Best Counties in Indiana — 2026 Rankings
92 of 92 counties scored across 12 dimensions
92
92 scored
56/100
composite score
70.8/100
25.9—70.8
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 | 70.8 | 84 | 51.2 | 84.3 | 97.5 | 73.8 | 49.4 | 94.3 | 13 | 54 | 80.3 | 65.7 | |
| 2 | Martin County | 70.6 | 79.3 | 80.1 | 58.9 | 94.1 | 46.8 | 39.9 | 87.7 | 86 | 62.5 | 64.4 | 67.2 | |
| 3 | Brown County | 69.9 | 90.4 | 36.7 | 79.4 | 94.7 | 66.9 | 56.8 | 80.3 | 86 | 59.4 | 61.6 | 63.4 | |
| 4 | Union County | 69.2 | 67 | 62.4 | 76.1 | 97.5 | 53 | 49.3 | 94.8 | 86 | 56.6 | 77.4 | 89 | |
| 5 | Spencer County | 67.6 | 69.5 | 56.9 | 72.4 | 94.4 | 70 | 44.4 | 60.6 | 54.3 | 70.3 | 64.5 | 67.6 | |
| 6 | Ohio County | 67 | 70.7 | 39 | 62.8 | 97.5 | 68.9 | 59.9 | 96.7 | 32.4 | 60.1 | 66.7 | 67.4 | |
| 7 | Switzerland County | 66.3 | 89.2 | 56.3 | 48.7 | 97.5 | 44.8 | 33.9 | 88.4 | 86 | 60.1 | 66 | 66.4 | |
| 8 | Orange County | 65.8 | 74.8 | 53.1 | 50.5 | 97.5 | 49.2 | 52.5 | 59.5 | 86 | 58 | 63 | 70 | |
| 9 | Pulaski County | 65.8 | 88.9 | 66.5 | 42 | 90.2 | 38.2 | 47.6 | 88.8 | 33.9 | 54.9 | 68.3 | 56.3 | |
| 10 | Wells County | 65.7 | 79.8 | 54 | 66.6 | 79.8 | 67.1 | 48.3 | 77.2 | 51.4 | 56 | 77.6 | 75.2 | |
| 11 | Jasper County | 65.6 | 87.6 | 37 | 77.4 | 97.5 | 60.2 | 49.8 | 67.2 | 31.8 | 52.9 | 65.8 | 62.6 | |
| 12 | Putnam County | 65.4 | 86.6 | 37 | 79.2 | 97.5 | 62.9 | 43 | 57.2 | 58.3 | 55 | 71.2 | 71 | |
| 13 | Ripley County | 65.3 | 77 | 46.9 | 63.1 | 97.5 | 57.4 | 51.9 | 53.2 | 41.5 | 65.2 | 67.7 | 79 | |
| 14 | Tipton County | 65.1 | 66 | 46.2 | 75.5 | 97.5 | 66.3 | 39.2 | 91.2 | 50.5 | 56.6 | 80.5 | 68.5 | |
| 15 | Decatur County | 64.8 | 69.8 | 47.2 | 61.5 | 97.5 | 62.4 | 51.1 | 76.9 | 11.8 | 63.4 | 70.1 | 80.4 | |
| 16 | Parke County | 64.6 | 85.2 | 75.3 | 58.6 | 97.5 | 50.6 | 14.3 | 72.4 | 7.4 | 50.7 | 74.5 | 66 | |
| 17 | Fulton County | 64.5 | 79.8 | 60.8 | 38.1 | 93.1 | 41.1 | 48.4 | 79.8 | 53.2 | 55.8 | 59.1 | 59.2 | |
| 18 | Rush County | 63.5 | 66.5 | 48.7 | 53.2 | 97.5 | 52.7 | 53.3 | 84.3 | 20.3 | 59.9 | 75.1 | 80.8 | |
| 19 | Dearborn County | 63.4 | 56.5 | 39.9 | 86.3 | 93 | 73.7 | 47.5 | 54.8 | 57.5 | 65.2 | 68 | 80.2 | |
| 20 | Fountain County | 63 | 73.4 | 60.1 | 41.4 | 97.5 | 53.2 | 35.1 | 78.8 | 13.8 | 54.5 | 79.5 | 74 | |
| 21 | Pike County | 62.9 | 52.5 | 64.3 | 65.1 | 97.5 | 50.1 | 37.1 | 80.8 | 46.2 | 58.5 | 64.6 | 70.7 | |
| 22 | Benton County | 62.3 | 53.1 | 58 | 50.6 | 97.5 | 39.4 | 58.3 | 95.2 | 20.1 | 54.3 | 84.2 | 74 | |
| 23 | Whitley County | 62.3 | 60.3 | 36.4 | 78.8 | 86.6 | 76 | 45.5 | 75.4 | 59.1 | 57.7 | 74.9 | 68.1 | |
| 24 | Morgan County | 62.2 | 84.6 | 26.6 | 80.6 | 97.5 | 56.2 | 42.4 | 36.5 | 86 | 61 | 69.6 | 79.7 | |
| 25 | Vermillion County | 62 | 61.4 | 70.7 | 34.4 | 97.5 | 48.4 | 29.1 | 76.6 | 38 | 53.7 | 79.1 | 68.9 |
Warren County
Martin County
Brown County
Union County
Spencer County
Ohio County
Switzerland County
Orange County
Pulaski County
Wells County
Jasper County
Putnam County
Ripley County
Tipton County
Decatur County
Parke County
Fulton County
Rush County
Dearborn County
Fountain County
Pike County
Benton County
Whitley County
Morgan County
Vermillion 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 70.8/100. 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.
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 nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. 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.