Is Decatur, IN a Good Place to Live?
Decatur is a small town of 9,718 in Indiana, with a median household income of $54,369 and a 2.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is 8% below the national average.
Strengths: Decatur stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Decatur is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Decatur city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 91.6Decatur's overall cost of living index is 91.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Decatur costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Decatur, IN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $123,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $757 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 71.4% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $54,369 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeDecatur's violent crime rate is 169.1 per 100,000 residents — 55% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Decatur is served primarily by North Adams Community Schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.8:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Decatur, IN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | North Adams Community Schools | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 12.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 12.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.5% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Decatur sees average highs of 33.1°F in January and 83.8°F in July, with 40.6 inches of annual precipitation and 28.1 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Decatur, IN |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 33.1°F |
| Average High — July | 83.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 40.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | 28.1" |
Demographics
| Metric | Decatur, IN | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,718 | — |
| Median Age | 42.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 22.8 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 92.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.4% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 18.9% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Decatur
Decatur, IN is covered by 1 ZIP code: