Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hartford City’s overall grade, C+, puts it better than 35% of U.S. towns. That places it 471st of 585 in Indiana. Its weakest subject is health: residents are less healthy than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Incomes are weaker too — the median household income is $42K, and a fifth of residents live below the poverty line. Where it does best is cost of living: a typical home costs about $143K, 2.8 years of the county’s $51K median household income. Hartford City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 92% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Blackford County Courthouse and First Presbyterian Church. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register.
Figures: home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES · National Register of Historic Places.
Where Hartford City beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Blackford County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Hartford City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 250 in 1850, a peak of 8,207 in 1970, 6,086 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1894 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hartford City, 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 Hartford City.
Hartford City has home values climbing faster than Indiana’s, but it has household incomes well below the Indiana norm.
Of 32 CDC measures, Hartford City beats the Indiana average on 1 and trails it on 24. Among 589 Indiana towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Hartford City. 18% of Hartford City adults have diabetes, where Indiana’s towns sit at 13% and U.S. towns at 12%. In Hartford City, a quarter of adults smoke cigarettes.
| Hartford City | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 17% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 21% | 19% |
| What stands out | Hartford City | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.3% | 77.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 29% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Home values rose 48% in five years, to about $143K, against 29% across Indiana. The median property tax bill is $705, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 5.6% in value. The rent at the middle of the market in Hartford City is $730 a month. Nearly two thirds of Hartford City households are owner-occupiers, against 76% in Indiana’s towns and 73% across U.S. towns. Homes sold in Hartford City spent a median 35 days on the market.
| Hartford City | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $730 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For working residents in Hartford City, the share who work locally is 18%. The top destinations are Muncie (9%), Licking Township (7%) and Marion (7%). Its typical journey to work stands at 22 minutes.
| Hartford City | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 11% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Summer afternoons peak near 84° in July, and January nights bottom out around 19°; snowfall runs to about 32 inches a winter. The seasons in Hartford City: chilly, snowy winters, warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
23 violent crimes were reported in 2022. Hartford City's reported crime rate is well below Indiana's. In Hartford City, the property offense rate is 2.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Hartford City | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 11.7 | 14.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2022) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.9 |
FBI crime data, 2022 · crimes reported to police
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Hartford City after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2014. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 58% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid here since 1993.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hartford City. Close and well known come first.
31 mi MuseumFort Recovery
17 mi GardenMinnetrista
40 mi MuseumInternational Circus Hall of Fame
18 mi MuseumDavid Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University
18 mi GardenChristy Woods
30 mi MuseumForks of the WabashFort Recovery: Nyttend, Public domain · Minnetrista: XWHJ2004, CC BY 2.0 · International Circus Hall of Fame: Nyttend, Public domain · David Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University: Matt Ruddick, CC BY 1.0 · Christy Woods: Kcflood (talk), Public domain · Forks of the Wabash: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hartford City
About 3 of every 100 Hartford City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
3 places in Hartford City on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Hartford City.
City in Indiana, United States
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community underwent a dramatic 15-year economic boom beginning in the late 1880s. The Indiana Gas Boom resulted from the discovery and exploitation of natural gas in the area. The rural economy was transformed to one that included manufacturing. The boom attracted workers and residents, retail establishments, and craftspeople. The increased population was a catalyst for the construction of roads, schools, and churches. After the boom came a long period of growth and stability. Agriculture (and agricultural trade) remained as …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hartford City grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #471 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D− for health and B for schools. Health 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Joseph Warren Fordney and Leo Aloysius Pursley.
