Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,596, laid out in 1816. 2.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Indiana town.
Paoli gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $174K, 2.6 years of the county’s $66K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 531st of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $43K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 94% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Paoli, against 10% in Indiana’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 42 of Indiana’s 1,098 towns score lower on hazard risk. Paoli's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Where Paoli beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Orange County CourthouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Paoli is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 461 in 1850, 3,666 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 3 maps from 1957 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Paoli, 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 Paoli.
Paoli trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Indiana (mostly inland flooding).
Against the 3,318 U.S. towns with household incomes like Paoli’s, it is less healthy than 74%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
22% of adults smoke cigarettes in Paoli. Paoli beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 21% of adults report frequent mental distress in Paoli.
| Paoli | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 21% | 19% |
| What stands out | Paoli | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 12.2% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 21.9% | 15.7% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 19.7% | 14.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Paoli | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hoosier National Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $174K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 21 miles. The median property tax bill is $766, against $1,614 across Indiana, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
62% of Paoli households own their home. The typical Paoli home is worth about $174,000, up 4.2% in a year, 33% below the Indiana typical home. The median rent in Paoli is $799 a month.
| Paoli | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $799 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of Indiana towns, with expected losses of about $497 per resident a year; that rating is what its C− for hazard risk is built on.
Paoli’s FEMA risk score is 72 of 100. Since 1982, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Paoli.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Paoli has chilly winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 22° and about 13 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2013, Paoli has lost 233 jobs, to 2,064 in 2023. Most working residents leave Paoli for work: only 18% work in town. The top destinations are French Lick (14%), Jasper (5%) and Indianapolis (5%).
| Paoli | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 11% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
None within 15 miles of Paoli; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Paoli residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Indiana.
3 places in Paoli on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Paoli.
Town in Indiana, United States
Paoli ( pay-OH-lee) is a town within Paoli Township and the county seat of Orange County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 census, Paoli had a population of 3,666.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Paoli grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #531 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and B for schools. Jobs & income 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.
Paoli was laid out in 1816 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 7 notable people were born here, including Margaret Hamilton and David L. Cornwell.
