Pinehurst Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Center Township’s story
Center Township in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1958 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Center TownshipLaPorte County, IN
A town of 25,168.
4 bordering townsMap →
John and Cynthia Garwood Farmstead · Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
25,168
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Median home value
$192K
Census ACS
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
37.1
years
Jobs based here
9,561
Balanced
TownGrade
B
#320 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 $192K, 2.7 years of the Michigan City metro’s $71K median household income. It grades B overall, 320th of 585 graded towns in Indiana. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Only 54 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score higher on history. 22% of working residents work locally in Center Township, against 11% in Indiana’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 5 of the 593 Indiana towns we compare have a lower July high than Center Township.
What makes Center Township stand out
Where Center Township beats most towns.
How Center Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Center Township is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 21% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →HealthNorthwest Health-La Porte 2.7 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 7% of households have no car; 2.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →Jobs & income$68K median household income; 9,561 jobs based hereB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 147 attractions →Indiana Dunes National Park and 19 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center Township. Close and well known come first.
4 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
Big draw27 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
38 mi MuseumMascot Hall of Fame
27 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
21 mi State parkWarren Dunes State Park
28 mi Ancient siteFort St. JosephSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Mascot Hall of Fame: No machine-readable author provided. JGlover assumed (based on copyright claims), CC BY-SA 2.5 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
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.
PowerNIPSCO22.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLaporte Water Works2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offResidential Yard Waste Drop Off, 2 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 hereLa Porte County Circuit Court ClerkLaPorte County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code4635046350 100%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 gets more snow than almost anywhere else in Indiana and trades workers with La Porte and other neighbors.
OutdoorsB
Conserved land covers 2% of Center Township
18 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Soldiers Memorial Park, 185 acres with 12.2 miles of trail.
#93for trails in IN
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
2%
conserved · 409 of 20,974 acres
18 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Soldiers Memorial Park | 12.2 mi | 185 |
| 2. Fox Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 59 |
| 3. Charles W. Lindewald Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Center Township fall behind 53% of Indiana districts
Its public schools are run by La Porte Community School Corp. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
47%of IN districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| F Willard Crichfield ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 459 | A |
| LaPorte High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 1,807 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Center Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 24 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Center Township.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
24
paid flood claims since 1983
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC
Residents of Center Township are less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
Center Township beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 36% of Center Township adults feel lonely.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Center Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.4% | 8.3% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32% | 28.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 8.1% |
Northwest Health-La Porte
2.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
46th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Center Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Laporte weather station records that 65 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, the highest of 1,972 Indiana places with climate records.
Center Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Center Township is 17°F.
65″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–34°
Spring38–58°
Summer61–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 27
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
About one in five working residents works right in Center Township
Center Township has about as many jobs (9,561) as working residents, but only 2,329 people both live and work here.
About one in 5 of Center Township’s working residents works in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Center Township. The top destinations are La Porte (29%), Michigan City (12%) and South Bend (4%).
22%work in town
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 6.4% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Center Township22%
La Porte29%
Michigan City12%
South Bend4%
Indianapolis3%
11 mi
median commute distance
9,561
jobs based in Center Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 59% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
An age mix much like Indiana’s
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Indiana average. Center Township’s median age is 37.1 years. 22% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
37.1median age · IN 38.1
| Center Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 37.1 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
Center TownshipIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
14%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school40%
Some college21%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
About 94 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.6 points). Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Center Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.2% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.4% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.4% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 39.8% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.5% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
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
None within 15 miles of Center Township; the nearest are
Valparaiso UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Valparaiso19 mi$48,450 tuitionIndiana University-South BendUniversity or college · Public · South Bend27.7 mi$8,424 in-state tuitionLake Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Benton Harbor, MI36.8 mi$5,445 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Center Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
Landmarks
4 places in Center Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Center Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Center Township is one of twenty-one townships in LaPorte County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 25,274 (up from 25,075 at 2010) and it contained 10,055 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 33 sq mi
- Elevation
- 850 ft
Center Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Center Township.
Kankakee Township next door grades higher for schools (A to Center Township’s B−) and lower for cost of living (B− to A−).
Coolspring TownshipScipio TownshipSpringfield TownshipKankakee TownshipCenter Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | #320 | B | A− | — | B− | C |
| Coolspring Township | #528 | C− | B+ | — | C | C− |
| Scipio Township | #374 | B− | B+ | — | B− | C |
| Springfield Township | #560 | C− | C+ | — | C | C− |
| Kankakee Township | #275 | B | B− | — | A | C+ |
Center Township, Coolspring Township, Scipio Township, Springfield Township and Kankakee 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?
By most measures, yes. Center Township grades B overall, better than 56% of U.S. towns and #320 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C for health and B− for schools.
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−.