Otterbein, Indiana Main Street, 2007
Otterbein’s story
154 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
- 1872Otterbein is settled
Population
1,139
2025 Census estimate · −0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$223K
+1% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
33.1
years
Jobs based here
280
A commuter town
Is Otterbein a good place to live?
The best of Otterbein’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a C for walkability. Otterbein’s median age is 33.1 years, where Indiana’s towns sit at 39.4 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Otterbein has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Otterbein stand out
Where Otterbein beats most towns.
Typical home value
Otterbein$223K
Indiana$257K
Cost of livingA
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 88% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Otterbein5.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical IN town3.6
Civic lifeB+
43% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Indiana town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Small town
1,139 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Otterbein grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Otterbein is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 10.4% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthFranciscan Health Lafayette 14.6 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →SchoolsBehind 51% of Indiana districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsCOpen →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life2.9 library visits per resident; 5.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Otterbein: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Otterbein, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy15.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOtterbein Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Indiana you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBenton County Circuit Court ClerkBenton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code4797047970 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Otterbein.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Otterbein’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Otterbein for work: only 2% work in town. Since 2013, Otterbein has added 67 jobs, to 280 in 2023. At $64,000, Otterbein’s median household income is near the Indiana town median ($71,000) and below the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
2%work in town
| Otterbein | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 11% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Otterbein2%
Lafayette32%
West Lafayette15%
Indianapolis7%
Fowler2%
15 mi
median commute distance
280
jobs based in Otterbein
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Otterbein, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Otterbein has four seasons and pleasant summers
Otterbein has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 17° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–37°
Spring40–62°
Summer61–83°
Fall42–64°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Otterbein are worth about $223K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Otterbein home is worth about $223,000, up 1% in a year, 13% below the Indiana typical home. 68% of households own their home in Otterbein.
$223KZillow home value
| Otterbein | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $926 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Otterbein$223K
Indiana$257K
+1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC+
Residents of Otterbein are less healthy than 59% of U.S. towns
Otterbein tracks Indiana closely on all 32 CDC measures. 27% of Otterbein adults have been diagnosed with depression.
41%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Otterbein | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 39% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Indiana
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Franciscan Health Lafayette
14.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 815 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Otterbein Town Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 19 attractions →Ross–Ade Stadium and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Otterbein. Close and well known come first.
10 mi Stadium & arenaRoss–Ade Stadium
13 mi State parkProphetstown State Park23 mi LandmarkWabash and Erie Canal27 mi Theme parkIndiana Beach
10 mi MuseumSamara
33 mi MuseumRopkey Armor MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Ross–Ade Stadium: Tstuddud at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Prophetstown State Park: Flickr user: Dan https://www.flickr.com/photos/dwmizell/, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Samara: Tim Musson, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ropkey Armor Museum: John Schanlaub, CC BY 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Otterbein
19pages on Otterbein
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Otterbein
Purdue University GlobalUniversity or college · Public · West Lafayette8.5 mi$10,101 in-state tuitionPurdue UniversityUniversity or college · Public · West Lafayette9.9 mi$9,992 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Otterbein residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Otterbein for work
Where Otterbein’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
280jobs based in Otterbein
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Otterbein
Town in Indiana, United States
Otterbein is a town in Shelby Township, Tippecanoe County and Bolivar Township, Benton County, Indiana, named for William Otterbein Brown who donated land for the town. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1,144. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 705 ft
- ZIP code
- 47970
- Area code
- 765
Questions about Otterbein
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Otterbein, IN expensive?
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.
What is Otterbein, IN known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Adam Kennedy and Neal Musser.