Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bedford gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $206K, 3.1 years of the Bedford area’s $66K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 230th of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country. On the plus side, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 92% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. Its National Register listings include C. S. Norton Mansion and Indiana Limestone Company Building. Among 107 Indiana towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Bedford. Otis Park, at 159 acres with 4.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Bedford beats most towns.
C. S. Norton Mansion
Census counts: 962 in 1850, 13,792 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 3 maps from 1934 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Bedford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bedford, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bedford.
Bedford trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
7.3 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. At 0.6 miles per square mile, Bedford’s trail density is above Indiana’s towns (0.2) and close to U.S. towns (0.4).
| Bedford | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Otis Park | 4.5 mi | 159 |
| 2. Murray Forest Park | — | 29 |
| 3. Wilson Park | 0.1 mi | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Reported crimes fell from 80 to 29 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 residents.
At 2 per 1,000 residents, Bedford’s property crime rate is against 8.6 in Indiana’s towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 5,621 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bedford’s, it is less healthy than 68%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of adults have obesity in Bedford. Bedford beats the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 15% of adults have diabetes in Bedford.
| Bedford | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bedford | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bedford.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Bedford has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 10 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (about $207K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles.
Bedford’s median rent is $828 a month. The typical Bedford home is worth about $207,000, up 1.6% in a year, 20% below the Indiana typical home. 67% of Bedford households own their home.
| Bedford | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $828 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of Bedford’s working residents works in town. The median household income in Bedford is $50,000. The top destinations are Bloomington (15%), Indianapolis (6%) and Mitchell (3%).
| Bedford | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 11% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 6.3% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Bedford; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Bedford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
10 places in Bedford on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Indiana, United States
Bedford is a city in Shawswick Township and the county seat of Lawrence County, Indiana, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 13,792. That is up from 13,413 in 2010. Bedford is the principal city of the Bedford, IN Micropolitan Statistical Area, which comprises all of Lawrence County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Bedford grades B+ overall, better than 70% of U.S. towns and #230 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health, A for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
