The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Hoosier State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.
While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.
We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Indiana have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.
A recent study we published found that Indiana is the 19th smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 100.
But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Indiana are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Dumbest Places In Indiana
Don’t freak out.
Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.
For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 116 cities in Indiana to rank. You can take a look at the data below.
For more Indiana reading, check out:
The 10 Dumbest Places In Indiana For 2024
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 24.0%
% Highly Educated: 5.0%
More on Westville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Lake Station: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 26.0%
% Highly Educated: 10.0%
More on East Chicago: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Scottsburg: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Logansport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 23.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Huntingburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Frankfort: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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% Adult High School Dropout: 18.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Kendallville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 20.0%
% Highly Educated: 14.0%
More on Connersville: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Adult High School Dropout: 17.0%
% Highly Educated: 12.0%
More on Nappanee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Hoosier State
We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.
So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.
In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Indiana:
- % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
- % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)
We got the data from the U.S. Census 2018-2022 American Community Survey.
Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Indiana from dumbest to brightest.
For this ranking, we used every Indiana city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2024, and it’s our tenth time ranking the dumbest cities in Indiana.
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
If you’re measuring the locations in Indiana where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.
The dumbest cities in Indiana are Westville, Lake Station, East Chicago, Scottsburg, Logansport, Huntingburg, Frankfort, Kendallville, Connersville, and Nappanee.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in Indiana, according to science:
- West Lafayette
- Carmel
- Zionsville
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Indiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Indiana
- Richest Cities In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Worst Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Indiana
Dumbest Cities In Indiana For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | % Adult High School Dropout | % Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westville, IN | 5,885 | 24.0% | 5.0% |
| 2 | Lake Station, IN | 13,352 | 23.0% | 8.0% |
| 3 | East Chicago, IN | 26,363 | 26.0% | 10.0% |
| 4 | Scottsburg, IN | 7,313 | 20.0% | 11.0% |
| 5 | Logansport, IN | 18,166 | 20.0% | 11.0% |
| 6 | Huntingburg, IN | 6,480 | 23.0% | 12.0% |
| 7 | Frankfort, IN | 15,976 | 20.0% | 12.0% |
| 8 | Kendallville, IN | 10,176 | 18.0% | 11.0% |
| 9 | Connersville, IN | 13,395 | 20.0% | 14.0% |
| 10 | Nappanee, IN | 7,276 | 17.0% | 12.0% |
| 11 | Brazil, IN | 8,114 | 14.0% | 9.0% |
| 12 | Martinsville, IN | 11,916 | 16.0% | 13.0% |
| 13 | Princeton, IN | 8,344 | 14.0% | 11.0% |
| 14 | Portland, IN | 6,432 | 15.0% | 13.0% |
| 15 | Washington, IN | 12,076 | 17.0% | 15.0% |
| 16 | Vincennes, IN | 16,715 | 17.0% | 15.0% |
| 17 | Marion, IN | 27,528 | 16.0% | 15.0% |
| 18 | Hammond, IN | 77,390 | 16.0% | 15.0% |
| 19 | Elkhart, IN | 53,785 | 19.0% | 17.0% |
| 20 | Salem, IN | 6,330 | 15.0% | 15.0% |
| 21 | Plymouth, IN | 10,369 | 20.0% | 18.0% |
| 22 | Rushville, IN | 6,412 | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| 23 | Peru, IN | 10,862 | 14.0% | 14.0% |
| 24 | Crawfordsville, IN | 16,335 | 16.0% | 16.0% |
| 25 | North Vernon, IN | 6,935 | 11.0% | 9.0% |
| 26 | Linton, IN | 5,149 | 17.0% | 18.0% |
| 27 | Garrett, IN | 6,434 | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| 28 | Gary, IN | 69,136 | 13.0% | 15.0% |
| 29 | Richmond, IN | 35,642 | 15.0% | 18.0% |
| 30 | Portage, IN | 37,737 | 11.0% | 14.0% |
| 31 | New Castle, IN | 17,413 | 11.0% | 14.0% |
| 32 | Alexandria, IN | 5,144 | 10.0% | 12.0% |
| 33 | Seymour, IN | 21,373 | 14.0% | 19.0% |
| 34 | Anderson, IN | 55,011 | 12.0% | 16.0% |
| 35 | Elwood, IN | 8,339 | 9.0% | 8.0% |
| 36 | Clarksville, IN | 22,087 | 15.0% | 22.0% |
| 37 | La Porte, IN | 22,409 | 13.0% | 19.0% |
| 38 | Shelbyville, IN | 19,678 | 12.0% | 18.0% |
| 39 | Kokomo, IN | 59,534 | 11.0% | 16.0% |
| 40 | Fortville, IN | 5,206 | 13.0% | 21.0% |
| 41 | Bedford, IN | 13,802 | 11.0% | 16.0% |
| 42 | Madison, IN | 12,301 | 13.0% | 22.0% |
| 43 | Beech Grove, IN | 15,181 | 13.0% | 22.0% |
| 44 | Bluffton, IN | 10,461 | 10.0% | 15.0% |
| 45 | Huntington, IN | 17,017 | 11.0% | 17.0% |
| 46 | Goshen, IN | 34,704 | 16.0% | 25.0% |
| 47 | Rensselaer, IN | 5,330 | 11.0% | 19.0% |
| 48 | Lebanon, IN | 17,277 | 12.0% | 23.0% |
| 49 | Decatur, IN | 9,718 | 6.0% | 12.0% |
| 50 | Terre Haute, IN | 58,599 | 11.0% | 23.0% |
| 51 | Greensburg, IN | 11,431 | 10.0% | 19.0% |
| 52 | South Bend, IN | 103,084 | 14.0% | 28.0% |
| 53 | Evansville, IN | 116,906 | 11.0% | 22.0% |
| 54 | Tipton, IN | 5,255 | 11.0% | 23.0% |
| 55 | Boonville, IN | 6,670 | 11.0% | 23.0% |
| 56 | Monticello, IN | 5,488 | 5.0% | 13.0% |
| 57 | Lawrenceburg, IN | 5,140 | 11.0% | 24.0% |
| 58 | Charlestown, IN | 7,986 | 10.0% | 22.0% |
| 59 | Indianapolis, IN | 882,006 | 14.0% | 32.0% |
| 60 | Mount Vernon, IN | 6,480 | 9.0% | 20.0% |
| 61 | New Haven, IN | 15,552 | 11.0% | 24.0% |
| 62 | Mooresville, IN | 9,525 | 9.0% | 22.0% |
| 63 | Rochester, IN | 6,236 | 9.0% | 22.0% |
| 64 | Warsaw, IN | 16,473 | 13.0% | 33.0% |
| 65 | Franklin, IN | 26,073 | 7.0% | 21.0% |
| 66 | New Albany, IN | 37,598 | 10.0% | 24.0% |
| 67 | Wabash, IN | 10,417 | 9.0% | 23.0% |
| 68 | Greenfield, IN | 23,669 | 9.0% | 23.0% |
| 69 | Lafayette, IN | 70,828 | 11.0% | 28.0% |
| 70 | Greencastle, IN | 9,865 | 10.0% | 25.0% |
| 71 | Auburn, IN | 13,316 | 6.0% | 20.0% |
| 72 | Fort Wayne, IN | 264,514 | 11.0% | 28.0% |
| 73 | Lawrence, IN | 49,218 | 11.0% | 33.0% |
| 74 | Mishawaka, IN | 50,899 | 10.0% | 26.0% |
| 75 | Muncie, IN | 65,167 | 10.0% | 26.0% |
| 76 | Lowell, IN | 10,723 | 4.0% | 18.0% |
| 77 | Sellersburg, IN | 9,948 | 10.0% | 29.0% |
| 78 | Merrillville, IN | 36,214 | 8.0% | 25.0% |
| 79 | Hobart, IN | 29,573 | 6.0% | 23.0% |
| 80 | Jeffersonville, IN | 49,771 | 7.0% | 24.0% |
| 81 | New Whiteland, IN | 5,591 | 9.0% | 26.0% |
| 82 | Speedway, IN | 13,646 | 11.0% | 33.0% |
| 83 | North Manchester, IN | 5,017 | 8.0% | 27.0% |
| 84 | Plainfield, IN | 35,078 | 10.0% | 31.0% |
| 85 | Cedar Lake, IN | 14,215 | 5.0% | 23.0% |
| 86 | Jasper, IN | 16,488 | 7.0% | 27.0% |
| 87 | Angola, IN | 9,317 | 9.0% | 29.0% |
| 88 | Greenwood, IN | 63,579 | 8.0% | 32.0% |
| 89 | Batesville, IN | 7,052 | 6.0% | 28.0% |
| 90 | Crown Point, IN | 33,735 | 7.0% | 33.0% |
| 91 | Griffith, IN | 16,182 | 4.0% | 26.0% |
| 92 | Danville, IN | 10,842 | 5.0% | 31.0% |
| 93 | Cicero, IN | 5,356 | 5.0% | 32.0% |
| 94 | Avon, IN | 21,783 | 7.0% | 44.0% |
| 95 | Columbus, IN | 50,896 | 7.0% | 42.0% |
| 96 | Valparaiso, IN | 33,991 | 6.0% | 42.0% |
| 97 | Porter, IN | 5,204 | 3.0% | 28.0% |
| 98 | Schererville, IN | 29,573 | 5.0% | 35.0% |
| 99 | Cumberland, IN | 5,991 | 3.0% | 30.0% |
| 100 | Winfield, IN | 7,219 | 5.0% | 35.0% |
Bullshit! Brazil is NOT that stupid! Terre haute is by far and away the single most stupid ass city in Indiana. You all need to re-evaluate your methodology
Probably due to the high rate of incest in Brazil.
The population of Westville is only 5200 when you include the prison population. It’s a fact….check it out.
I do not understand the need of the media to post negative things about a person’s hometown or state. Why couldn’t they post something like the 10 smartest cities?
Technically, they did post the 10 smartest… They posted the whole list. I guess the truth hurts.
Don’t know where you get your statistics but you better check them a little closer. There hasn’t been a Brazil high school for many many many years. LOL
I think the criteria violates the premise. When cities like Terre Haute use federal grant money to create what amount to virtual holding pens for students who would otherwise drop out of high school and keep them around long enough to hand them an anything-but-earned diploma, the data is highly misleading.
Brazil …sin city… Bag chasers , incest, prison hoppen ,meth dealers , so called job hoppers lmao ik I live there …… Keep stuff chained up on the porch .
Welcome to Indiana. What might as well be called the white trash capital of the Midwest because of the white trash behavior of so many of its citizens. Add in generations of familial incest, high alcohol usage, heavy drug usage, and a total lack of education. Not to mention a lack of dedication towards getting an education within generations of families which is a large part of the problem in Indiana and why the state is going backwards. Add in the fact that about 30% of the population if not more is severely overweight and has white trash tendencies as well. When you look at the lack of education, overweight people, drug and alcohol abuse and lack of self-respect it explains why Indiana is a white trash haven
Westville has a population of about a little over 1,000 people… Most of the actual population is of prisoners in the Westville Correctional Facility. Westville’s one school has about enough room for 500 students k-12th grade. Most move, most come and go, and in reality half dont even live in Westville. Half of the students in the school come from LaPorte, Michigan City, Kingsford Heights, and etc. Plenty of kids have the capability to do better than the effort they put out. They honestly just don’t care. That’s why the scores are low. I’ve watched a boy get all F’s until someone actually got in his head. Then, when he actually tried, he was getting A’s and B’s. Great community and most people who have gone there say it’s better than other schools they’ve been to. I’m pretty sure this won’t be seen or what not, but I voiced my opinion.
The reason that westville is the dumbest city is because half of the town are inmates. The prison has a capacity of approximately 3000. The rest of westville has about 2000 residents. Please do your research before posting stuff like this. Its an insult to our town
How good does Delphi, Indiana rate?