Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,866, settled in 1860. 2.1 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
Hanover gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $221K, 3.4 years of the Madison area’s $65K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 197th of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $54K, and 13% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 79% of U.S. towns. Hanover’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, against 0.2 in Indiana’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 11 of Indiana’s 1,043 towns do better. Hanover is home to Hanover College.
Where Hanover beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Hanover is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 564 in 1870, a low of 356 in 1910, 3,743 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1882 and 5 maps from 1939 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hanover, 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 Hanover.
Hanover is shaped by its college students, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has property taxes about half the Indiana norm.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hanover.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hanover has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 23° and about 12 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 7,096 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hanover’s, it is healthier than 93%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Indiana it is healthier than 85% of the 589 graded towns: much of Indiana scores lower on these measures.
29% of Hanover adults have high blood pressure, where Indiana’s towns sit at 39% and U.S. towns at 35%. 9.3% of adults have diabetes in Hanover. Hanover beats the Indiana average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
| Hanover | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 39% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| What stands out | Hanover | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.3% | 13% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.6% | 3.5% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.8% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Hanover for work: only 11% work in town. Hanover’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Jobs based in Hanover grew to 1,053 in 2023, 55 more than in 2013.
| Hanover | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median property tax bill is $762, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Typical home values rose 5.7% in the year to September 2026. 64% of Hanover households own their home.
| Hanover | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $900 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hanover
College town 30 of every 100 Hanover residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
3 places in Hanover on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Hanover.
Town in Indiana, United States
Hanover is a town in Hanover Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, United States. Located along the Ohio River, the town had a population of 3,743 at the 2020 census. Hanover is the home of Hanover College, a small Presbyterian liberal arts college. The tallest waterfall in Indiana, Fremont Falls, is located in Hanover.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hanover grades B+ overall, better than 74% of U.S. towns and #197 of 585 in Indiana. It grades B for health and B− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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.
3 notable people were born here, including William M. Dunn and Bill Pierce.
