Martins Heritage Square, 2009
Granger’s story
151 years in pictures
Census counts: 20,241 in 1990, 30,337 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2009 and 4 maps from 1958 on.
- 1875Granger is settled
GrangerIN
A town of 30,321, settled in 1875.
Population
30,321
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$417K
+3.9% in a year
Household income
$123K
median
Median age
40.4
years
Jobs based here
3,642
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#270 of 585 in IN
What should you know before moving to Granger?
Granger's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades B, 270th of 585 graded towns in Indiana. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 85% of the country and the median household earns $123K. 56% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Granger, above both Indiana’s towns (22%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 37 of Indiana’s 1,096 towns score lower on cost of living. The biggest park or preserve is Harris Township Park, at 38 acres.
What makes Granger stand out
Where Granger beats most towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Granger for work
Where Granger’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,642jobs based in Granger
4%of working residents work in town
7 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Granger grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Granger is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →HealthSaint Joseph Regional Medical Center 3.1 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & income3,642 jobs based hereA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 1.5% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →SchoolsBehind 54% of Indiana districts on tests and graduationB−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 26 attractions →Notre Dame Stadium and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Granger. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
37 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
6 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
8 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
8 mi MuseumStudebaker National Museum6 mi Zoo & aquariumPotawatomi ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
Getting set up
Moving to Granger: who provides what
Granger is unincorporated, so St. Joseph County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerIndiana Michigan Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Bend Water WorksNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSt. Joseph CountySt. Joseph County provides services here
SchoolsPenn-Harris-Madison School CorporationSouth Bend Community School Corporation2 districts serve Granger; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereSt. Joseph Election and Voter Registration OfficeSt. Joseph County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes46530, 4663546530 89% · 46635 10%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 Granger.
Granger carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Indiana (mostly inland flooding) and has less tooth loss than most of Indiana, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Indiana.
HousingCost of living grade C
The typical home in Granger: about $417K
At 6.2 years of the South Bend metro’s $67K median household income, the typical home (about $417K) costs more against local pay than in any other Indiana town; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $2,747, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 3.9% in the year to September 2026. Granger’s going rate for rent is $1,656 a month. 95% of households are owner-occupiers in the town.
$417KZillow home value
| Granger | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 95% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,656 a month | $946 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Granger$417K
Indiana$257K
Market temperature
21
days on market
98.6%
sale-to-list price
+3.9%
value change, 1 year
39
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Natural hazards: very low risk in Granger, mostly inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of Indiana towns, with expected losses of about $253 per resident a year; that rating is what its A+ for hazard risk is built on.
49% of Granger’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 24%. Its FEMA hazard score stands at 8 of 100. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 1982
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthA
Granger stands out in Indiana and nationally, with fewer of its adults who have obesity
Its widest gap with Indiana is tooth loss: 8.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 15.4% statewide. Against the 5,262 U.S. towns with household incomes like Granger’s, it is healthier than 64%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Among adults in Granger, 15% say their health is fair or poor. Only 8 of the 589 Indiana towns we compare have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Granger. CDC measures, 32 in all: Granger beats Indiana on 19 and trails on 1.
85%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Granger | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 39% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
19 better12 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Granger | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8.1% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 14.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 8.3% |
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center
3.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
98th
percentile among IN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsC
Granger keeps 3.2% of its land conserved
Trails total 5.6 miles in 2 parks and preserves. In Granger, the density of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile.
#199for trails in IN
| Granger | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
3.2%
conserved · 503 of 15,584 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harris Township Park | 0.2 mi | 38 |
| 2. Forest Hills Pool | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Compared with most of Indiana and the rest of the country, the median household income in Granger is higher
Granger has 3,642 jobs for its 13,638 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 7 miles. In Granger, 4.7% of residents live below the poverty line. Only 4% of working residents stay in Granger for work; the rest commute out. Its typical journey to work comes in at 22 minutes.
4%work in town
| Granger | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $123,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.7% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 13% | 7.8% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 11% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Granger4%
South Bend22%
Mishawaka15%
Elkhart10%
Notre Dame9%
7 mi
median commute distance
3,642
jobs based in Granger
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Granger
The midsummer high for Granger comes to 83°F.
65″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 23
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Granger
18pages on Granger
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Granger
Bethel UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Mishawaka5.1 mi$34,600 tuitionUniversity of Notre DameUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Notre Dame5.9 mi$65,025 tuitionIndiana University-South BendUniversity or college · Public · South Bend6.7 mi$8,424 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Granger residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
Famous people from Granger
3 notable people were born in Granger.
Granger’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Granger.
MishawakaHarris TownshipMilton TownshipPenn TownshipGranger
How the neighbors grade
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granger | #270 | B | C | — | B− | A |
| Mishawaka | #432 | C+ | B− | C− | A− | C |
| Harris Township | #95 | A | C | — | A+ | A− |
| Penn Township | #147 | A− | B | — | A+ | C+ |
Granger, Harris Township and Penn Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Granger with a neighbor →
Questions about Granger
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Granger, IN a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Granger grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #270 of 585 in Indiana. It grades A for health and B− for schools.
Is Granger, IN expensive?
That is 6.2 years of the area's median household income ($67,217 across the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Granger, IN known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Sarah Hildebrandt and D. J. Fitzpatrick.