Woodside · National Register of Historic Places
Center Township’s story
Center Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1962 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Center TownshipGrant County, IN
A town of 21,606.
5 bordering townsMap →
Woodside · Photo: User:Jaydec · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
21,606
2025 Census estimate · −0.2% since 2020
Median home value
$84K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
31.0
years
Jobs based here
11,166
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#553 of 585 in IN
Is Center Township a good place to live?
Center Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $84K, 1.6 years of the Marion area’s $54K median household income. It grades C− overall, 553rd among Indiana's 585 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 94% of the country, and the median household income is $43K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 1 place on the National Register. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Center Township, where Indiana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Woodside is on the National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Center Township stand out
Where Center Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Center Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Center Township is from typical.
Its best grade is an A for history (1 place on the National Register), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its C− comes from the livability subjects above.
HealthMarion General Hospital 3.4 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9 of 20; 6.4% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 0% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterAOpen →Civic life4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Center Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Center Township, and how to reach them.
PowerIndiana Michigan Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMarion City Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offGrant Co. Recycling center, 3 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereGrant County Circuit Court ClerkGrant County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2023
ZIP codes46953, 4695246953 71% · 46952 29%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Center Township.
Center Township is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Indiana rate and trails Monroe Township and its other neighbors on schools.
HealthD
Compared with most of Indiana and the rest of the country, more of Center Township’s adults have diabetes
Against the 3,253 U.S. towns with household incomes like Center Township’s, it is less healthy than 73%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of Center Township adults have diabetes. Center Township beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 43% of Center Township adults have high blood pressure.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 21% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better13 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Center Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.4% | 15.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.7% | 14.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 11.1% | 7.7% |
VA N. Indiana Healthcare System
1.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
4th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Public schools in Center Township fall behind 74% of Indiana districts
Each of its 5 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C, Monroe Township highest at B.
Its public schools are run by the Marion Community Schools. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marion High School, with 1,058 students.
26%of IN districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frances Slocum Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 473 | D |
| Marion High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,058 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsC
0.4% of Center Township is conserved land
2.6 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Matter Park, at 82 acres.
#308for trails in IN
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 66 of 15,962 acres
2.6 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Matter Park | 0.8 mi | 82 |
| 2. Shiloh Park | — | 57 |
| 3. Hogan Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Center Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Center Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
25″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
In Center Township, the median household income runs lower than in the typical Indiana or U.S. town
The average commute for its 7,708 working residents takes 18.1 minutes, against 24.1 across Indiana.
31% of working residents work locally in Center Township. Since 2013, Center Township has added 1,739 jobs, to 11,166 in 2023. The average trip to work in Center Township is 18 minutes.
31%work in town
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 31% | 11% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $43,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 7.8% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Center Township31%
Marion41%
Indianapolis6%
Gas City6%
Fort Wayne3%
8 mi
median commute distance
11,166
jobs based in Center Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Center Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 42 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Center Township.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoes
42
paid flood claims since 1980
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Center Township
18pages on Center Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Center Township
Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Marion2.9 mi$32,352 tuitionIndiana Wesleyan University-National & GlobalUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Marion3.6 mi$8,208 tuitionTaylor UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Upland8.2 mi$40,490 tuition
College town 16 of every 100 Center Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
About Center Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Center Township is one of the thirteen townships in Grant County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 23,406 and it contained 10,189 housing units. It is home to the Veterans Administration Medical Center.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 25 sq mi
- Elevation
- 837 ft
Center Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Center Township.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Washington Township (C−) is closest.
Washington TownshipMill TownshipMonroe TownshipFranklin TownshipGas CityCenter Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | #553 | C− | A− | — | C | D |
| Washington Township | #550 | C− | A− | — | C+ | D |
| Mill Township | #524 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D |
| Monroe Township | — | — | C+ | — | B | D |
| Franklin Township | #522 | C− | A− | — | C+ | D |
| Gas City | #368 | B− | B | A− | B− | C− |
Monroe Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Center Township, Washington Township, Mill Township, Monroe Township and Franklin Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Center Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Center Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Center Township, IN a good place to live?
Center Township grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #553 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Center Township, IN expensive?
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−.