Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Mount Vernon gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $220K, 3.2 years of the Evansville metro’s $68K median household income. It grades B overall, 308th of 585 graded towns in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. On the plus side, its public schools beat 79% of Indiana towns on state tests and graduation. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. Only 104 of Indiana’s 1,097 towns score higher on walkability. Its National Register listings include Posey County Courthouse Square and William Gonnerman House. Mount Vernon's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Mount Vernon beats most towns.
William Gonnerman HouseIts founding year, 1788, comes before those of 99% of the Indiana towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,120 in 1850, 6,493 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1937 and 3 maps from 1917 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Mount Vernon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mount Vernon, 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 Mount Vernon.
Mount Vernon has seen reported crime fall by about half, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Indiana (mostly inland flooding) and has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 100% of Indiana towns; that rating is what its D for hazard risk is built on.
Only 2 of the 592 Indiana towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Mount Vernon. Since 1981, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mount Vernon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
42% of adults have obesity in Mount Vernon, above both the Indiana town median (39%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 40% of Mount Vernon adults have high blood pressure. Mount Vernon beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
| Mount Vernon | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Mount Vernon | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7.8% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4% | 3.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 3,195 in 2013 to 2,045. The average commute for its 2,803 working residents takes 17.4 minutes, against 24.1 across Indiana.
About one in 5 of Mount Vernon’s working residents works in town. At 17 minutes, Mount Vernon’s average trip to work is against 24 minutes in Indiana’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Mount Vernon fell to 2,045 in 2023, 1,150 fewer than in 2013.
| Mount Vernon | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 11% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The July high in Mount Vernon is 88°F. Mount Vernon has chilly winters and warm summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Mount Vernon’s median rent is $783 a month. The typical Mount Vernon home is worth about $220,000, up 0.6% in a year, 15% below the Indiana typical home. 67% of households own their home in Mount Vernon.
| Mount Vernon | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $783 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 76% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 106 to 56 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.1 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Brittlebank Park, at 52 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brittlebank Park | — | 52 |
| 2. Riverbend Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 3. Sherburne Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mount Vernon. Close and well known come first.
17 mi MuseumUSS LST-325
24 mi Ancient siteAngel Mounds
18 mi Stadium & arenaFord Center
36 mi Park & preserveGarden of the Gods Wilderness
35 mi CaveCave-in-Rock State Park
17 mi Zoo & aquariumMesker Park Zoo and Botanic GardenUSS LST-325: Wikideas1, CC0 · Angel Mounds: Heironymous Rowe (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ford Center: Nyttend, Public domain · Garden of the Gods Wilderness: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cave-in-Rock State Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden: Randella (talk), CC BY 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Mount Vernon
About 2 of every 100 Mount Vernon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
4 places in Mount Vernon on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Mount Vernon.
City in Indiana, United States
Mount Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Posey County, Indiana, United States. Located in the state's far southwestern corner, within 15 miles (24 km) of both the southernmost or westernmost points, it is the westernmost city in the state. The southernmost is Rockport, located along the Ohio River about 40 miles (64 km) to the southeast. As of the 2020 census, Mount Vernon had a population of 6,493. It is located in Black Township and is part of the Evansville, Indiana, metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Mount Vernon.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | #308 | B | A | B− | A− | C− |
| Black Township | #171 | A− | A | — | A− | C+ |
Black Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Mount Vernon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Mount Vernon grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #308 of 585 in Indiana. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Hazard risk 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.
12 notable people were born here, including Alvin Peterson Hovey and Ann Hovey.
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