Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bluffton gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $189K, 2.7 years of the Fort Wayne metro’s $71K median household income. It grades A overall, 93rd among Indiana's 585 graded towns. On the plus side, its public schools beat 81% of Indiana towns on state tests and graduation. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 36% of working residents work locally in Bluffton, above both Indiana’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (8%). The biggest park or preserve is Wells County 4H Park, at 52 acres. Bluffton is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Bluffton beats most towns.
Wells County Courthouse
Census counts: 477 in 1850, 10,308 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Bluffton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bluffton, 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 Bluffton.
Bluffton pairs an A overall with homes cheaper than the Indiana norm, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has seen reported crime fall by about half.
| Bluffton | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wells County 4H Park | 0.8 mi | 52 |
| 2. Pickett's Run Park | 0.3 mi | 3 |
| 3. Lancaster Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 8,184 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bluffton’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Bluffton beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 42% of Bluffton adults have obesity.
| Bluffton | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 26% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 36% |
| What stands out | Bluffton | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32% | 28.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Bluffton grades A overall with a typical home of about $189K, below the Indiana typical value; only 18 of the 64 Indiana towns graded A− or better can say that.
Bluffton’s median rent is $732 a month. Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026. 62% of households own their home in Bluffton.
| Bluffton | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $732 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bluffton has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 23 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 108 to 60 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Bluffton is 4 per 1,000 residents.
| Bluffton | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
About one in 3 of Bluffton’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Bluffton has lost 501 jobs, to 7,016 in 2023. The top destinations are Fort Wayne (15%), Lancaster Township (4%) and Indianapolis (3%).
| Bluffton | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 5.5% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 15 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bluffton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Bluffton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Bluffton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
4 places in Bluffton on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Bluffton.
City in Indiana, United States
Bluffton is a city in and the county seat of Wells County, Indiana, United States. It sits on the banks of the Wabash River in the northeastern part of the state. The population was 10,308 at the 2020 census, up from 9,897 at the 2010 census. Bluffton is nicknamed the "Parlor City" for its history of having some of the first clean paved streets in the area during the time of the Indiana gas boom.
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. Bluffton grades A overall, better than 86% of U.S. towns and #93 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C for health, B for safety and A− for schools.
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+.
10 notable people were born here, including Everett Scott and Don Lash.
