN 1,099 $81,389 5.9%
100 French Lick, IN 1,752 $55,074 1.0%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Small Towns, Rankings