Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brazil gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $192K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Terre Haute metro’s $57K median household income. It grades C overall, ranked 482nd of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country, and the median household income is $52K, and 19% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Brazil’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both the Indiana town median (0.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 78 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score higher on the outdoors. Its National Register listings include US Post Office-Brazil and Brazil Downtown Historic District.
Where Brazil beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
4.4% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Brazil is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 84 in 1850, 8,181 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1913 and a map from 1986 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brazil, 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 Brazil.
Brazil has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more and has property taxes about half the Indiana norm, but it has commutes longer than most of Indiana.
5.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Craig Park, at 55 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Craig Park | 0.7 mi | 55 |
| 2. Forest Park | — | 26 |
| 3. Babe Wheeler Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
45% of Brazil adults have obesity, above both Indiana’s towns (39%) and U.S. towns (35%). 20% of Brazil adults smoke cigarettes. Brazil beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Brazil | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 39% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| What stands out | Brazil | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.2% | 15.4% |
| More smokers | 20.4% | 15.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.3% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 203 to 159 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Brazil is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Brazil | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.4 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The median property tax bill is $634, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Brazil home is worth about $192,000, up 2.4% in a year, 25% below the Indiana typical home. Brazil’s median rent is $869 a month.
| Brazil | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $869 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Brazil has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 20 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 3,081 working residents takes 33.6 minutes, against 24.1 across Indiana.
Most working residents leave Brazil for work: only 14% work in town. Since 2013, Brazil has lost 296 jobs, to 2,516 in 2023. The top destinations are Terre Haute (14%), Van Buren Township (9%) and Greencastle (9%).
| Brazil | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 11% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 2008, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brazil.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brazil. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
25 mi State parkTurkey Run State Park
40 mi Stadium & arenaSimon Skjodt Assembly Hall16 mi MuseumCANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center
38 mi MuseumGeneral Lew Wallace Study
16 mi MuseumSwope Art MuseumMemorial Stadium: Durin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Turkey Run State Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Sean Benham from Chicago, CC BY 2.0 · General Lew Wallace Study: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Swope Art Museum: Colin Pizarek, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brazil
About 2 of every 100 Brazil residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
5 places in Brazil on the National Register of Historic Places.
16 notable people were born in Brazil.
City in Indiana, United States
Brazil is a city in Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,181 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County. It is part of the Terre Haute metropolitan area. There is a fountain from the country of Brazil; Brazil often flies the Brazilian, Indiana flag, and U.S. flag alongside one another at the fountain.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Brazil.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil · Brazil Township | #482 | C | A− | C− | B+ | D |
| Knightsville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Van Buren Township | #273 | B | A | — | B+ | C− |
Van Buren Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Knightsville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Brazil Township and Brazil are one community, graded once. Compare Brazil with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brazil grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #482 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health, C− 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−.
16 notable people were born here, including Stuart Randall and Johnnie Davis.
