Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011)

This article, the sixteenth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Indiana based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

Among the twenty best places to live in Indiana, twelve are either edge cities, suburbs, or exurbs of Indianapolis, three are suburbs of Fort Wayne, three are suburbs or exurbs of Chicago, and two are suburbs or exurbs of Evansville. By county , four of the best places to live in Indiana are located in Hamilton County, three in Lake County, two in Allen County, two in Hendricks County, and one each in Boone, Delaware, Hancock, Kosciusko, Madison, Monroe, Spencer, Tippecanoe, and Warrick Counties.

After reading "Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in Indiana (2011)." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2011)."

1. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Zionsville, IN (Boone County)

Population: 13,253

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $120,089
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 65.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.99

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 18 miles SSE
Muncie, IN: 60 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 127 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 132 miles S

2. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Carmel, IN (Hamilton County)

Population: 66,654

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $107,555
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 63.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.86

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 16 miles S
Muncie, IN: 55 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 121 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 133 miles S

3. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Fishers, IN (Hamilton County)

Population: 64,884

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $92,281
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 59.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.48

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 16 miles SSW
Muncie, IN: 42 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 119 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 130 miles S

4. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Westfield, IN (Hamilton County)

Population: 20,484

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $95,427
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 46.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.51

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 21 miles S
Muncie, IN: 47 miles ENE
Cincinnati, OH: 129 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 140 miles S

5. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Newburgh, IN (Warrick County)

Population: 3,311

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $83,171
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 39.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.03*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Evansville, IN: 11 miles WNW
Louisville, KY: 117 miles E
Indianapolis, IN: 171 miles NNE

6. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - West Lafayette, IN (Tippecanoe County)

Population: 30,693

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $24,863
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 73.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.25

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 64 miles SE
Chicago, IL: 123 miles NNW
South Bend, IN: 109 miles NNE

7. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Huntertown, IN (Allen County)

Population: 3,223

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $83,769
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 34.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.85*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Fort Wayne, IN: 11 miles S
South Bend, IN: 85 miles NW
Indianapolis, IN: 129 miles SSW

8. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - St. John, IN (Lake County)

Population: 12,188

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $93,800
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.06

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 36 miles N
Gary, IN: 17 miles NNE
Indianapolis, IN: 145 miles SSE

9. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Noblesville , IN (Hamilton County)

Population: 43,094

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $76,639
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 44.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.58

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 23 miles SSW
Muncie, IN: 41 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 126 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 137 miles S

10. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Leo-Cedarville, IN (Allen County)

Population: 2,911

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $80,692
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 34.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.85*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Fort Wayne, IN: 15 miles SSW
South Bend, IN: 101 miles NW
Indianapolis, IN: 137 miles SSW

11. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - McCordsville, IN (Hancock County)

Population: 2,334

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $78,889
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 38.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.3*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 20 miles SW
Muncie, IN: 40 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 109 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 129 miles S

12. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Winfield, IN (Lake County)

Population: 4,167

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $91,316
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 32.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.73

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 49 miles NNW
Gary, IN: 17 miles N
Indianapolis, IN: 140 miles SSE

13. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Winona Lake, IN (Kosciusko County)

Population: 4,251

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $56,845
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 41.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 0.46

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Fort Wayne, IN: 41 miles ESE
South Bend, IN: 50 miles NNW
Indianapolis, IN: 118 miles S

14. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Brownsburg, IN (Hendricks County)

Population: 20,002

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $72,070
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 38.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.05

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 16 miles SE
Cincinnati, OH: 130 miles SSE
Louisville, KY: 132 miles S

15. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Yorktown, IN (Delaware County)

Population: 8,561

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $72,507
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 31.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.51*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 51 miles SW
Muncie, IN: 7 miles ENE
Cincinnati, OH: 109 miles SSE
Louisville, KY: 150 miles S

16. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Santa Claus, IN (Spencer County)

Population: 2,513

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $78,301
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 29.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.03*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Evansville, IN: 42 miles WSW
Louisville, KY: 73 miles E
Indianapolis, IN: 142 miles NNE

17. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Edgewood, IN (Madison County)

Population: 2,147

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $66,106
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 34.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 1.47*

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 39 miles SW
Muncie, IN: 22 miles NE
Cincinnati, OH: 119 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 138 miles S

18. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Munster, IN (Lake County)

Population: 22,070

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $71,518
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 36.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.46

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Chicago, IL: 26 miles NNW
Gary, IN: 11 miles NNE
Indianapolis, IN: 158 miles SSE

19. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Avon, IN (Hendricks County)

Population: 11,315

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $74,053
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 33.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.19

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 14 miles E
Cincinnati, OH: 127 miles SE
Louisville, KY: 129 miles S

20. Best Places to Live in Indiana (2011) - Bloomington, IN (Monroe County)

Population: 70,985

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $29,542
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 55.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 14.34

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Indianapolis, IN: 53 miles NNE
Evansville, IN: 120 miles SSW
Cincinnati, OH: 130 miles E
Louisville, KY: 92 miles SSE

*In some cases, municipalities either do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with a county law enforcement agency. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from county or contiguous municipality data.

The sources used in support of this article include the latest 1, 3, and 5-year estimates from the U.S. Census and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report.

More Articles from J.C. Grant

"Average ACT Scores by State (2010)"
"Average SAT Scores by State (2010)"
"Largest U.S. Cities: Population Size and Demographics"
"Most Dangerous Cities in America - Murder Rates"
"State Education Rankings: Graduation Rates for High School, College, and Grad/Professional School"
"State Education Rankings: SAT Scores"

Source(s): "All Cities in Indiana," City-Data.com
"Select Tables," U.S. Census Bureau
"2009 ACS 1-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2007-2009 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2006-2008 ACS 3-year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"2005-2009 ACS 5-Year Estimates," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Reports," Federal Bureau of Investigation