The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Indiana For 2023


The most miserable cities in Indiana are Westville and Lake Station for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science.

Do you live in one of the most miserable places in Indiana?

Only a third of Hoosiers say they are truly happy. That’s too bad, considering that folks in Indiana don’t really have it too bad in the grand scheme of things.

But, we were curious – which Indiana cities might be the most miserable? We’re about to find out, using Saturday Night Science and data.

After analyzing the 124 largest cities, we sadly present the most miserable cities in the Hoosier State.


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


Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked. If you have a smile on your face, you probably don’t live in one of these cities.

Oh, and by the way, West Lafayette is the happiest place in Indiana.

For more Indiana reading, check out:

The 10 Most Miserable Places In Indiana For 2023

Westville, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Light at en.wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 6,062
Poverty Level: 8.8%
Median Home Price $129,400
Married Households 17.0%
Households With Kids 36.95%
More on Westville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Lake Station, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 13,292
Poverty Level: 18.1%
Median Home Price $88,700
Married Households 19.0%
Households With Kids 31.07%
More on Lake Station: Data | Cost Of Living

East Chicago, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 26,502
Poverty Level: 27.8%
Median Home Price $76,200
Married Households 12.0%
Households With Kids 36.27%
More on East Chicago: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Gary, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Chris Light (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 69,739
Poverty Level: 32.0%
Median Home Price $70,600
Married Households 12.0%
Households With Kids 31.16%
More on Gary: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Brazil, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 8,320
Poverty Level: 14.6%
Median Home Price $88,200
Married Households 34.0%
Households With Kids 34.62%
More on Brazil: Data | Cost Of Living

Cedar Lake, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 13,725
Poverty Level: 4.9%
Median Home Price $206,400
Married Households 22.0%
Households With Kids 31.49%
More on Cedar Lake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Hammond, IN

Source: Wikipedia User HammondMan | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 77,491
Poverty Level: 21.2%
Median Home Price $107,500
Married Households 15.0%
Households With Kids 32.34%
More on Hammond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Lowell, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 10,569
Poverty Level: 4.3%
Median Home Price $183,500
Married Households 31.0%
Households With Kids 39.2%
More on Lowell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Merrillville, IN

Source: Wikipedia User Dennisyerger84 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 36,196
Poverty Level: 13.1%
Median Home Price $151,800
Married Households 17.0%
Households With Kids 29.9%
More on Merrillville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Gas City, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,088
Poverty Level: 13.9%
Median Home Price $100,900
Married Households 39.0%
Households With Kids 38.87%
More on Gas City: Data | Cost Of Living

Methodology: How We Measured The Most Miserable Cities In The Hoosier State

To rank the unhappiest places in Indiana, we had to determine what criteria make people happy. It isn’t a stretch to assume that happy people earn great salaries, are relatively stress-free, and have a stable home life.

So we went to the Census’s American Community Survey 2017-2021 report for the happy criteria, flipped the list with Saturday Night Science, and it spit out the answer.

Like magic.

Here are the criteria we used to measure misery:

  • Percentage of residents with a college degree
  • Average commute times
  • Unemployment rates
  • Cost of living
  • % of married couples
  • % of families with kids
  • Poverty rate

After we decided on the criteria, we gathered the data for the 124 places in Indiana with over 5,000 people.

We then ranked each place from one to 124 for each of the seven criteria, with a score of one being the most miserable (Any ties were given to the larger place).

Next, we averaged the seven rankings into a Miserable Index for each place with the lowest overall Miserable Index “earning” the title “Most Miserable City In Indiana.”

If you’d like to see the complete list of states, most miserable to happiest, scroll to the bottom of this post to see the unabridged chart.

We updated this article for 2023, and it’s our tenth time ranking the most miserable cities in Indiana.

There You Have It – The Least Happy Cities In Indiana

As we said earlier, trying to determine the most miserable cities in Indiana is usually a subjective matter.

But if you’re analyzing cities where people are not stable, where you’re stuck in traffic, and no one spent the time to go to college, then this is an accurate list.

If you’re curious enough, here are the happiest cities in Indiana, according to science:

  1. West Lafayette
  2. Jasper
  3. Bloomington

For more Indiana reading, check out:

Miserable Cities In Indiana For 2023

Rank City Population Poverty Level Median Home Value % Married % Kids
1 Westville, IN 6,062 8.8% $129,400 17.0% 36.95%
2 Lake Station, IN 13,292 18.1% $88,700 19.0% 31.07%
3 East Chicago, IN 26,502 27.8% $76,200 12.0% 36.27%
4 Gary, IN 69,739 32.0% $70,600 12.0% 31.16%
5 Brazil, IN 8,320 14.6% $88,200 34.0% 34.62%
6 Cedar Lake, IN 13,725 4.9% $206,400 22.0% 31.49%
7 Hammond, IN 77,491 21.2% $107,500 15.0% 32.34%
8 Lowell, IN 10,569 4.3% $183,500 31.0% 39.2%
9 Merrillville, IN 36,196 13.1% $151,800 17.0% 29.9%
10 Gas City, IN 6,088 13.9% $100,900 39.0% 38.87%
11 Kendallville, IN 9,926 7.5% $103,200 25.0% 28.65%
12 Portage, IN 37,540 13.8% $164,600 27.0% 34.22%
13 Sellersburg, IN 9,686 4.5% $168,400 22.0% 34.57%
14 Logansport, IN 18,471 17.3% $68,500 20.0% 32.55%
15 Alexandria, IN 5,120 15.3% $78,900 39.0% 32.24%
16 Martinsville, IN 11,848 11.7% $119,100 36.0% 32.75%
17 Monticello, IN 5,508 5.9% $99,800 23.0% 25.85%
18 Plymouth, IN 10,209 18.6% $99,500 22.0% 37.85%
19 Elkhart, IN 53,838 19.6% $100,700 17.0% 31.91%
20 Griffith, IN 16,213 8.2% $155,100 24.0% 31.8%
21 Winfield, IN 6,924 2.7% $302,800 22.0% 51.63%
22 Chesterton, IN 14,045 11.5% $238,700 25.0% 36.35%
23 Scottsburg, IN 7,203 19.0% $99,900 22.0% 26.74%
24 Frankfort, IN 16,134 14.2% $95,100 25.0% 30.61%
25 North Vernon, IN 6,836 17.4% $91,100 30.0% 32.64%
26 Rushville, IN 6,289 12.5% $96,100 37.0% 26.75%
27 Elwood, IN 8,295 17.0% $70,900 32.0% 27.29%
28 Schererville, IN 29,381 6.3% $242,200 19.0% 28.79%
29 Connersville, IN 13,556 22.3% $77,800 28.0% 26.89%
30 Michigan City, IN 31,965 21.2% $100,300 19.0% 26.8%
31 Anderson, IN 54,459 22.1% $84,600 25.0% 25.68%
32 St. John, IN 19,805 2.4% $303,100 26.0% 40.22%
33 Marion, IN 27,757 28.5% $70,100 19.0% 27.3%
34 Charlestown, IN 7,859 14.1% $142,900 14.0% 33.99%
35 Peru, IN 11,123 22.9% $66,600 30.0% 29.61%
36 Beech Grove, IN 15,202 11.8% $117,100 28.0% 28.02%
37 Avon, IN 20,848 5.3% $239,500 28.0% 41.0%
38 Lawrence, IN 49,048 10.7% $164,200 24.0% 32.03%
39 Franklin, IN 25,112 11.7% $162,000 33.0% 35.47%
40 Washington, IN 12,015 15.9% $97,400 33.0% 32.19%
41 Bargersville, IN 9,024 9.7% $282,500 43.0% 53.54%
42 Hartford City, IN 5,895 25.5% $61,600 33.0% 28.98%
43 La Porte, IN 21,993 18.0% $111,100 27.0% 31.27%
44 Batesville, IN 7,204 15.4% $185,900 26.0% 38.01%
45 Hobart, IN 29,516 13.7% $164,400 29.0% 27.62%
46 Highland, IN 23,695 8.6% $175,500 25.0% 29.12%
47 Salem, IN 6,276 23.0% $107,100 23.0% 29.34%
48 Dyer, IN 16,422 5.6% $235,700 20.0% 29.94%
49 New Haven, IN 15,922 7.9% $119,300 34.0% 30.88%
50 Huntingburg, IN 6,534 17.7% $101,900 22.0% 29.93%
51 Garrett, IN 6,592 12.2% $112,300 38.0% 32.99%
52 Crown Point, IN 33,518 5.8% $222,700 30.0% 34.67%
53 Linton, IN 5,155 15.8% $73,000 39.0% 25.03%
54 Richmond, IN 35,854 22.7% $86,600 22.0% 29.58%
55 Fort Wayne, IN 262,676 15.5% $130,700 24.0% 30.58%
56 Rochester, IN 6,248 13.7% $115,900 27.0% 27.2%
57 South Bend, IN 102,786 20.9% $95,500 18.0% 29.58%
58 Noblesville, IN 68,885 5.2% $244,900 30.0% 42.22%
59 Portland, IN 6,334 16.8% $79,800 26.0% 29.31%
60 New Castle, IN 17,465 19.0% $80,800 32.0% 28.04%
61 Jeffersonville, IN 49,178 11.5% $157,300 18.0% 30.8%
62 Mishawaka, IN 50,823 17.5% $111,800 20.0% 24.34%
63 Shelbyville, IN 19,710 12.9% $104,100 32.0% 29.67%
64 Nappanee, IN 7,132 9.6% $156,300 40.0% 28.2%
65 Winchester, IN 5,016 16.6% $79,400 34.0% 29.32%
66 Terre Haute, IN 58,450 25.9% $87,500 21.0% 26.29%
67 New Whiteland, IN 5,565 6.4% $142,300 38.0% 39.51%
68 Zionsville, IN 30,258 4.3% $430,900 33.0% 40.9%
69 Kokomo, IN 59,263 14.5% $96,400 29.0% 25.66%
70 Auburn, IN 13,281 9.7% $129,500 34.0% 35.13%
71 Bluffton, IN 10,548 9.9% $107,100 38.0% 30.59%
72 Seymour, IN 21,192 19.1% $119,800 25.0% 36.17%
73 Porter, IN 5,175 6.0% $206,000 30.0% 29.39%
74 Carmel, IN 98,137 3.0% $372,100 26.0% 36.8%
75 Clarksville, IN 22,169 13.4% $135,700 15.0% 24.27%
76 Crawfordsville, IN 16,279 20.0% $111,300 29.0% 31.33%
77 Huntington, IN 17,018 17.0% $84,100 29.0% 29.79%
78 Greenwood, IN 62,914 7.6% $181,700 30.0% 34.65%
79 Indianapolis, IN 880,104 16.4% $156,300 21.0% 27.41%
80 Plainfield, IN 34,311 7.4% $203,700 30.0% 34.62%
81 Muncie, IN 65,571 30.4% $78,100 21.0% 22.57%
82 Boonville, IN 6,662 13.2% $112,200 33.0% 34.1%
83 Goshen, IN 34,792 15.4% $141,900 23.0% 31.43%
84 Vincennes, IN 16,892 23.7% $80,000 28.0% 29.99%
85 Mccordsville, IN 8,629 3.7% $255,900 40.0% 37.9%
86 Mooresville, IN 9,429 10.5% $152,300 34.0% 27.88%
87 North Manchester, IN 5,269 11.2% $116,800 28.0% 28.59%
88 Tipton, IN 5,211 15.0% $116,300 37.0% 31.32%
89 New Albany, IN 37,350 17.4% $139,500 19.0% 27.09%
90 Cumberland, IN 5,860 4.1% $168,000 32.0% 33.38%
91 Tell City, IN 7,482 15.6% $103,800 24.0% 22.88%
92 Wabash, IN 10,420 14.8% $89,700 31.0% 28.26%
93 Munster, IN 23,717 6.1% $242,500 23.0% 26.17%
94 Greenfield, IN 23,024 6.5% $157,300 35.0% 30.23%
95 Westfield, IN 45,695 4.6% $305,700 28.0% 41.92%
96 Hunte, IN 8,965 1.7% $193,400 39.0% 52.31%
97 Decatur, IN 9,630 15.8% $101,100 26.0% 26.25%
98 Angola, IN 8,916 18.3% $148,800 21.0% 29.55%
99 Lebanon, IN 17,196 10.1% $145,100 30.0% 32.13%
100 Whitestown, IN 9,529 3.6% $261,900 34.0% 49.98%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

14 thoughts on “The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Indiana For 2023

  1. I think your full of crap!!!! Union City maybe small town and not a lot of jobs but the residents love this town. If you never lived there you have no clue!! I’m sure you never lived in any off the towns you listed. Small towns have pride and they love the community of a small town.

  2. Wow, the Sarge is all jacked up. I live in one of the “top” 3 and have spent enough time in most of the others to know this list to be fairly accurate. Look, as a commuter life sucks for an extra 10hours a week. This is a purely stats based article, don’t get so worked up.

  3. Gotta say, this is pretty crappy “science”. You chose to look at happiness based on unemployment and college graduate status in an area of the country that relies heavily on manufacturing (especially of luxury goods like RVs) with a dataset that comes right after the hardest part of the recession. Elkhart, Indiana had the highest unemployment rate in the country during the recession. Sure, that made people sad, but with your pictures you make these towns look desolate. Have you ever been to Elkhart or Goshen or Nappanee or Brookville or Greencastle? These are great little towns with lots of character. And seriously?… West Lafayette is home to Purdue.

  4. Do you stupid idiots in North Carolina have a clue as to the true location of the image shown in #6 of the first slideshow? Get an education before you go posting garbage about places you know NOTHING about.

  5. How did Bloomington escape your list with percentages of 23 and 31 percent? Don’t blame it on IU either.

  6. A different evaluation named North Vernon as one of the first two Stellar cities in Indiana, an honor where many communities applied, but only two were selected. How can two evaluations be so far apart – unless the systems are flawed. Also, if you want a level playing field, put up a picture of our downtown, rather than one house in town. We have the largest collection of Mesker storefronts in Indiana. I just came from a community production at our restored Park Theatre Civic Center. The criteria for determining this ranking is very flawed – starting with the assumption that married people are happier than single people. Whoever designed the research methodology would get a failing grade in any research class.

  7. I live in north Vernon and it’s a nice place to live. The house you shown is an older couple whom can’t afford to have their home upkeep. So please take pictures across the street and the surrounding neighborhood! We have good schools good neighborhoods as well as rough neighborhoods like other cities. Check into the surrounding cities, like Austin, Scottsburg, then rate North Vernon!

  8. Did you interview or survey the residents of these communities to ask if their views and experiences were remotely supportive of your conclusions? Sounds more like an evaluation of how close a community is to the nearest SMSA.

  9. The comment was made about science and data being used. Was the research model one that would be recognized as valid for a middle school science fair? Seriously, I live in North Vernon and am familiar with the house pictured. It is a real house, but looks nothing like the house next to it, or across the street.Go to Google Earth, get on North Vernon, go to Jennings Street and you will find it. Then look at others on the same street. Look across the street (Jennings). Then go to the next street over and look at the houses on South State. The pictures are factual and neutral and each person can draw their own conclusions via the broader data. Selective data can prove anything. As for me…I’m happy in North Vernon…Tom Taylor

  10. I’d drive to Dunkirk, Indiana just to ride that double-decker bus!
    I’ve been there, and I missed the bus!! I kinda think the writer (s) did too!

  11. North Vernon is a laughingstock like a lot of the towns in Southern Indiana. It’s no different than trash pits like Scottsburg, Austin, Salem, Paoli, Bedford (better known as Methford) and a whole lot of other smaller towns. Not to mention all of the boring dumpy towns around it. The only two that halfway decent cities close to it are Seymour and Columbus. It’s too far to Indianapolis to do a daily commute unless you want to drive an hour and a half. The town cops are crooks and so are most of the politicians.

    They average IQ of the town hovers about 85 which is borderline mentally retarded and there are plenty of drug pushers, druggies, meth labs, heroin users and other dopers. I’ve spent plenty of time in North Vernon over the years either passing through to Cincinnati area or heading to my uncles past Greensburg. You’re better off passing it by and not wasting much time here. The job market is revolving around uneducated morons that barely graduated high school much less have the equivalent of a sixth grade education. It’s only saving grace is that its relatively close to Columbus…20 miles so people can get jobs that is the ones that can actually pass a drug test which is getting to be few and far between. The same problem that its close to Seymour but the druggies still can’t get jobs there in the myriad of factories and businesses in that mid sized city as well. Both of those cities have plenty of factories and other types of businesses. Something that doesn’t happen in North Vernon unless you want to work in a couple of the crappy factories with no future or work as a box flipper at Lowes

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