Best overall
Union County
Overall score 80.3
Economy 70 / Affordability 82.6
State rankings
Best Counties to Live in Indiana
Compare counties in Indiana by affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and quality-of-life tradeoffs.
Use the county-size filter to compare large metro counties, mid-size counties, small counties, and rural areas separately. These modules are a starting point, then you can open the full rankings table or compare individual counties.
County size
County size helps compare places with similar scale. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Showing all 92 Indiana counties
Use this state ranking
Compare counties in Indiana
Put Indiana counties side by side.
Estimate moving costs
Compare housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, insurance, and tax-pressure estimates.
Open Indiana rankings
Open the full Indiana ranking table with filters.
Explore on the map
Scan county scores geographically across the country.
Indiana county rankings at a glance
Compact winners for common county-search priorities.
Best for families
Jay County
Family score 85.9
Schools 91.8 / Safety 86.9
Best value
Jay County
Value score 79.5
Affordability 80.3 / Taxes 79.8
Most affordable
Vermillion County
Affordability 87.5
Typical home $133,306
Best schools
Hamilton County
Schools 99.8
Safety 86.7 / Economy 86.1
Safest
Huntington County
Safety 96.6
Schools 80.8 / Peace 87.8
Low taxes
Switzerland County
Taxes 86.8
Affordability 60.6 / Typical home $251,639
Peace & quiet
Posey County
Peace & Quiet 89.5
Density and built-environment signals
Top counties by category
Use these short lists to jump into the state rankings that match your priorities.
Best overall counties in Indiana
View full- 1Union County
Typical home $189,921
80.3
Overall
- 2Jay County
Typical home $155,260
80
Overall
- 3Posey County
Typical home $236,929
79.4
Overall
- 4Boone County
Typical home $415,267
78.5
Overall
- 5Hancock County
Typical home $326,184
78.5
Overall
Best counties for families in Indiana
View full- 1Jay County
Typical home $155,260
85.9
Family
- 2Spencer County
Typical home $230,405
85.3
Family
- 3Posey County
Typical home $236,929
84.9
Family
- 4Union County
Typical home $189,921
84.7
Family
- 5Warrick County
Typical home $289,812
83.1
Family
Best value counties in Indiana
View full- 1Jay County
Typical home $155,260
79.5
Value
- 2Warren County
Typical home $225,783
79.5
Value
- 3Union County
Typical home $189,921
78.8
Value
- 4Clay County
Typical home $180,106
78.3
Value
- 5Jackson County
Typical home $227,842
77.9
Value
Most affordable counties in Indiana
View full- 1Vermillion County
Typical home $133,306
87.5
Afford.
- 2Clay County
Typical home $180,106
83.8
Afford.
- 3Pike County
Typical home $179,154
82.8
Afford.
- 4Union County
Typical home $189,921
82.6
Afford.
- 5Randolph County
Typical home $155,839
81
Afford.
Best school counties in Indiana
View full- 1Hamilton County
Typical home $459,567
99.8
Schools
- 2Hendricks County
Typical home $341,028
99.3
Schools
- 3Boone County
Typical home $415,267
98.9
Schools
- 4Spencer County
Typical home $230,405
98.8
Schools
- 5Warrick County
Typical home $289,812
98.8
Schools
Lowest tax-score counties in Indiana
View full- 1Switzerland County
Typical home $251,639
86.8
Taxes
- 2Parke County
Typical home $213,247
86.2
Taxes
- 3Clay County
Typical home $180,106
86
Taxes
- 4Brown County
Typical home $361,297
84.7
Taxes
- 5Jasper County
Typical home $293,763
84.5
Taxes
Quietest counties in Indiana
View full- 1Posey County
Typical home $236,929
89.5
Quiet
- 2Benton County
Typical home $200,725
89.4
Quiet
- 3Knox County
Typical home $153,861
89.2
Quiet
- 4Gibson County
Typical home $206,608
89.1
Quiet
- 5Dubois County
Typical home $258,762
88.7
Quiet
Safest counties in Indiana
View full- 1Huntington County
Typical home $204,641
96.6
Safety
- 2Johnson County
Typical home $312,237
96.3
Safety
- 3DeKalb County
Typical home $249,309
94.7
Safety
- 4Vanderburgh County
Typical home $197,580
94.7
Safety
- 5White County
Typical home $224,717
94.4
Safety
Popular Indiana county comparisons
Put two counties side by side before you narrow the search.
How to choose a county in Indiana
The best county in Indiana depends on what you need most. Families may care more about schools and safety, budget-focused movers may care more about affordability and taxes, and quiet-living households may care more about density and peace & quiet. Large counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so use the county-size filter to compare places with similar scale.
Best for different needs
Best overall counties in Indiana
For best overall counties in Indiana, Union County, Jay County, and Posey County stand out in this model because they combine several public-data signals instead of winning on only one category.
View this rankingBest counties for families in Indiana
For families, Jay County, Spencer County, and Posey County score well in the family blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet.
View this rankingMost affordable counties in Indiana
For affordability-focused movers, Vermillion County, Clay County, and Pike County may appeal because they score well on housing and income tradeoff signals in the current model.
View this rankingBest school counties in Indiana
For school-first households, Hamilton County, Hendricks County, and Boone County lead the current school score, though families should still compare district-level details.
View this rankingBest low-tax counties in Indiana
For lower tax-pressure searches, Switzerland County, Parke County, and Clay County score well on the tax model, but buyers should still check local property taxes and carrying costs.
View this rankingBest quiet counties in Indiana
For quieter-living searches, Posey County, Benton County, and Knox County stand out on peace & quiet signals such as density and built-environment indicators.
View this rankingWhat to watch before moving to Indiana
Compare county scale carefully in Indiana; large metro counties and rural counties can rank well for very different reasons.
Check town-level housing costs, commute patterns, school districts, and local services before making a final move decision.
Frequently asked questions about the best counties in Indiana
What is the best county to live in Indiana?
The best county depends on your priorities. In this ranking model, Union County currently scores highest overall, but families, budget-focused movers, and quiet-living households may prefer different counties.
What is the best county in Indiana for families?
Based on the family ranking blend of schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace & quiet, Jay County stands out in this model.
What is the most affordable county in Indiana?
Vermillion County scores highly on affordability in this model, but buyers should still compare home prices, taxes, insurance, commute costs, and local job access.
How should I compare large and small counties?
Use the county-size filter. Large metro counties and small rural counties can rank well for very different reasons, so comparing similar county sizes usually gives a more realistic shortlist.
Are these rankings based on reviews?
No. These rankings use public-data signals such as affordability, schools, safety, taxes, economy, home values, and peace & quiet. Local reviews and personal visits should still be part of a final decision.
Which Indiana counties score well for schools or taxes?
Hamilton County currently leads the school-score view, while Switzerland County stands out on the tax-score view. Use the rankings presets to compare those priorities separately.
All Indiana counties
Showing all 92 Indiana counties ranked by the default generated overall score.
| Rank | County | Overall | Economy | Afford. | Schools | Safety | Taxes | Peace & Quiet | Typical home | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Union County FIPS 18161 | 80.3 | 70 | 82.6 | 90 | 83.8 | 72.6 | 86.3 | $189,921 | $76,424 |
| 2 | Jay County FIPS 18075 | 80 | 64.6 | 80.3 | 91.8 | 86.9 | 79.8 | 87.5 | $155,260 | $54,969 |
| 3 | Posey County FIPS 18129 | 79.4 | 70.4 | 76.1 | 95 | 81.5 | 70.9 | 89.5 | $236,929 | $78,129 |
| 4 | Boone County FIPS 18011 | 78.5 | 88.6 | 57.5 | 98.9 | 80.5 | 60.4 | 80.6 | $415,267 | $111,250 |
| 5 | Hancock County FIPS 18059 | 78.5 | 80.4 | 65.6 | 88.7 | 90.8 | 71.4 | 70.1 | $326,184 | $93,186 |
| 6 | Warren County FIPS 18171 | 78.2 | 64 | 80.2 | 86 | 81.1 | 83.2 | 88.6 | $225,783 | $82,425 |
| 7 | Spencer County FIPS 18147 | 78.1 | 62.5 | 74.4 | 98.8 | 80.6 | 76.4 | 87.3 | $230,405 | $74,506 |
| 8 | Warrick County FIPS 18173 | 78.1 | 71.9 | 70.5 | 98.8 | 76.4 | 71.7 | 81.2 | $289,812 | $89,844 |
| 9 | Johnson County FIPS 18081 | 77.3 | 73.3 | 64.5 | 95.9 | 96.3 | 65.3 | 53.9 | $312,237 | $90,454 |
| 10 | Daviess County FIPS 18027 | 77 | 73.9 | 66.1 | 84.1 | 91.8 | 69.9 | 88.3 | $232,493 | $68,503 |
| 11 | Dubois County FIPS 18037 | 76.4 | 67.9 | 66.6 | 97.1 | 79.7 | 69.6 | 88.7 | $258,762 | $75,979 |
| 12 | Clay County FIPS 18021 | 76 | 55.9 | 83.8 | 87.4 | 72.4 | 86 | 82.4 | $180,106 | $70,010 |
| 13 | Harrison County FIPS 18061 | 75.8 | 65.3 | 67.7 | 93.5 | 80.4 | 77.3 | 81 | $263,735 | $74,475 |
| 14 | Huntington County FIPS 18069 | 75.8 | 58.9 | 75.1 | 80.8 | 96.6 | 72.2 | 87.8 | $204,641 | $66,301 |
| 15 | Hamilton County FIPS 18057 | 74.8 | 86.1 | 54.3 | 99.8 | 86.7 | 55.4 | 23.8 | $459,567 | $121,530 |
| 16 | DeKalb County FIPS 18033 | 74.6 | 61.4 | 70.1 | 77.8 | 94.7 | 76.5 | 86 | $249,309 | $74,331 |
| 17 | Gibson County FIPS 18051 | 74.6 | 62.4 | 72.9 | 81.5 | 88.1 | 67.9 | 89.1 | $206,608 | $67,573 |
| 18 | Martin County FIPS 18101 | 74 | 65 | 75 | 81.7 | 69.4 | 80.9 | 83.4 | $198,731 | $68,594 |
| 19 | Morgan County FIPS 18109 | 73.9 | 72.1 | 64.9 | 80.5 | 77.9 | 81.5 | 74.5 | $296,827 | $79,429 |
| 20 | Shelby County FIPS 18145 | 73.7 | 59.5 | 69.2 | 90.6 | 81.1 | 69.7 | 85.2 | $240,678 | $72,190 |
| 21 | Hendricks County FIPS 18063 | 73.6 | 81.8 | 66.4 | 99.3 | 51.3 | 60.2 | 59.4 | $341,028 | $101,144 |
| 22 | White County FIPS 18181 | 73 | 57.5 | 66.3 | 78.3 | 94.4 | 80.5 | 83 | $224,717 | $67,303 |
| 23 | Bartholomew County FIPS 18005 | 72.7 | 62 | 64.5 | 85.3 | 89.1 | 66.1 | 80 | $272,334 | $79,901 |
| 24 | Floyd County FIPS 18043 | 72.5 | 64.8 | 62.9 | 88 | 90.5 | 67.3 | 53.6 | $283,977 | $79,704 |
| 25 | Carroll County FIPS 18015 | 72.4 | 60.1 | 66.8 | 87.1 | 74.6 | 79.1 | 83.8 | $231,128 | $65,645 |
| 26 | Pulaski County FIPS 18131 | 72.4 | 58 | 75.2 | 85.2 | 62.5 | 83.8 | 85.2 | $180,853 | $62,792 |
| 27 | Wells County FIPS 18179 | 72.4 | 65.3 | 68.9 | 86.5 | 61.3 | 79.5 | 87.8 | $243,341 | $71,957 |
| 28 | Jackson County FIPS 18071 | 72.3 | 65.9 | 70.1 | 58.3 | 92.8 | 83.2 | 87.4 | $227,842 | $70,262 |
| 29 | Jennings County FIPS 18079 | 72.2 | 57.9 | 71.4 | 83.5 | 72.1 | 80.2 | 85.9 | $223,959 | $69,322 |
| 30 | Perry County FIPS 18123 | 72.2 | 56.2 | 75.5 | 94.6 | 59.9 | 70 | 87.8 | $185,083 | $61,151 |
| 31 | Wabash County FIPS 18169 | 72.2 | 56.1 | 78.7 | 76.1 | 71.7 | 81.3 | 87.7 | $187,693 | $66,806 |
| 32 | Ripley County FIPS 18137 | 71.7 | 58.2 | 59.2 | 94.4 | 76.5 | 77.2 | 85.6 | $277,415 | $70,573 |
| 33 | Dearborn County FIPS 18029 | 71.4 | 64.2 | 62 | 83 | 81.9 | 70.6 | 77.2 | $326,619 | $84,735 |
| 34 | Rush County FIPS 18139 | 70.9 | 54.5 | 70.2 | 83.9 | 73.6 | 75.6 | 87.1 | $213,989 | $66,473 |
| 35 | LaGrange County FIPS 18087 | 70.7 | 68.6 | 55.2 | 74.9 | 84.7 | 79.4 | 82.9 | $335,186 | $84,487 |
| 36 | Orange County FIPS 18117 | 70.7 | 57.8 | 77.7 | 72.9 | 68.5 | 77 | 85.6 | $182,646 | $65,873 |
| 37 | Whitley County FIPS 18183 | 70.7 | 66.7 | 66.3 | 78.4 | 69.1 | 71.2 | 86.4 | $277,786 | $78,083 |
| 38 | Greene County FIPS 18055 | 70.6 | 50.5 | 72.7 | 73 | 87.4 | 78.8 | 83.2 | $195,561 | $62,094 |
| 39 | Franklin County FIPS 18047 | 70.5 | 67.7 | 63.2 | 62.1 | 92.4 | 74.2 | 81.1 | $295,555 | $78,074 |
| 40 | Adams County FIPS 18001 | 70.4 | 56.7 | 65.6 | 88.6 | 72.5 | 70.2 | 84.6 | $245,205 | $65,289 |
| 41 | Randolph County FIPS 18135 | 70 | 54.6 | 81 | 73.1 | 65.1 | 72.9 | 87.5 | $155,839 | $60,791 |
| 42 | Decatur County FIPS 18031 | 69.9 | 56.6 | 63.4 | 92.1 | 64 | 75.8 | 86.9 | $255,695 | $69,783 |
| 43 | Putnam County FIPS 18133 | 69.9 | 60.2 | 66.8 | 68.9 | 79.3 | 82.6 | 84.2 | $267,414 | $78,378 |
| 44 | Miami County FIPS 18103 | 69.7 | 43 | 79.8 | 66 | 91.9 | 78.9 | 82.8 | $157,475 | $61,139 |
| 45 | Fountain County FIPS 18045 | 69.5 | 52.5 | 71.9 | 78.1 | 69.5 | 80 | 86.5 | $191,647 | $62,542 |
| 46 | Benton County FIPS 18007 | 69.3 | 48.8 | 75.3 | 78.8 | 73.2 | 71.1 | 89.4 | $200,725 | $65,875 |
| 47 | Newton County FIPS 18111 | 69.3 | 53.4 | 76.6 | 73.8 | 71.8 | 70.8 | 83.7 | $223,815 | $75,481 |
| 48 | Porter County FIPS 18127 | 69.2 | 59.8 | 62.1 | 95.5 | 71.1 | 59.9 | 60.1 | $327,209 | $87,972 |
| 49 | Washington County FIPS 18175 | 68.8 | 60.9 | 72.4 | 67 | 69.4 | 75.3 | 82.4 | $216,903 | $64,641 |
| 50 | Clark County FIPS 18019 | 68.7 | 67.1 | 65 | 62.3 | 88.1 | 64.7 | 69.8 | $264,158 | $74,214 |
| 51 | Jasper County FIPS 18073 | 68.7 | 57.2 | 63.7 | 84.9 | 58.6 | 84.5 | 84.5 | $293,763 | $77,314 |
| 52 | Montgomery County FIPS 18107 | 68.7 | 62.8 | 76.5 | 82.3 | 36 | 75.5 | 88.5 | $217,143 | $71,479 |
| 53 | Madison County FIPS 18095 | 68.2 | 55.3 | 73.3 | 58.8 | 93.8 | 67.7 | 68.5 | $187,050 | $63,037 |
| 54 | Brown County FIPS 18013 | 68.1 | 67.4 | 46.2 | 86.9 | 67.1 | 84.7 | 74.8 | $361,297 | $78,528 |
| 55 | Blackford County FIPS 18009 | 67.9 | 32.6 | 79.2 | 86.2 | 77.6 | 69.2 | 83 | $138,590 | $51,326 |
| 56 | Allen County FIPS 18003 | 67.7 | 59 | 64 | 71.3 | 92.1 | 63.2 | 51.7 | $251,391 | $70,737 |
| 57 | Henry County FIPS 18065 | 67.5 | 52.3 | 75.6 | 73.3 | 65.8 | 70 | 80.4 | $186,353 | $63,150 |
| 58 | Pike County FIPS 18125 | 67.2 | 49 | 82.8 | 60.2 | 74.1 | 67.2 | 86.5 | $179,154 | $71,334 |
| 59 | Delaware County FIPS 18035 | 67.1 | 41 | 74.3 | 69.1 | 93.3 | 68.7 | 72.8 | $165,536 | $58,127 |
| 60 | Kosciusko County FIPS 18085 | 67.1 | 54.4 | 59.4 | 83.1 | 69.4 | 76.8 | 79.6 | $280,135 | $75,317 |
| 61 | Noble County FIPS 18113 | 67.1 | 55.9 | 66.9 | 56.9 | 90.6 | 73.2 | 81.2 | $246,704 | $71,723 |
| 62 | Marshall County FIPS 18099 | 66.5 | 55 | 64.5 | 84.8 | 54.9 | 72.4 | 84.3 | $253,794 | $71,808 |
| 63 | Sullivan County FIPS 18153 | 66.5 | 42.2 | 79.5 | 71.7 | 65.2 | 76.3 | 86.5 | $155,897 | $56,204 |
| 64 | Lawrence County FIPS 18093 | 66 | 52.7 | 74 | 48.7 | 85.3 | 76 | 83.1 | $209,585 | $66,468 |
| 65 | Tipton County FIPS 18159 | 65.8 | 52 | 71.3 | 69.6 | 60.3 | 78.1 | 84.6 | $244,202 | $76,156 |
| 66 | Clinton County FIPS 18023 | 65.7 | 59.8 | 68.3 | 43.1 | 84.7 | 79.1 | 88.3 | $221,073 | $65,019 |
| 67 | Steuben County FIPS 18151 | 65.7 | 56.8 | 49.5 | 71.6 | 85.6 | 80.4 | 77.7 | $313,148 | $74,911 |
| 68 | Monroe County FIPS 18105 | 65.6 | 52.4 | 40.9 | 95.4 | 91.3 | 60 | 69.4 | $311,492 | $65,868 |
| 69 | Owen County FIPS 18119 | 65.2 | 54.9 | 64.7 | 68.4 | 67.9 | 75.1 | 78.1 | $233,984 | $62,464 |
| 70 | Wayne County FIPS 18177 | 65 | 44.1 | 71.1 | 57.8 | 94.1 | 65.4 | 80.1 | $170,216 | $55,692 |
| 71 | Fayette County FIPS 18041 | 64.8 | 39.5 | 76.9 | 80.8 | 56.2 | 71.4 | 79.7 | $159,848 | $59,321 |
| 72 | Grant County FIPS 18053 | 64.8 | 38.6 | 77.7 | 53.5 | 92.1 | 71.5 | 81.1 | $150,334 | $53,522 |
| 73 | Crawford County FIPS 18025 | 64.3 | 32.4 | 68.9 | 90.3 | 64.6 | 74.2 | 75.2 | $170,859 | $49,640 |
| 74 | Knox County FIPS 18083 | 64.1 | 48.5 | 79.8 | 72.6 | 39.1 | 71.4 | 89.2 | $153,861 | $61,237 |
| 75 | Ohio County FIPS 18115 | 64.1 | 56.4 | 61.5 | 56 | 78.3 | 76.2 | 80.7 | $281,622 | $70,392 |
| 76 | Scott County FIPS 18143 | 63.6 | 42.8 | 64.9 | 58.9 | 89.5 | 74.2 | 81.8 | $201,467 | $56,352 |
| 77 | Fulton County FIPS 18049 | 63.5 | 41.6 | 70.3 | 70.2 | 61 | 80.9 | 84.7 | $200,652 | $61,360 |
| 78 | Howard County FIPS 18067 | 63.5 | 32.9 | 72.3 | 63.7 | 92.8 | 68.4 | 73.3 | $189,568 | $64,027 |
| 79 | Vermillion County FIPS 18165 | 63.3 | 42.4 | 87.5 | 49.7 | 62 | 73.6 | 84.3 | $133,306 | $60,200 |
| 80 | Parke County FIPS 18121 | 62.6 | 51.8 | 70.2 | 51.1 | 62 | 86.2 | 79.1 | $213,247 | $68,485 |
| 81 | Jefferson County FIPS 18077 | 62 | 54.7 | 61.4 | 55.5 | 69.3 | 72.5 | 85.2 | $235,967 | $64,577 |
| 82 | Vigo County FIPS 18167 | 61.6 | 45.2 | 72.8 | 74.1 | 53 | 54.9 | 75.8 | $156,954 | $52,976 |
| 83 | Vanderburgh County FIPS 18163 | 61.4 | 53.5 | 68.3 | 43.6 | 94.7 | 59.7 | 40.5 | $197,580 | $61,648 |
| 84 | St. Joseph County FIPS 18141 | 60.9 | 44.6 | 66 | 57.5 | 88.5 | 59.3 | 51.2 | $224,329 | $66,868 |
| 85 | Starke County FIPS 18149 | 60.6 | 43.1 | 66.7 | 54.1 | 70.3 | 79.2 | 76.6 | $218,802 | $63,960 |
| 86 | Switzerland County FIPS 18155 | 59.2 | 44.2 | 60.6 | 52.3 | 66 | 86.8 | 79.8 | $251,639 | $65,343 |
| 87 | Cass County FIPS 18017 | 57.7 | 44.3 | 77.7 | 48.2 | 39 | 73.7 | 86.9 | $166,719 | $56,403 |
| 88 | Tippecanoe County FIPS 18157 | 56.7 | 51 | 41.3 | 88.8 | 34.9 | 71.1 | 70.5 | $294,950 | $60,636 |
| 89 | LaPorte County FIPS 18091 | 56.6 | 50.1 | 63.3 | 80.3 | 10.2 | 68.5 | 76 | $252,907 | $71,055 |
| 90 | Marion County FIPS 18097 | 49.1 | 55.4 | 61.5 | 35.9 | 45.4 | 49.4 | 19.6 | $229,560 | $66,346 |
| 91 | Elkhart County FIPS 18039 | 48.1 | 48.6 | 59.5 | 58.2 | 0 | 63 | 62.4 | $259,372 | $68,561 |
| 92 | Lake County FIPS 18089 | 46.4 | 42.5 | 65.5 | 51.5 | 20.9 | 51.3 | 16.3 | $246,598 | $71,493 |