Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 37,678.
Decatur Township earns a D, ranked 565th of 585 in Indiana, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 76% of the country. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 9.4% of residents are 65 or older in Decatur Township, where Indiana’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Nicholson-Rand House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Decatur Township beats most towns.
32,388 counted in 2010 and 36,951 in 2020; an estimated 37,678 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Decatur Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,555 in 1890, 36,951 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1935 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Decatur Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaLucas Oil Stadium
9 mi Stadium & arenaGainbridge Fieldhouse
9 mi LandmarkSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument
13 mi Stadium & arenaHinkle Fieldhouse
37 mi Stadium & arenaMemorial Stadium
8 mi Zoo & aquariumIndianapolis ZooLucas Oil Stadium: Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gainbridge Fieldhouse: Durin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument: alexeatswhales, CC BY 2.0 · Hinkle Fieldhouse: Peetlesnumber1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Memorial Stadium: Durin at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Indianapolis Zoo: User:Durin-en, CC BY-SA 2.5
Who provides power, water and the rest in Decatur Township, 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 Decatur Township.
12 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Southwestway Park, 502 acres with 8.7 miles of trail.
| Decatur Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Southwestway Park | 8.7 mi | 502 |
| 2. Dollar Hide Creek Park | 0.3 mi | 51 |
| 3. Carson Park | 0.1 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the MSD Decatur Township school district. Two of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 1,000 | D |
| Decatur Central High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,974 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
19% of adults binge drink in Decatur Township. Decatur Township beats the Indiana average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 36% of adults feel lonely in Decatur Township.
| Decatur Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 33% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Decatur Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.7% | 8.3% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 25.9% | 28.3% |
| More uninsured adults | 12.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Decatur Township has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 20° and about 26 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 9% of residents (17% statewide); children under 18 are 28% of residents (23% statewide). The median age in Decatur Township is 32.7 years. 21% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
| Decatur Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.7 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 28% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 21% | 22% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 34.9, men 30.7.
| Decatur Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.1% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.8% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.5% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.5% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.9% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.6% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15.4% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5.1% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Decatur Township has about as many jobs (15,840) as working residents, but only 1,400 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Decatur Township for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2013, Decatur Township has added 2,541 jobs, to 15,840 in 2023. The top destinations are Indianapolis (56%), Plainfield (9%) and Greenwood (4%).
| Decatur Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 2003, 13 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Decatur Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
62% of Decatur Township households own their home.
| Decatur Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,274 a month | $946 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
7 within 15 miles of the center of Decatur Township
About 4 of every 100 Decatur Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
Township in Indiana, United States
Decatur Township is one of the nine townships in Marion County, Indiana, United States, and part of the consolidated city of Indianapolis. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 36,951. Located in the southwest corner of the county, the township is home to the Indianapolis International Airport main terminal. It is one of the most rural sections of the county, but has seen many new residential and commercial developments. AmeriPlex, one of the largest industrial parks in Indiana, is in Decatur Township. Through the White River, Decatur and Perry townships share the only water boundary among Marion County's townships.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Decatur Township.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Wayne Township (C−) is closest.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Township | #565 | D | B− | — | C | C− |
| Perry Township | #257 | B+ | B− | — | B | B− |
| Indianapolis | — | — | C | D | — | — |
| Wayne Township | #542 | C− | B+ | — | C− | C− |
| Guilford Township | #152 | A− | C+ | — | A | B |
| Madison Township | #113 | A− | A− | — | B+ | B− |
Decatur Township, Perry Township, Wayne Township, Guilford Township and Madison Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Indianapolis isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Decatur Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Decatur Township grades D overall, better than 14% of U.S. towns and #565 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C− for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
The typical home is worth about $210,000, 18% below the Indiana typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
