Eaton-Dunkirk-Portland Indiana, 1896
Dunkirk’s story
170 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1896.
- 1856Dunkirk is settled
DunkirkIN
A town of 2,097, settled in 1856. 2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: James Brosher · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,097
2025 Census estimate · −3.1% since 2020
Typical home
$135K
+2.4% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
591
A commuter town
Is Dunkirk a good place to live?
The best of Dunkirk’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and civic life; the weakest is a D for health. 23% of residents live below the poverty line in Dunkirk, where Indiana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On incomes, just 36 of Indiana’s 1,096 towns do worse. Only 21 of Indiana’s 1,043 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Dunkirk Park, at 37 acres. Dunkirk has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dunkirk stand out
Where Dunkirk beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Dunkirk7.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IN town3.6
Civic lifeA+
2.1 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Indiana town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Dunkirk$135K
Indiana$257K
Cost of livingA+
2.5 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 96% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Dunkirk for work
Where Dunkirk’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
591jobs based in Dunkirk
7%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Dunkirk grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Dunkirk is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →HealthIndiana University Health Jay 12.6 miles awayDOpen →Jobs & income591 jobs based hereDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 10.3% of households have no car; 2.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsBeat 51% of Indiana districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landCOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life7.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+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 Dunkirk: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dunkirk, and how to reach them.
PowerIndiana Michigan Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDunkirk Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dunkirk’s trash rules yet
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 hereJay County Circuit Court ClerkJay County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code4733647336 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 Dunkirk.
HealthD
Residents of Dunkirk are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns
Dunkirk beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Dunkirk, above both Indiana’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (14%). 45% of Dunkirk adults have obesity.
6%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Dunkirk | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better17 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Dunkirk | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.8% | 8.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.6% | 15.4% |
| More smokers | 21.5% | 15.7% |
Indiana University Health Jay
12.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A+
A typical Dunkirk home is worth about $135K
The typical Dunkirk home is worth about $135,000, up 2.4% in a year, 47% below the Indiana typical home. The median rent in Dunkirk is $700 a month.
$135KZillow home value
| Dunkirk | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $700 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 76% | 73% |
Typical home value
Dunkirk$135K
Indiana$257K
+2.4%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Dunkirk has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Dunkirk for work: only 7% work in town. Dunkirk’s median household income is $46,000. The top destinations are Portland (15%), Muncie (12%) and Indianapolis (5%).
7%work in town
| Dunkirk | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.3% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Dunkirk7%
Portland15%
Muncie12%
Indianapolis5%
Winchester3%
17 mi
median commute distance
591
jobs based in Dunkirk
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 56% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Dunkirk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Dunkirk since 2014.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
1
paid flood claims since 2014
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Dunkirk has four seasons and pleasant summers
Dunkirk has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 32 inches of snow falls in a winter.
32″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–83°
Fall43–64°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3.4%conserved
3.4%
conserved · 26 of 758 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dunkirk Park | — | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 28 attractions →Grand Lake St. Marys State Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dunkirk. Close and well known come first.
39 mi State parkGrand Lake St. Marys State Park
23 mi MuseumFort Recovery
33 mi MuseumLevi Coffin House
15 mi GardenMinnetrista
39 mi MuseumShrine of the Holy Relics
16 mi MuseumDavid Owsley Museum of Art Ball State UniversitySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park: Bruin, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Recovery: Nyttend, Public domain · Levi Coffin House: Nyttend, Public domain · Minnetrista: XWHJ2004, CC BY 2.0 · Shrine of the Holy Relics: Rfgagel, Public domain · David Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University: Matt Ruddick, CC BY 1.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dunkirk
18pages on Dunkirk
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Dunkirk; the nearest are
Ball State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Muncie15.9 mi$11,082 in-state tuitionIvy Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Indianapolis63.8 mi$5,154 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Dunkirk residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
About Dunkirk
City in Indiana, United States
Dunkirk is a city in Blackford and Jay counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,164 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 945 ft
- ZIP code
- 47336
- Area code
- 765
Dunkirk’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Dunkirk.
Niles TownshipJackson TownshipRichland TownshipDunkirk
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunkirk | — | — | A+ | — | B− | D |
| Niles Township | — | — | A | — | A− | C− |
| Jackson Township | — | — | A+ | — | B | D |
| Richland Township | #549 | C− | B+ | — | B− | D− |
Dunkirk, Niles Township and Jackson Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Dunkirk, Niles Township, Jackson Township and Richland Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Dunkirk with a neighbor →
Questions about Dunkirk
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dunkirk, IN a good place to live?
2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
Is Dunkirk, 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+.