Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 17,390, settled in 1822. 90% more nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
New Castle gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $167K, 2.6 years of the New Castle area’s $63K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 402nd among Indiana's 585 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $52K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in New Castle, above both the Indiana town median (10%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). New Castle's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 94% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Baker Park, at 56 acres.
Where New Castle beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far New Castle is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 666 in 1850, a low of 417 in 1860, 17,396 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1922 and 3 maps from 1950 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Castle, 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 New Castle.
42% of New Castle adults sleep under 7 hours. New Castle beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 45% of New Castle adults have obesity.
| New Castle | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 39% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 26% | 25% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| What stands out | New Castle | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8.1% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 32.2% | 24.9% |
| More smokers | 20.3% | 15.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
62% of households own their home in New Castle. The typical New Castle home is worth about $167,000, up 2.3% in a year, 35% below the Indiana typical home. New Castle’s median rent is $781 a month.
| New Castle | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $781 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
About one in 4 of New Castle’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in New Castle is 21 minutes. The top destinations are Henry Township (10%), Indianapolis (9%) and Muncie (5%).
| New Castle | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 11% | 8% |
| Median household income | $52,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.8% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
New Castle has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 25 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
New Castle's reported crime rate is below Indiana's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 22 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| New Castle | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.3 per 1,000 residents | 8.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 2015, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in New Castle.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baker Park | — | 56 |
| 2. Osborne Park | — | 42 |
| 3. Trojan Woods Nature Preserve | — | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Castle. Close and well known come first.
35 mi MuseumConner Prairie
30 mi TheatreRuoff Music Center
24 mi MuseumLevi Coffin House
36 mi MuseumIndiana Transportation Museum
20 mi GardenMinnetrista
20 mi MuseumDavid Owsley Museum of Art Ball State UniversityConner Prairie: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Ruoff Music Center: TownePost Network, CC BY 2.0 · Levi Coffin House: Nyttend, Public domain · Indiana Transportation Museum: Jeremy C. Schultz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minnetrista: XWHJ2004, CC BY 2.0 · David Owsley Museum of Art Ball State University: Matt Ruddick, CC BY 1.0
None within 15 miles of New Castle; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 New Castle residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
3 places in New Castle on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in New Castle.
City in Indiana, United States
New Castle is a city in Henry County, Indiana, United States. Located 44 miles (71 km) east-northeast of Indianapolis, on the Big Blue River, the city is the county seat of Henry County. New Castle is home to New Castle Fieldhouse, the largest high school gymnasium in the world. The city is surrounded by agricultural land. In the past, it was a manufacturing center for the production of sheet iron and steel, automobiles, caskets, clothing, scales, bridges, pianos, furniture, handles, shovels, lathes, bricks, and flour. Starting in the early 20th century, it was known as the Rose City, at one point having 100 florists and numerous growers. According to the 2020 census, the population was 17,…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
New Castle grades C+ overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns and #402 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.
15 notable people were born here, including Robert Indiana and Kent Benson.
