Best Counties in Indiana — 2026 Rankings
92 of 92 counties scored across 12 dimensions
92
92 scored
56/100
composite score
70.7/100
26—70.7
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Indiana
Indiana Outpaces the National Median
Indiana earns a solid composite score of 55.9, comfortably exceeding the national median of 50.0. This score reflects a state that balances economic stability with a relatively high quality of life across all 92 counties.
Low Taxes and Robust Income Drive Growth
The state's primary advantage lies in its tax environment, which earns a high score of 67.0. This fiscal strength is complemented by a strong income score of 58.3, suggesting that residents retain a significant portion of their earnings.
Affordability Gaps Present Minor Hurdles
Indiana faces its steepest challenge in overall affordability, where its cost score sits at 46.1. While not drastically low, this dimension lags behind its tax and income performance, indicating rising costs of living in certain sectors.
Rural Leaders Topped by Warren County
Warren County leads the state with a composite score of 70.7, driven by an elite tax score of 84.3. Martin and Spencer counties follow closely, both scoring near 70 by combining high tax efficiency with strong local incomes.
A Secure Choice for Working Families
Indiana is an ideal destination for families and professionals seeking a tax-friendly environment without sacrificing income potential. With a composite score well above the national average, the state offers a reliable blend of fiscal health and moderate risk.
All County Rankings in Indiana
Search, sort, and filter all 92 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 92 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warren County | 70.7 | 84.3 | 52.1 | 76.8 | 97.5 | 73.8 | 49.4 | 94.3 | 13 | 54 | 80.3 | 65.7 | |
| 2 | Martin County | 70.3 | 82.8 | 76.8 | 55.6 | 94.1 | 46.8 | 39.9 | 87.7 | 86 | 62.5 | 64.4 | 67.2 | |
| 3 | Spencer County | 68.6 | 70.7 | 61.9 | 68.6 | 94.4 | 70 | 44.4 | 60.6 | 54.3 | 70.3 | 64.5 | 67.6 | |
| 4 | Brown County | 68.2 | 88.8 | 30.7 | 73.1 | 94.7 | 66.9 | 56.8 | 80.3 | 86 | 59.4 | 61.6 | 63.4 | |
| 5 | Ohio County | 68.2 | 73.2 | 43.5 | 61.7 | 97.5 | 68.9 | 59.9 | 96.7 | 32.4 | 60.1 | 66.7 | 67.4 | |
| 6 | Switzerland County | 67.8 | 93.1 | 59.3 | 55 | 97.5 | 44.8 | 33.9 | 88.4 | 86 | 60.1 | 66 | 66.4 | |
| 7 | Union County | 67.1 | 62.5 | 53.3 | 83.3 | 97.5 | 53 | 49.3 | 94.8 | 86 | 56.6 | 77.4 | 89 | |
| 8 | Pulaski County | 66.6 | 87.9 | 71.8 | 38.8 | 90.2 | 38.2 | 47.6 | 88.8 | 33.9 | 54.9 | 68.3 | 56.3 | |
| 9 | Orange County | 66.3 | 76.9 | 53.2 | 53.3 | 97.5 | 49.2 | 52.5 | 59.5 | 86 | 58 | 63 | 70 | |
| 10 | Ripley County | 66 | 77.3 | 48.7 | 69 | 97.5 | 57.4 | 51.9 | 53.2 | 41.5 | 65.2 | 67.7 | 79 | |
| 11 | Jasper County | 65.8 | 87.2 | 36.4 | 83.4 | 97.5 | 60.2 | 49.8 | 67.2 | 31.8 | 52.9 | 65.8 | 62.6 | |
| 12 | Decatur County | 65.7 | 72.1 | 46.3 | 76.1 | 97.5 | 62.4 | 51.1 | 76.9 | 11.8 | 63.4 | 70.1 | 80.4 | |
| 13 | Putnam County | 65.3 | 88.4 | 35 | 78.7 | 97.5 | 62.9 | 43 | 57.2 | 58.3 | 55 | 71.2 | 71 | |
| 14 | Tipton County | 65.2 | 69.3 | 42.8 | 81.9 | 97.5 | 66.3 | 39.2 | 91.2 | 50.5 | 56.6 | 80.5 | 68.5 | |
| 15 | Wells County | 64.9 | 84.7 | 46.7 | 65.7 | 79.8 | 67.1 | 48.3 | 77.2 | 51.4 | 56 | 77.6 | 75.2 | |
| 16 | Fulton County | 64.4 | 84.4 | 54.1 | 47.8 | 93.1 | 41.1 | 48.4 | 79.8 | 53.2 | 55.8 | 59.1 | 59.2 | |
| 17 | Pike County | 64.3 | 52.1 | 73.4 | 57.6 | 97.5 | 50.1 | 37.1 | 80.8 | 46.2 | 58.5 | 64.6 | 70.7 | |
| 18 | Rush County | 64.3 | 68.7 | 51 | 51.7 | 97.5 | 52.7 | 53.3 | 84.3 | 20.3 | 59.9 | 75.1 | 80.8 | |
| 19 | Parke County | 64 | 86.5 | 71.3 | 58.6 | 97.5 | 50.6 | 14.3 | 72.4 | 7.4 | 50.7 | 74.5 | 66 | |
| 20 | Whitley County | 63.4 | 63.5 | 39.5 | 78.3 | 86.6 | 76 | 45.5 | 75.4 | 59.1 | 57.7 | 74.9 | 68.1 | |
| 21 | Dearborn County | 62.9 | 56.7 | 37.3 | 86.3 | 93 | 73.7 | 47.5 | 54.8 | 57.5 | 65.2 | 68 | 80.2 | |
| 22 | Miami County | 62.9 | 76.9 | 65.4 | 42.6 | 90.1 | 43.7 | 48.8 | 47.2 | 23.5 | 55.6 | 78.8 | 64.4 | |
| 23 | Morgan County | 62.9 | 87.9 | 26.9 | 82.6 | 97.5 | 56.2 | 42.4 | 36.5 | 86 | 61 | 69.6 | 79.7 | |
| 24 | Crawford County | 62.4 | 59.1 | 85.8 | 12.5 | 94.6 | 31.9 | 40.2 | 74.2 | 36.5 | 63.5 | 62.9 | 64.6 | |
| 25 | Dubois County | 62.2 | 68.6 | 53.4 | 71.3 | 79.1 | 65.5 | 47.3 | 40.9 | 55.8 | 53 | 62.5 | 70.1 |
Warren County
Martin County
Spencer County
Brown County
Ohio County
Switzerland County
Union County
Pulaski County
Orange County
Ripley County
Jasper County
Decatur County
Putnam County
Tipton County
Wells County
Fulton County
Pike County
Rush County
Parke County
Whitley County
Dearborn County
Miami County
Morgan County
Crawford County
Dubois County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Indiana
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Indiana.
What is the best county in Indiana?
Warren County is the top-ranked county in Indiana with a CountyScore of 70.7/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets.
How many counties are ranked in Indiana?
Indiana has 92 counties in total. Of those, 92 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to eight data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, and Water Quality. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever dimensions have data. Currently available dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate, Soil Quality, Lawn Care, Farmers Markets. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Indiana?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Indiana is 56/100. The national average is 50/100, so Indiana counties score 6 points above the national average.
How does Indiana compare to other states?
Indiana's average county score of 56/100 is 6 points above the national average of 50/100. You can compare Indiana counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Indiana.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.