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Most Americans have never been to Indiana. However, as the people who live there know, Indiana is an awesome state.
But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, Indiana has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Hoosier State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.
After analyzing more than 228 of Indiana's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in Indiana where you'd never want to live:
These are the worst small towns in Indiana for 2022:
So what is the worst small town to call home in Indiana for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Country Squire Lakes is the worst small town to live in Indiana.
Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since Indiana has its stuff figured out.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.
And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in Indiana or the worst places to live in Indiana.
If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.
The 10 Worst Small Towns In Indiana For 2022
1. Country Squire Lakes
/10
2. Union City
/10
3. Montpelier
/10
Population: 1,790
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $56,200 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 6.8% (40th worst)
More on Montpelier: Data
4. Brook
/10
Population: 1,000
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $77,800 (39th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (70th worst)
More on Brook: Data
5. Veedersburg
/10
6. Austin
/10
Population: 3,854
Rank Last Year: 23 (Up 17)
Median Home Value: $69,300 (19th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (27th worst)
More on Austin: Data
7. Kentland
/10
Population: 1,809
Rank Last Year: 30 (Up 23)
Median Home Value: $80,000 (43rd worst)
Unemployment Rate: 16.2% (3rd worst)
More on Kentland: Data
8. Knox
/10
9. Jasonville
/10
10. Fairmount
How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?
In order to rank the worst small towns to live in Indiana, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.
So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.
How we determined the worst small towns to live in Indiana for 2022
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (The lower the worse)
- Highest Unemployment Rates
- Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
- Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
- Education (Number of high school dropouts)
- High Crime
We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 228 to be exact.
Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.
This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.
There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In Indiana
If you're analyzing teeny places in the Hoosier State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in Indiana, according to science:
- Haubstadt (Pop. 1,738)
- Aberdeen (Pop. 1,698)
- New Palestine (Pop. 2,456)
For more Indiana reading, check out:
Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In Indiana
Rank | Town | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Country Squire Lakes | 3,220 |
2 | Union City | 3,385 |
3 | Montpelier | 1,790 |
4 | Brook | 1,000 |
5 | Veedersburg | 1,989 |
6 | Austin | 3,854 |
7 | Kentland | 1,809 |
8 | Knox | 3,553 |
9 | Jasonville | 1,885 |
10 | Fairmount | 2,671 |
11 | Mitchell | 4,272 |
12 | Cannelton | 1,353 |
13 | Delphi | 2,979 |
14 | New Pekin | 1,149 |
15 | Monon | 1,650 |
16 | Butler | 2,889 |
17 | Aurora | 3,948 |
18 | Goodland | 1,037 |
19 | Kingsford Heights | 1,381 |
20 | Vevay | 1,798 |
21 | Paoli | 3,633 |
22 | Redkey | 1,493 |
23 | Argos | 1,799 |
24 | Cayuga | 1,282 |
25 | Shelburn | 1,553 |
26 | Dillsboro | 1,498 |
27 | West Terre Haute | 2,193 |
28 | Oxford | 1,353 |
29 | New Chicago | 1,846 |
30 | Winamac | 2,634 |
31 | Silver Lake | 1,059 |
32 | Spencer | 2,224 |
33 | Versailles | 1,719 |
34 | Grandview | 1,071 |
35 | Cambridge City | 1,648 |
36 | French Lick | 1,792 |
37 | Morocco | 1,097 |
38 | South Whitley | 1,512 |
39 | Bicknell | 2,715 |
40 | Osgood | 1,576 |
41 | Koontz Lake | 1,368 |
42 | Morristown | 1,139 |
43 | Edinburgh | 4,661 |
44 | Ligonier | 4,489 |
45 | Lagrange | 2,751 |
46 | Milford | 1,664 |
47 | Rockville | 2,304 |
48 | Bass Lake | 1,332 |
49 | Worthington | 1,539 |
50 | Seelyville | 1,055 |
51 | Palmyra | 1,553 |
52 | Medora | 1,066 |
53 | Daleville | 1,565 |
54 | Westport | 1,250 |
55 | Morga | 1,352 |
56 | Milan | 2,114 |
57 | Fremont | 2,345 |
58 | Clinton | 4,679 |
59 | Sheridan | 3,454 |
60 | Centerville | 2,587 |
61 | Waterloo | 2,217 |
62 | Clay City | 1,273 |
63 | Pierceton | 1,145 |
64 | Dunkirk | 1,923 |
65 | Whiting | 4,801 |
66 | Jonesboro | 1,302 |
67 | Oakland City | 2,570 |
68 | Shipshewana | 1,031 |
69 | Chesterfield | 2,601 |
70 | Akron | 1,142 |
71 | North Judson | 2,139 |
72 | Albany | 2,365 |
73 | Eaton | 1,959 |
74 | Culver | 1,230 |
75 | Geneva | 1,227 |
76 | Farmersburg | 1,256 |
77 | Rockport | 2,291 |
78 | Sullivan | 4,081 |
79 | Crothersville | 1,771 |
80 | Winchester | 4,763 |
81 | Cloverdale | 1,905 |
82 | Grissom Afb | 2,368 |
83 | Kirklin | 1,125 |
84 | Syracuse | 2,874 |
85 | Harlan | 1,715 |
86 | Hanover | 3,418 |
87 | Markle | 1,481 |
88 | Lynn | 1,314 |
89 | Borden | 1,448 |
90 | Ladoga | 1,274 |
91 | Odon | 1,453 |
92 | Ashley | 1,051 |
93 | Wakarusa | 2,074 |
94 | Warren Park | 1,477 |
95 | Hope | 1,919 |
96 | St. Paul | 1,088 |
97 | Churubusco | 1,901 |
98 | Attica | 3,256 |
99 | Gosport | 1,052 |
100 | Hudson Lake | 1,285 |