Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Charlestown gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $306K for a typical one, or 4.1 years of the Louisville/Jefferson County metro’s $74K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 297th of 585 in Indiana. On the plus side, 16% of its land is conserved. 16% of the land in Charlestown is conserved, against 1.9% in Indiana’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Charlestown has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Benjamin Ferguson House and Watson House.
Where Charlestown beats most towns.
Its founding year, 1808, comes before those of 94% of the Indiana towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 250 in 1850, a low of 250 in 1850, 7,775 in 2020. The archive holds 14 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 6 maps from 1905 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 Charlestown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Charlestown. Close and well known come first.
17 mi Theme parkKentucky Kingdom
12 mi Stadium & arenaLynn Family Stadium
13 mi Stadium & arenaKFC Yum! Center
16 mi Stadium & arenaL&N Federal Credit Union Stadium
13 mi MuseumMuhammad Ali CenterKentucky Kingdom: Stevietheman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lynn Family Stadium: Bpluke01, CC BY-SA 4.0 · KFC Yum! Center: Jamesmac96, CC BY 3.0 · L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium: Perthsider, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Muhammad Ali Center: The original uploader was Stevietheman at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Charlestown, 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 Charlestown.
Charlestown sends many workers across the state line to Louisville and looks healthier within Indiana than nationally.
4.4 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Charlestown State Park, at 697 acres with 2.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charlestown State Park | 2.6 mi | 697 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
28% of working residents cross a state line to work, Louisville among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Charlestown for work: only 7% work in town. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Charlestown, where Indiana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. The top destinations are Jeffersonville (18%), New Albany (9%) and Louisville (8%).
| Charlestown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.2% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 6.8% | 11% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 32 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Charlestown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Charlestown has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Charlestown’s July high is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Charlestown home is worth about $306,000, up 2.3% in a year, 19% above the Indiana typical home.
| Charlestown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 77% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,033 a month | $946 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Children under 18 are 29% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (17% statewide). The median age in Charlestown is 32.9 years. Charlestown has grown 13% since 2020, to 8,802 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Charlestown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 29% | 23% | 22% |
| Median age | 32.9 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 22% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4 points). Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Charlestown | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.4% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.7% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.7% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 9.8% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.4% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.7% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Within Indiana it is healthier than 61% of the 589 graded towns: much of Indiana scores lower on these measures.
Charlestown tracks Indiana closely on all 32 CDC measures. 43% of adults have obesity in Charlestown.
| Charlestown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Charlestown's reported crime rate is well below Indiana's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 9 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Charlestown | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.2 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
9 within 15 miles of the center of Charlestown
About 5 of every 100 Charlestown residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.
Where Charlestown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Charlestown on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Charlestown.
City in Indiana, United States
Charlestown is a city located within Charlestown and Utica Townships, Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,775 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Charlestown.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlestown | #297 | B | B+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Jeffersonville | #346 | B− | B | — | B− | C |
| Charlestown Township | #261 | B | A− | — | B− | C+ |
| Utica Township | #424 | C+ | C+ | — | B− | C |
Charlestown, Jeffersonville, Charlestown Township and Utica Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Charlestown with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Charlestown grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #297 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 B+.
6 notable people were born here, including Barclay Henley and Mary Garrett Hay.
