The 10 Worst Places To Live In Indiana For 2021


We used science and data to determine which cities in the Hoosier State are the real pits.

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The Hoosier State. A state that’s about 90% farms and one large city, with small places sprinkled between long stretches of corn and beans. A place with a rich history, great colleges, and some of the friendliest people in the midwest. There are some really nice places in Indiana.

But is it all great there? Of course not. Just like every other state, Indiana has its trouble spots. The purpose of this post is to use science and data to determine which cities in the Hoosier State have some serious issues, at least on paper.

After analyzing 109 of the state’s most populous cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in Indiana:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Indiana For 2021

  1. East Chicago
  2. Gary
  3. Lake Station
  4. Anderson
  5. Connersville
  6. Hammond
  7. Charlestown
  8. South Bend
  9. Linton
  10. Salem

What? Where are these places you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small town America, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), there are far better options in the state for making a place home. And the worst place to live in Indiana? That would be East Chicago.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and see how your city fared in 2021.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more Indiana reading, check out:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In Indiana For 2021

East Chicago, IN

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 28,201
Rank Last Year: 2 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $74,500
Unemployment Rate: 9.1%
More on East Chicago:  Data | Photos

Since the southside of Chicago is one of the worst areas for crime in the nation, you can sure expect that East Chicago is going to be pretty rough. It is. In fact, East Chicago has the 10th-highest crime rate in the state. Probably no surprises there.

There were 201 violent crimes here in 2021, and residents have a 1 in 25.8 chance of being the victim of a property crime. That means, most likely, if you live in East Chicago, either you or someone on your block had their home or car broken into last year.

You can also imagine that the economy here is in the pits. It is. The only thing saving East Chicago from being higher on the list is that the public schools are well funded. They may not be safe, but at least the kids are getting as much attention as they want.

Gary, IN

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 76,010
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $66,100
Unemployment Rate: 12.4%
More on Gary:  Data | Photos

There’s probably not a single person in the state that would be surprised that Gary tops this list. In fact, if Gary wasn’t atop this list, most people would start to wonder if our data was accurate.

Here are the statistics. Gary has the 2worst crime rate in Indiana. No surprises there. How dangerous is it though? There were almost 414 violent crimes in Gary in 2021. Residents here had a 1 in 183 chance of being killed, raped or attacked. Just wow.

The home values in Gary are the 2nd cheapest in the state ($66,100), the unemployment rate is the highest (12.4%), and the annual household income is lowest in Indiana, at $31,936. That’s basically at the poverty level for a family of four.

If there’s one bright side to Gary, it’s that the education is ranked above average. Meaning the kids at Gary public schools are getting as much attention and support as possible. Hopefully, that has an impact on the next generation that grows up here.

It’s pretty much Gary, and then everyone else on this list.

Lake Station, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,002
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $84,400
Unemployment Rate: 9.9%
More on Lake Station:  Data

The “lake” part of Lake Station comes from its position near the southern coast of Lake Michigan. “Station” is there because the town once served as the endpoint for a key railroad. These days, Lake Station still has a transportation connection, as it sits along I-90, one of the country’s main east-west arteries.

Unfortunately, while you might pass through Lake Station, you wouldn’t want to stop very long. It stands as the number 3 worst spot in Indiana.

Crime and the economy are the main problems in the area. The crime rate is 20% above normal and the poverty rate sits at 24.7%.

Anderson, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 54,513
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $72,900
Unemployment Rate: 7.8%
More on Anderson:  Data | Photos

Anderson is the first of a few cities near Indianapolis to make this list. When you’re comparing things to Gary, things look a lot better here, but they still have some issues, according to science.

Anderson is the 14th most dangerous place in Indiana, according to FBI statistics. And the residents here have a hard time keeping a job — at least in comparison to the rest of the state. The unemployment rate is 7.8% — not horrible — but worse than the state average.

Home values are really low ($72,900), and residents earn just $37,038 a year.

Plus, it’s an hour drive into downtown Indy, so your entertainment options are fairly limited.

Connersville, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 13,165
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $71,500
Unemployment Rate: 6.6%
More on Connersville:  Data | Photos

There’s absolutely nothing to do in Connersville. Located out in the boonies toward the Ohio state line, the residents are most likely bored, and probably wouldn’t have much disposable income to do much even if there was some form of entertainment. At least they can spend their Sundays with Andrew Luck.

The unemployment rate is the 23rd highest in the state (6.6%), the income levels and home prices are both in the bottom five in Indiana as well.

However, the public kids get just about as much attention and support than in any other region.

Hammond, IN

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 76,547
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $91,700
Unemployment Rate: 7.6%
More on Hammond:  Data | Photos

Hammond is located in the northwest part of the state, right along the Illinois border. It’s basically a suburb of Chicago, with a 40-minute drive taking you into the Loop. Unfortunately, a prime location isn’t enough to make a town an attractive place to live.

Hammond suffers from high crime, a weak economy, and a bad educational system. The crime rate stands about 66% above the national average. The poverty rate hovers at 22.1%. Meanwhile, the best school in the area only gets a score of 5/10 from Great Schools.

The 76,547 inhabitants of Hammond have some nice things, however. With a northern border along Lake Michigan, the town boasts the Hammond Lakefront Park and Bird Sanctuary.

Charlestown, IN

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 8,199
Rank Last Year: 46 (Up 39)
Median Home Value: $136,500
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%
More on Charlestown:  Data | Photos

Charlestown went through a boom period during the 1940s. The opening of an ammunition factory caused the population to jump by more than four times. The economy in the region still chugs along, but weak educational opportunities and a sluggish housing market hold the community back. As it results, the town ranks as the number 7 least inviting place to live in Indiana.

The schools in Charlestown are mediocre at best, topping out at 6/10 on Great Schools. Of the 8,199 residents, 16.7% live below the poverty line. Still, there are economic bright spots. The unemployment rate sits at 2.2%, though the median income comes in at a modest $45,278.

South Bend, IN

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 102,037
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $85,200
Unemployment Rate: 6.3%
More on South Bend:  Data | Photos

College football fans will know South Bend as the home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Unfortunately, it turns out the town might not be a very good home after all. The community ranks as the number 8 least attractive place to put down roots in Indiana.

Safety is a massive concern in the area. In fact, the crime rate runs more than 120% above the U.S. norm. A sluggish economy also poses a major challenge. The poverty rate hovers at a worrisome 23.6%, while the median income sits at $40,265.

Still, life in South Bend has its advantages. Being a college town, you get all the benefits the university.

Linton, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 5,244
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $67,600
Unemployment Rate: 6.4%
More on Linton:  Data | Photos

Linton is located in western Indiana, in a mostly rural region about two hours southwest of Indianpolis. The town suffers from a weak economy and bad school system. These factors make it one of the worst places to live in Indiana.

It’s tough to make ends meet for the town’s 5,244 inhabitants. The median income is a skimpy $34,842, meaning that 21.9% of the residents have to scrape by below the poverty line. Without much of a tax base, the educational system in the area suffers. Linton’s schools top out at 6/10 on Great Schools.

Still, the people of Linton have plenty of ways to find their joy. One attraction: the Greene Sullivan State Forest is just a 10-minute drive outside of town.

Salem, IN

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 6,172
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 4)
Median Home Value: $82,600
Unemployment Rate: 5.9%
More on Salem:  Data | Photos

At least the people of this Salem never conducted a witch trial. Still, the town has troubles all its own. It stands at number 10 on the list of terrible places to live in Indiana.

A weak economy holds the community back. Residents have to make due with a median income of $36,339. No wonder 19.7% of them get by on the wrong side of the poverty line. Meanwhile, with rare exceptions, the schools in town are mediocre at best.

It’s not all bleak in Salem, however. You can check out Old Settlers’ Days at the John Hay Center, a group of historical buildings located in town.

How we determined the worst places to live in Indiana for 2021

To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and from the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a larger weight — if you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are normally 7x more common and really bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 109 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 109 for all the criteria with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score” with the lowest score being the worst city in Indiana — East Chicago. Read on for a detailed look at the 10 worst cities in Indiana. You can download the data here.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

Wrapping Up The Worst In Indiana

If you’re looking at areas in Indiana with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime, and not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, East Chicago ranks as the worst city to live in Indiana for 2021.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in Indiana:

  1. Westfield (Pop. 39,610)
  2. New Whiteland (Pop. 6,051)
  3. Carmel (Pop. 97,464)

For more Indiana reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Places To Live In Indiana?

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 East Chicago 28,201 9.1% $74,500
2 Gary 76,010 12.4% $66,100
3 Lake Station 12,002 9.9% $84,400
4 Anderson 54,513 7.8% $72,900
5 Connersville 13,165 6.6% $71,500
6 Hammond 76,547 7.6% $91,700
7 Charlestown 8,199 2.2% $136,500
8 South Bend 102,037 6.3% $85,200
9 Linton 5,244 6.4% $67,600
10 Salem 6,172 5.9% $82,600
11 Elkhart 52,257 7.7% $95,900
12 La Porte 21,577 7.3% $99,300
13 Marion 27,956 8.6% $67,800
14 Richmond 35,539 6.4% $88,400
15 Peru 11,584 8.7% $61,200
16 Evansville 118,588 5.9% $94,200
17 Martinsville 11,635 7.4% $98,500
18 Cedar Lake 12,491 7.1% $182,600
19 Terre Haute 60,673 9.0% $78,700
20 Plymouth 10,054 5.9% $93,600
21 Scottsburg 6,702 3.0% $101,200
22 Washington 12,412 6.3% $86,300
23 Mishawaka 49,245 5.4% $102,900
24 Indianapolis 864,447 6.4% $137,000
25 Frankfort 15,634 5.5% $83,400
26 Logansport 17,966 4.6% $66,800
27 Rushville 6,050 5.8% $88,900
28 Beech Grove 14,990 6.7% $101,600
29 Seymour 19,623 4.6% $119,800
30 Wabash 10,089 5.6% $82,400
31 Muncie 68,750 7.9% $73,500
32 Clarksville 21,548 3.8% $119,300
33 Speedway 12,266 4.7% $122,000
34 Lafayette 72,581 5.2% $114,800
35 New Castle 17,287 7.1% $73,300
36 North Vernon 6,735 3.3% $93,500
37 Lowell 9,659 6.5% $167,000
38 Goshen 34,108 4.7% $121,100
39 Crawfordsville 16,090 5.5% $107,500
40 Fort Wayne 265,752 5.5% $115,100
41 Warsaw 15,458 5.1% $135,200
42 Winfield 5,705 5.0% $282,000
43 Hobart 28,049 7.2% $142,700
44 Lawrence 48,699 5.7% $148,700
45 Mooresville 9,661 6.5% $138,600
46 Nappanee 7,033 2.8% $123,200
47 North Manchester 5,710 8.5% $94,900
48 Shelbyville 18,951 4.3% $102,100
49 Madison 11,813 5.6% $133,000
50 Batesville 6,651 5.3% $167,700
51 Elwood 8,441 5.6% $68,800
52 Kokomo 58,145 5.8% $89,100
53 Huntingburg 6,522 4.3% $98,200
54 Monticello 5,262 5.6% $95,900
55 Schererville 28,590 3.9% $222,400
56 Jeffersonville 47,673 5.7% $136,900
57 Portland 5,886 4.0% $71,100
58 New Haven 16,279 7.6% $103,400
59 Vincennes 17,304 5.0% $77,700
60 Bedford 13,272 4.5% $94,800
61 Brazil 8,380 5.3% $83,100
62 Franklin 25,106 4.7% $129,200
63 Huntington 17,067 3.8% $81,800
64 Merrillville 34,889 6.6% $136,100
65 Kendallville 9,347 5.6% $99,600
66 Garrett 6,651 2.4% $98,000
67 Portage 36,648 5.0% $152,500
68 Rochester 6,045 0.6% $103,100
69 Rensselaer 6,324 3.1% $115,700
70 Bargersville 7,085 3.4% $219,100
71 Angola 8,660 3.0% $131,100
72 Dyer 15,953 5.0% $212,400
73 New Albany 36,647 4.1% $122,800
74 Westville 5,848 5.5% $129,100
75 Avon 17,453 7.3% $210,600
76 Decatur 9,863 3.9% $97,700
77 Greenwood 57,764 3.4% $155,300
78 Lebanon 15,932 0.6% $124,500
79 McCordsville 6,857 1.1% $230,000
80 Greensburg 11,228 3.8% $120,800
81 Princeton 8,684 3.3% $96,900
82 Boonville 6,292 1.4% $93,800
83 Mount Vernon 6,584 6.7% $123,200
84 Plainfield 32,879 4.4% $170,400
85 Bluffton 9,919 4.4% $100,300
86 Auburn 13,056 5.7% $119,700
87 Bloomington 84,116 6.7% $200,700
88 Sellersburg 9,066 5.6% $154,300
89 Chesterton 14,119 6.5% $190,400
90 Columbus 48,150 4.1% $166,200
91 Greencastle 10,296 2.3% $105,700
92 Greenfield 22,160 3.3% $139,000
93 Danville 9,923 2.1% $161,900
94 Valparaiso 33,355 4.7% $185,800
95 Whitestown 8,312 2.2% $225,000
96 Cumberland 5,718 2.7% $156,300
97 Griffith 16,228 4.4% $141,700
98 Ellettsville 6,642 3.6% $137,200
99 Jasper 15,827 1.9% $155,300
100 Brownsburg 26,046 3.0% $195,700

How Is The Area In ?

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2021. This is our seventh time ranking the worst places to live in Indiana.

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.