Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Richmond gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $160K, 2.9 years of the Richmond area’s $56K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 537th of 585 in Indiana. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $45K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 19 places on the National Register. 51% of working residents work locally in Richmond, against 11% in Indiana’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Mary Birdsall House and Old Richmond Historic District. Richmond's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Where Richmond beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Old Richmond Historic District
Its founding year, 1806, comes before those of 96% of the Indiana towns we grade with a known year. Its 19 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Indiana towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,070 in 1840, a low of 1,443 in 1850, 35,720 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1854 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Indiana), ordered by how far Richmond is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richmond, 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 Richmond.
Richmond draws workers from Center Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has poverty well above the Indiana rate.
13 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Glenn Miller Park, at 191 acres.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.5% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Springwood Park | 0.4 mi | 30 |
| 2. Glenn Miller Park | — | 191 |
| 3. Clear Creek Park | — | 89 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
21,521 jobs are based in Richmond, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Richmond’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Indianapolis (8%), Eaton (2%) and Muncie (2%). 4.7% of workers work from home in Richmond.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $71,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 7.8% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 4,153 U.S. towns with household incomes like Richmond’s, it is less healthy than 70%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
21% of Richmond adults smoke cigarettes. Richmond beats the Indiana average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 27% of Richmond adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 21% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Richmond | IN |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.8% | 15.4% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.3% | 14.7% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.9% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Typical home values rose 6.7% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in Richmond is $822 a month.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 76% | 73% |
| Median rent | $822 a month | $947 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Richmond has chilly winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84° and January nights drop to 20°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
25.4% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12.3% across Indiana, which weighs on its D for jobs and income.
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Indiana average. 20% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 30% across Indiana.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 20% | 22% | 29% |
| Median age | 38.6 years | 39.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 18% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.3 points). Across Indiana, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 40.7, men 36.1.
| Richmond | IN | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.6% | 12.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.9% | 9.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 13.1% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 12.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.3% | 6.7% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.3% | 9.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.1% | 32.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.1% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 11.8% | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 10.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Among 107 Indiana towns, just 3 have a higher violent crime rate than Richmond. Richmond's reported crime rate is above Indiana's.
| Richmond | Indiana towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 11.6 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 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Richmond.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Richmond. Close and well known come first.
9 mi MuseumLevi Coffin House
40 mi LandmarkLux Mundi
37 mi MuseumDayton Art Institute304K visitors a year
in town MuseumRichmond Art Museum
35 mi National Historical ParkDayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park80K visitors a year39 mi Theme parkStricker's GroveLevi Coffin House: Nyttend, Public domain · Lux Mundi: NTT72USA, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dayton Art Institute: Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Richmond Art Museum: William Merritt Chase, Public domain · Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Richmond
About 7 of every 100 Richmond residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Indiana.
Where Richmond’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
19 places in Richmond on the National Register of Historic Places.
52 notable people were born in Richmond.
City in Indiana, United States
Richmond () is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana, United States. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County. In the 2020 census, the city had a population of 35,720. It is the principal city of the Richmond micropolitan area. Situated largely within Wayne Township, its area includes a non-contiguous portion in nearby Boston Township, where Richmond Municipal Airport is located. Richmond is sometimes called the "cradle of recorded jazz" because the earliest jazz recordings and records were made at the studio of Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company. Gennett Records was the first to record such artists as Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly R…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Richmond.
| Town | IN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond | #537 | C− | B+ | — | C+ | D |
| Spring Grove | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne Township | #530 | C− | B+ | — | C+ | D |
| Center Township | #408 | C+ | B+ | — | A− | C− |
Richmond, Wayne Township and Center Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Spring Grove isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Richmond with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Richmond grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #537 of 585 in Indiana. It grades D for health and C+ 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 B+.
52 notable people were born here, including Mary Haas and Desmond Bane.
