Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brownstown gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $244K for a typical one, or 3.5 years of the Seymour area’s $70K median household income. It grades A− overall, 168th of 585 graded towns in Indiana. Brownstown's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 97% of U.S. towns. Brownstown has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Jackson County Courthouse and Brownstown Courthouse Square Historic District. Brownstown’s average commute is 20 minutes, where Indiana’s towns sit at 24 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes.
Where Brownstown beats most towns.
Jackson County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Brownstown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 504 in 1860, 3,025 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1942 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brownstown, 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 Brownstown.
Brownstown pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Indiana norm, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and trades workers with Seymour and other neighbors.
A winter brings about 17 inches of snow, with January nights at 23° and July afternoons at 86°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Brownstown has about as many jobs (1,360) as working residents, but only 226 people both live and work here.
In Brownstown, 17% of working residents work locally. Since 2013, Brownstown has added 299 jobs, to 1,360 in 2023. Half of commuters travel less than 12 miles. For Brownstown, the typical household income is $63,000.
| Brownstown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 11% | 8% |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 9,562 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brownstown’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
For adults in Brownstown, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 27%. This Indiana town beats the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 34% of adults in Brownstown sleep under 7 hours; 16% smoke cigarettes.
| Brownstown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 37% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 39% | 35% |
| What stands out | Brownstown | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 8.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.1% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One claim on flood insurance has been paid out in Brownstown since 2015. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 60% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Brownstown households in 6 declared disasters; the latest was in 2011. 46% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 30%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Brownstown grades A− overall with a typical home of about $244K, below the Indiana typical value; only 18 of the 64 Indiana towns graded A− or better can say that. The median property tax bill is $729, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical home value in Brownstown is about $244,000, up 2% in a year, 5% below the Indiana typical home. Among households in the town, 81% live in a home they own.
| Brownstown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $658 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Brownstown; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Brownstown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
Town in Indiana, United States
Brownstown is a town within Brownstown Township and the county seat of Jackson County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Brownstown had a population of 3,025. It was named for Jacob Brown, a general of the War of 1812.
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. Brownstown grades A− overall, better than 77% of U.S. towns and #168 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C+ for health and B+ 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+.