Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Muncie earns a D, 578th among Indiana's 585 graded towns, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its crime rate is higher than 86% of U.S. towns, with 312 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 89% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 39 places on the National Register. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Muncie, where Indiana’s towns sit at 10% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Its National Register listings include Minnetrista Boulevard Historic District and Muncie Public Library. Muncie's schools rank behind 78% of the state's.
Where Muncie beats most towns.
Muncie Public Library
Andrea Drews
Its 39 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Indiana towns with a listing.
Census counts: 666 in 1850, 65,194 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1901 and 4 maps from 1952 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Muncie is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Muncie, 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 Muncie.
Muncie is shaped by its college students and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Against the 3,808 U.S. towns with household incomes like Muncie’s, it is less healthy than 53%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
23% of Muncie adults report frequent mental distress. Muncie beats the Indiana average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 37% of Muncie adults feel lonely.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 26% | 23% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 14% | 14% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 33% |
| What stands out | Muncie | IN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7% | 8.3% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 13.6% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 2,129 to 1,262 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Muncie’s violent crime rate is 4.8 per 1,000 residents. Muncie reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less. Muncie’s property crime rate is 14.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.5 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
7.0 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is McCulloch Park, at 86 acres.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Minnetrista | 1.7 mi | 36 |
| 2. Dutro-Ernst Woods | 1.2 mi | 32 |
| 3. John Craddock Wetlands Nature Preserve | 0.4 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
22.5% of residents are enrolled in college, against 5.8% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 18 to 34 are 40% of residents (23% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (37% statewide). The median age in Muncie is 29.7 years. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.7 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 16% | 23% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 18% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 22% | 29% |
52.9% women, 47.1% men
About 89 men for every 100 women. Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 30.1, men 29.4.
| Muncie | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 27.6% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.6% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.7% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.6% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.3% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.7% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.1% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Muncie home is worth about $154,000, up 3.2% in a year, 40% below the Indiana typical home. 52% of households own their home in Muncie.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 76% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 52% | 44% | 48% |
| Median rent | $904 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Muncie has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 20° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 22,771 working residents takes 18.1 minutes, against 24.1 across Indiana.
About one in 3 of Muncie’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Indianapolis (11%), Anderson (4%) and Center Township (4%). Half commute less than 12 miles.
| Muncie | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 39% | 11% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
100 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 13 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 56% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 100 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Muncie.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Muncie. Close and well known come first.
37 mi MuseumConner Prairie
31 mi TheatreRuoff Music Center
in town GardenMinnetrista
36 mi MuseumFort Recovery
in town MuseumDavid Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University
in town GardenChristy WoodsConner Prairie: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Ruoff Music Center: TownePost Network, CC BY 2.0 · Minnetrista: XWHJ2004, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Recovery: Nyttend, Public domain · David Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University: Matt Ruddick, CC BY 1.0 · Christy Woods: Kcflood (talk), Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Muncie
College town 23 of every 100 Muncie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
39 places in Muncie on the National Register of Historic Places.
68 notable people were born in Muncie.
City in Indiana, United States
Muncie ( MUN-see) is a city in Delaware County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It is located in East Central Indiana about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Indianapolis. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 65,195, down from 70,085 in the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Muncie metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Delaware County. The city is also included in the Indianapolis–Carmel–Muncie combined statistical area. The Lenape people, led by Buckongahelas, arrived in the area in the 1790s. They founded several villages, including one known as Munsee Town, along the White River. The trading post, renamed Muncietown, was selected as the Delaw…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Muncie.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Center Township (C−) is closest.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muncie | #578 | D | B+ | D | C− | D |
| Yorktown | #54 | A | B+ | — | A | B+ |
| Center Township | #536 | C− | B+ | — | C− | D |
| Monroe Township | #407 | C+ | A | — | C+ | D− |
| Hamilton Township | #337 | B− | B | — | A− | C |
Yorktown, Center Township, Monroe Township and Hamilton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Muncie with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Muncie grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #578 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health, D for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. That is 2.6 years of the area's median household income ($58,127 across the Muncie, IN 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 B+.
68 notable people were born here, including Andrea Drews and Ron Bonham.
