Samuel Brown House · National Register of Historic Places
Franklin Township’s story
Franklin Township in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
Franklin TownshipIN
A town of 1,679. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
1,679
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Median home value
$188K
Census ACS
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
34.1
years
Jobs based here
208
A commuter town
Is Franklin Township a good place to live?
The best of Franklin Township’s subject grades are an A for cost of living, an A− for schools, and an A+ for history; the weakest is a D− for walkability. Franklin Township’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, above both Indiana’s towns (24 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 15 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score higher on history. Franklin Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 81% of U.S. towns. Franklin Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Franklin Township stand out
Where Franklin Township beats most towns.
Samuel Brown HouseHistoryA+
2 historic places
2 places on the National Register
Listed for their history, architecture or both.
North Putnam Community Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Roachdale Elementary School | PK–5 | 218 |
| North Putnam Middle School | 6–8 | 299 |
| North Putnam Sr High School | 9–12 | 397 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Franklin Township4.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IN town3.6
Civic lifeA−
34% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Indiana town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Franklin Township for work
Where Franklin Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
208jobs based in Franklin Township
4%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Franklin Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Franklin Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.1 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $188K, 2.4 years of the Greencastle area’s $78K median household incomeAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →HealthPutnam County Hospital 14.3 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$85K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 37% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →History2 places on the National RegisterA+Open →Civic life3.2 library visits per resident; 4.8 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 Franklin Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Franklin Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRoachdale Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers54% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Franklin Township’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 herePutnam County Circuit Court ClerkPutnam County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes46172, 4610546172 91% · 46105 8%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 Franklin Township.
SchoolsA−
On state tests, Franklin Township’s schools beat 82% of Indiana districts
Its public schools are run by the North Putnam Community Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is North Putnam Sr High School, with 397 students.
82%of IN districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Putnam Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 299 | B− |
| North Putnam Sr High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 397 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IN on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Franklin Township has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Franklin Township for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Franklin Township has added 71 jobs, to 208 in 2023. 13% of Franklin Township residents live below the poverty line, above both the Indiana town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
4%work in town
| Franklin Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.8% | 11% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Franklin Township4%
Indianapolis20%
Greencastle10%
Crawfordsville7%
Danville5%
26 mi
median commute distance
208
jobs based in Franklin Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 3% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Franklin Township is less healthy than 71% of U.S. towns
Franklin Township beats the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 40% of Franklin Township adults have high blood pressure.
29%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Franklin Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
1 better27 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Franklin Township | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7% | 8.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.7% | 8.1% |
Putnam County Hospital
14.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Franklin Township has four seasons and pleasant summers
Franklin Township has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–38°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–64°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Franklin Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More young adults than Indiana overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 12% of residents (17% statewide). Franklin Township has grown 3.4% since 2020, to 1,679 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
34.1median age · IN 38.1
| Franklin Township | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 12% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 34.1 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 22% | 29% |
Franklin TownshipIndianaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school35%
Some college21%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±8.5 points. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Franklin Township | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.4% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.3% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.9% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.7% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.8% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.1% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.5% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.5% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.5% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3.7% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Nearby attractions
All 51 attractions →Lucas Oil Stadium and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Franklin Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaLucas Oil Stadium
37 mi Stadium & arenaGainbridge Fieldhouse
36 mi Stadium & arenaHinkle Fieldhouse
37 mi LandmarkSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument
20 mi State parkTurkey Run State Park
35 mi MuseumIndianapolis Museum of Art428K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lucas 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 · Hinkle Fieldhouse: Peetlesnumber1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument: alexeatswhales, CC BY 2.0 · Turkey Run State Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Indianapolis Museum of Art: No machine-readable author provided. Cszmurlo assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Franklin Township
17pages on Franklin Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Franklin Township
DePauw UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Greencastle13 mi$59,070 tuitionWabash CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Crawfordsville14.8 mi$50,800 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Franklin Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
About Franklin Township
Township in Indiana, United States
Franklin Township is one of thirteen townships in Putnam County, Indiana. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,609 (down from 1,690 at 2010) and it contained 715 housing units.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 34 sq mi
- Elevation
- 814 ft
Franklin Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Franklin Township.
Clark TownshipMonroe TownshipRussell TownshipScott TownshipJackson TownshipFranklin Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Township | — | — | A | — | A− | C |
| Clark Township | — | — | A | — | A | C+ |
| Monroe Township | — | — | A | — | A− | C+ |
| Russell Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Scott Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Franklin Township, Clark Township and Monroe Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Franklin Township, Clark Township and Monroe Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Russell Township, Scott Township and Jackson Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Franklin Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Franklin Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Franklin Township, IN a good place to live?
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Franklin 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.